Up 275% This Year: Is It Too Late to Buy Bloom Energy Stock?

Bloom Energy's (NYSE: BE) stock has transformed from being an overlooked fuel cell company to one of the most closely watched artificial intelligence (AI)-driven power plays.

Shares of the company are up nearly 275% so far in 2026, pushing the market capitalization to about $93 billion. This is a steep valuation for a company guiding for $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue.

So the question is whether Bloom's AI power opportunity can justify its valuation.

Image source: Getty Images.

Bloom is solving a real AI infrastructure problem

AI data centers need massive amounts of reliable power, and the electricity grid cannot always provide it quickly. The International Energy Agency expects global data center electricity use to roughly double from 2024 levels to around 945 terawatt-hours by 2030.

Bloom's on-site fuel cell systems are increasingly relevant, as they can help customers add power faster than waiting for new grid infrastructure. Oracle has already signed up for an initial 1.2 gigawatts of Bloom's fuel cell capacity for projects in the U.S., with the broader agreement leaving room for that figure to rise to as much as 2.8 gigawatts. The company claimed that it delivered a fully operational Oracle fuel cell system in just 55 days in 2025, ahead of the expected 90-day schedule.

Oracle, BorderPlex Digital Assets, and Bloom's Project Jupiter further strengthen the story. The New Mexico AI data center campus is expected to use up to 2.45 gigawatts of Bloom fuel cell capacity instead of planned gas turbines and diesel generators. The setup could provide faster onsite power, dramatically lower local emissions, and use negligible water.

Additionally, Brookfield Asset Management plans to invest up to $5 billion to deploy Bloom's technology for AI infrastructure. American Electric Power has agreed to buy up to 1 gigawatt of Bloom fuel cells, starting with a 100-megawatt order. Hence, electric utility companies and infrastructure investors are also seriously considering Bloom.

The financials are also improving. In the first quarter , Bloom's revenue rose 130.4% year over year to $751.1 million. Gross margin reached 30%, operating margin was 17.3%, and operating cash flow was $73.6 million. Bloom also exited fiscal 2025 with roughly $6 billion of product backlog and $14 billion of service backlog.

Risks cannot be ignored

Bloom currently trades at a rich valuation of nearly 38 times trailing 12-month sales. The company is also exposed to significant customer concentration risk. In Q1, two customers accounted for about 50% and 12% of total revenue.

So while Bloom has become a major AI infrastructure supplier with strong customer validation and rapidly improving numbers, the easy money may already have been made after its sharp 2026 rally. Investors interested in the stock may be better off building a position gradually, rather than buying aggressively after such a large move.

Manali Pradhan, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bloom Energy, Brookfield Asset Management, and Oracle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.