BigBear.ai Stock Tumbles on Weak Results. It’s Been an AI Favorite This Year

BigBear.ai shares are down sharply in late trading Thursday after the AI software provider posted weaker-than-expected revenue for its fourth quarter.

BigBear shares, which been rallied 75% so far this year, are down 21% in late trading, to $3.06.

For the quarter, BigBear reported revenue of $40.6 million, up 0.5% from a year ago and below the Wall Street consensus forecast of $42.8 million.

The company posted adjusted Ebitda, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, of $3.7 million. BigBear noted that it was its second straight quarter of profitability on that basis.

BigBear recorded a net loss for the quarter of $21.3 million, or 14 cents a share.

For 2024, BigBear is projecting revenue of between $195 million and $215 million, which is above the Street consensus of $174 million, but it’s not clear that the figures are comparable. The company last week completed the acquisition of Pangiam, a provider of AI-based vision systems, for $70 million in stock.

In a letter to shareholders, CEO Mandy Long said the company is not providing adjusted Ebitda guidance for the full year, “as we focus on the critical first steps of integrating Pangiam, and want to reinforce our commitment to moving the business forward and unlocking efficiencies of scale.”

Wall Street has been expecting adjusted Ebitda for 2024 of $7 million, according to estimates tracked by FactSet.

President-elect Donald Trump named a Silicon Valley investor close to Elon Musk as the White House’s artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency policy chief, signaling the growing influence of tech leaders and loyalists in the new administration .

David Sacks , a former PayPal executive, will serve as the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar,” Trump said on his social-media platform Truth Social.

“In this important role, David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness,” he posted.

Musk and Vice President-elect JD Vance chimed in with congratulatory messages on X.

Sacks was one of the first vocal supporters of Trump in Silicon Valley, a region that typically leans Democratic. He hosted a fundraiser for Trump in San Francisco in June that raised more than $12 million for Trump’s campaign. Sacks often used his “All-In” podcast to broadcast his support for the Republican’s cause.

The fundraiser drew several cryptocurrency executives and tech investors. Some attendees were concerned that America could lose its competitiveness in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence because of overregulation.

Many tech leaders had hoped the next president would have a friendlier stance on cryptocurrencies, which had come under scrutiny during the Biden administration.

“What the crypto industry has been asking for more than anything else is a clear legal framework to operate under. If Trump wins, the industry will get this, and more innovation will happen in the U.S.,” Sacks posted on X in July.

The tech industry has also pressed for friendlier federal policies around AI and successfully lobbied to quash a California AI bill industry leaders said would kill innovation.

Sacks’ venture-capital firm, Craft Ventures, has invested in crypto and AI startups. Sacks himself has led investment rounds in many. He has previously invested in companies such as Slack, SpaceX, Uber and Facebook.

Sacks was the former chief operating officer of PayPal, whose founders included Musk and Peter Thiel . The group, called the “PayPal mafia,” has been front and center this election because of its financial muscle and influence in drumming up support for Trump.

BigBear.ai Stock Tumbles on Weak Results. It’s Been an AI Favorite This Year

Tech investor was one of the most outspoken supporters of Trump in Silicon Valley