Cerebras slumps as mixed quarterly results test AI growth narrative
Cerebras Systems slumped over 18 per cent premarket on Thursday after it missed key estimates despite soaring cloud revenue, raising doubts about the ability of its AI chips to challenge Nvidia.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Cerebras Systems, a company that produces AI chips, has seen its shares fall after it missed key estimates in its second earnings report as a public company. The company's cloud business has seen significant growth, but its hardware sales have declined.
Imagine you have a super powerful computer that can do lots of things at the same time. This is what Cerebras Systems is trying to make. But, they are having trouble making it work as well as they thought it would. This is making people wonder if they can really compete with the company that already makes these kinds of computers, called Nvidia.
Analysis
Cerebras Systems' Mixed Quarterlies Raise Doubts About AI Chip Dominance
Cerebras Systems, a company that produces AI chips, has seen its shares fall after it missed key estimates in its second earnings report as a public company. The company's cloud business has seen significant growth, but its hardware sales have declined. This has raised doubts about the ability of Cerebras' AI chips to challenge Nvidia's dominance in the market.
Cerebras' cloud business has roughly quadrupled to $126 million, versus the year-ago quarter. However, its hardware sales, including AI chips, have declined to $54.1 million from $70.3 million a year ago. This decline in hardware sales has led to a decrease in the company's adjusted gross margin, which fell to 40.6 per cent from 46.5 per cent in the prior quarter.
The performance of Cerebras Systems is significant because it is one of the companies that is challenging Nvidia's dominance in the AI chip market. The outcome of this competition will have implications for the development of AI technology. If Cerebras is unable to compete with Nvidia, it may limit the development of AI technology and hinder its adoption in various industries.
Lofty Expectations for AI Infrastructure Companies
Separately, shares of Cisco Systems fell over 6 per cent as its outlook fell short of lofty expectations tied to its rise as a beneficiary of the AI data center buildout. The stock has gained more than 60 per cent this year. Cisco expects $7.5 billion in revenue from AI infrastructure orders from hyperscalers in fiscal 2027.
The performance of Cerebras Systems and Cisco Systems highlights the challenges faced by companies in the AI infrastructure market. Despite the growth in cloud computing, the decline in hardware sales has raised doubts about the ability of these companies to compete with Nvidia. This has implications for the development of AI technology and its adoption in various industries.
Key points
- Cerebras Systems' shares fell over 18 per cent premarket after it missed key estimates in its second earnings report as a public company.
- The company's cloud business has seen significant growth, but its hardware sales have declined.
- Cerebras' adjusted gross margin fell to 40.6 per cent from 46.5 per cent in the prior quarter.
- Cisco Systems' shares fell over 6 per cent as its outlook fell short of lofty expectations tied to its rise as a beneficiary of the AI data center buildout.
If Cerebras Systems can improve its hardware sales and adjust its gross margin, it may be able to compete with Nvidia and become a major player in the AI chip market. This would have significant implications for the development of AI technology and its adoption in various industries.
If Cerebras Systems is unable to improve its hardware sales and adjust its gross margin, it may be unable to compete with Nvidia and become a major player in the AI chip market. This would limit the development of AI technology and hinder its adoption in various industries.



