Russ Cohen

Is Nebius Group Stock a Buy?

Key Points

  • The Russian tech giant Yandex rebranded itself as Nebius last year.

  • As Nebius, it’s focused on expanding its AI infrastructure business.

  • Its business is firing on all cylinders, and its stock still looks reasonably valued.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Nebius Group ›

Nebius Group (NASDAQ: NBIS) was once known as Yandex, the online search leader in Russia. However, the sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine derailed its expansion plans and rattled its overseas investors, and its Nasdaq-listed shares were suspended on Feb. 28, 2022.

To reboot its business, Yandex divested its core search engine and other Russian assets, retained its non-Russian business segments; and reinvented itself as a cloud-based provider of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure services. It then rebranded itself as Nebius and started trading on the Nasdaq again on Oct. 21, 2024.

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Nebius’ stock resumed trading at $14.29, and it now trades at about $110. It dazzled its investors with its rapid growth and a massive AI deal with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), but is its stock still worth buying today? Let’s review its growth rates and valuations to decide.

A visualization of a digital brain.

Image source: Getty Images.

What does Nebius do?

Nebius fully owns one data center in Finland, and it leases additional data centers through colocation deals in Missouri, France, and Iceland. It’s currently constructing another first-party data center in New Jersey, and it recently secured another colocation deal in the U.K.

Nebius initially installed Nvidia‘s (NASDAQ: NVDA) H100, H200, and L40S GPUs — all of which are used to process complex AI tasks — in its data centers. It serves up its AI infrastructure as a cloud-based service to companies that don’t want to buy those pricey and power-hungry GPUs, and it integrates other managed services, developer tools, and apps into its platform.

How does it compare to CoreWeave?

Nebius might seem similar to CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV), another provider of cloud-based GPUs for AI applications, which operates 33 data centers in the U.S. and Europe. However, Nebius brands itself as a “full stack” AI infrastructure company that integrates cloud-based GPUs with managed services like Kubernetes and PostgreSQL. CoreWeave mainly processes GPU-intensive workloads instead of handling smaller managed services.

Nvidia owns 0.5% of Nebius and approximately 6.4% of CoreWeave. That support suggests their cloud-based GPUs will become increasingly popular as the AI market evolves and expands. Both companies also started deploying Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPUs over the past year.

In early September, Nebius signed a five-year $17.4 billion AI infrastructure deal with Microsoft. CoreWeave also generates roughly 70% of its revenue from Microsoft, and it recently beefed up the value of its existing contracts with OpenAI by another $6.5 billion to $22.4 billion.

How fast is Nebius growing?

In 2024, Nebius’ revenue surged 462% to $117.5 million. From 2024 to 2027, analysts expect its revenue to grow at a CAGR of 231% to $4.25 billion as it opens more data centers, gains more customers, and starts to recognize the revenue from its new deal with Microsoft.

See also  Unveiling the Intricacies of Wealth Growth Through Strategic PlanningThe Voyage of Wealth Creation: Embarking on the Financial Odyssey

The journey to financial stability and prosperity is not for the faint of heart. It requires commitment, a touch of daring, and most importantly, a well-thought-out plan. As seasoned investors will attest, the path to accumulating a substantial nest egg for retirement is rife with challenges and pitfalls. Yet, the key to success lies in unwavering perseverance and a dash of optimism.

Image source: Getty Images.

The Seed of Prosperity: Early Years of Wealth Cultivation

When venturing into the realm of long-term stock investment, the initial stages may seem lackluster. It's during these times that many falter, particularly when faced with market fluctuations or downturns. Stock market corrections are as much a part of the investment landscape as the sun rising each day. Yet, history has shown that perseverance pays off, with markets consistently recovering and reaching new heights.

Let's delve into the numbers and explore the potential growth of your investments. Assuming an annual contribution of $12,000 with an average growth rate of 8%, let's unravel the journey:

Growing at 8% For:

$12,000 Invested Annually Grows To:

Total You Invested:

1 year

$12,960

$12,000

2 years

$29,957

$24,000

3 years

$42,073

$36,000

4 years

$58,399

$48,000

5 years

$76,031

$60,000

Data source: calculations by author.

While the progression may seem gradual, the momentum is building. By the fifth year, you've invested $60,000 and accrued earnings of $16,000, bringing the total to around $76,000. A promising start indeed.

It's essential to note that actual growth may not mirror the table due to the market's volatility. Fluctuations are the heartbeat of the stock market, with returns oscillating between single and double digits. On average, the market has historically yielded close to 10% annually, although a conservative estimate of 8% is prudent. Inflation, however, can nibble away at purchasing power over time, underscoring the need for strategic planning.

For a real-world perspective on growth, the table below showcases the year-by-year returns of the S&P 500 index, offering a glimpse into the ebb and flow of wealth creation.

Year

S&P 500 Return

2007

5.49%

2008

(37%)

2009

26.5%

2010

15.1%

2011

2.1%

2012

16%

2013

32.4%

2014

13.7%

2015

1.4%

2016

12%

2017

21.8%

2018

(4.4%)

2019

31.5%

2020

18.4%

2021

28.7%

2022

(18.11%)

2023

26.29%

2024

7.86%*

Data source: Slickcharts.com. Returns reflect reinvested dividends.*Year to date as of mid-April, 2024.

The Pinnacle of Prosperity: In the Midst of the Wealth Growth Symphony

As we continue our saga of wealth growth, with annual investments of $12,000, we transition into the pivotal mid-years of the investment voyage. The results begin to take shape, painting a picture of potential prosperity:

Growing at 8% For:

$12,000 Invested Annually Grows To:

Total You Invested:

10 years

$187,746

$120,000

15 years

$351,892

$180,000

20 years

$593,076

$240,000

Data source: Calculations by author.

The Power of Compound Interest: A Path to Wealth Unlocking the Potential: The Magic of Compound Interest

They also expect its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which came in at negative $266.4 million in 2024, to turn positive in 2026 and surge 186% to $852 million in 2027. That growth should be driven by its partnership with Microsoft, its goal of boosting its data center capacity from roughly 190 megawatts (MW) today to 1 gigawatt (GW) by 2026, and a recent $3 billion funding round to support those ambitious plans.

With an enterprise value of $25.02 billion, Nebius trades at about 6 times its projected sales for 2027. By comparison, CoreWeave — which is valued at $83.19 billion — trades at less than 5 times its expected sales for 2027. So while both of these AI infrastructure stocks look pricey relative to this year’s sales, they still seem reasonably valued relative to their long-term growth potential.

Is it the right time to buy Nebius’ stock?

Nebius, like CoreWeave, will burn a lot of cash, issue more shares, and take on more debt to open new data centers and purchase more GPUs from Nvidia. But over the next few years, Nebius could thrive as more companies shift their AI processing to cloud-based GPUs. Therefore, I believe its stock is still worth accumulating near its all-time highs.

Should you invest $1,000 in Nebius Group right now?

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Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Nasdaq and Nebius Group and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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