SoundHound AI Stock Is Down 37% in 2026. Is This the Ultimate Buying Opportunity, or Is More Downside Ahead?

While many artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are outperforming the broader market right now, not every name in this space has been a winner. SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) stock is down 37% this year, and it recenty was trading 68% below its 2024 record high.

SoundHound AI is a leading developer of conversational AI software, which is currently used by some of the world's biggest brands across industries such as automotive manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and more.

Investors have trimmed their exposure to its stock because of its sky-high valuation, but it's starting to look attractive after its recent losses. Is it time to buy the dip?

Image source: The Motley Fool.

SoundHound is rapidly expanding

SoundHound developed a series of in-house conversational AI software products. They include Dynamic Drive-Thru and Dynamic Kiosk for quick-service restaurants, which autonomously take customer orders so employees can focus on other tasks. Then there is the Voice AI platform, which allows car brands to install highly intuitive voice-activated AI experiences into their vehicles.

But SoundHound also expanded over the last few years by acquiring other companies. It bought rival conversational AI company Amelia in 2024, and it recently launched the Amelia 7 platform, which businesses can use to build custom AI agents to serve customers or help employees streamline their workflows. Resorts World Las Vegas uses Amelia to autonomously handle more than half of its incoming customer calls, freeing up employees to provide guests with high-touch luxury experiences.

In April of this year, SoundHound announced plans to acquire LivePerson, which built an AI-powered digital engagement platform that processes message conversations on behalf of businesses and their customers. It powers more than 1 billion messages per month across websites, social media, and chat applications, saving valuable time that would otherwise be spent managing phone calls or email correspondence.

SoundHound's revenue growth is fast, but slowing

SoundHound's revenue soared by 52% year over year during the first quarter of 2026, to come in at a record $44.2 million. While that sounds like a spectacular result, the company's revenue grew at a much faster pace of 151% during the same quarter of 2025. Some investors might be concerned about the apparent loss of momentum, which is one reason for the steep decline in SoundHound stock.

However, the recent acquisition of LivePerson is about to provide a temporary boost to SoundHound's financial results. Management estimates the company's annual revenue will come in somewhere between $225 million and $260 million in 2026, but that number could grow to $400 million in 2027 once LivePerson's revenue is included. Management says there could be as much as $100 million in potential upside, depending on operational performance.

While that is great news, investors also have to keep an eye on SoundHound's mounting losses, because scaling an AI business isn't cheap. During the first quarter, the company suffered a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net loss of $25 million and an adjusted net loss of $26.5 million. Both figures worsened from the same quarter last year.

SoundHound had $216 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand as of March 31, so it can afford to lose money at the current pace for at least the next year or so. But if it isn't profitable by then, it might have to raise more money, diluting existing shareholders and hurting their future potential returns.

SoundHound stock isn't cheap just yet, but it's getting there

SoundHound had a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of around 100 when its stock peaked in late 2024, which made it extremely expensive. For some context, the Nasdaq-100 technology index currently trades at a P/S ratio of just 6.4.

But the combination of SoundHound's revenue growth and the 68% decline in its stock has pushed its P/S ratio down to a more reasonable level of around 15.

SOUN PS Ratio data by YCharts

SoundHound isn't necessarily cheap just yet, but if we assume the company will generate $400 million in revenue next year, as management expects, then its forward P/S ratio is just 7.2. That is quite attractive given how fast SoundHound is expanding. Plus, AI software is likely to touch every industry in the future, so the company could have an enormous addressable market.

Nevertheless, SoundHound is still in the early stages of commercializing its product portfolio, so investors who buy its stock today should maintain a five-year time horizon to smooth out any potential volatility and maximize their chances of earning a positive return. It's also a good idea to keep a small position, just in case this opportunity doesn't work out.

Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.