Prediction: This AI Stock Could Triple by the End of 2026. Here's Why.

CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV) shareholders may feel frustrated over the stock's behavior in recent weeks. Since its drop in late October, the stock has traded in a range, and optimism about its artificial intelligence (AI)-oriented cloud platform has given way to concerns about softening AI demand and massive investments required to address its backlog.

Nonetheless, once it breaks out of its range, a tripling of the stock price may not be out of the question. Here's why investors should not dismiss the possibility of such a gain this year.

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Where CoreWeave stands

As previously mentioned, CoreWeave stands out for developing a cloud platform specifically tailored for AI workloads. The company boasted a $55 billion backlog in its most recent quarterly report.

Also, thanks to backing from Nvidia, it can compete with cash-rich general-purpose cloud companies such as Amazon and Microsoft.

However, meeting that demand comes at a huge cost. It spent around $6.25 billion on capital expenditures (capex) in the first nine months of 2025 alone. That meant $4.75 billion in negative free cash flow over the same period.

The company also carried $14 billion in debt as of the end of Q3 2025. To fund further growth, it issued convertible notes in Q4 2025 that gave investors the right to buy shares at fixed prices through 2031. In exchange, those notes have a 1.75% interest rate, well below the rates between 9% and 15% on most of its debt.

Fortunately, those efforts have resulted in the massive revenue growth that made its growth story become clear. CoreWeave generated $3.56 billion in revenue in the first three quarters of 2025, a 204% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Additionally, analysts forecast 135% revenue growth in 2026.

That also places the stock in a position to triple in value. CoreWeave sells for $86 per share as of the time of this writing. A tripling of the stock would take the share price to $258, significantly above the record price of $187 per share.

Still, it can triple because investor concerns about its business have taken its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio down to 8 (at the time of this writing). Moreover, thanks to massive revenue growth, its forward P/S ratio stands at 3.4. Considering that growth stocks often support P/S ratios in the teens and 20s, such a valuation is an achievable goal.

CoreWeave is a possible triple

Given where CoreWeave stands today, it has a viable path for tripling in value over the course of the year.

Admittedly, investors will have to dismiss the considerable levels of negative free cash flow and rising debts.

Nonetheless, investors should also remember that its AI-specific cloud is valuable to its customers, meaning its massive capex spending goes back into the company and funds its huge growth. Also, as it serves more customers, it should be able to reduce its negative free cash flows and ultimately turn them positive.

That growth also means CoreWeave stock could triple in value and still have a P/S ratio in line with other growth stocks. Thus, investors could profit tremendously if they can tolerate the risks involved in financing CoreWeave's massive growth.

Will Healy has positions in CoreWeave. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.