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C3.ai, Inc.

AI · Technology · FY2026 filings · Shallow moat ·

Doesn't clear the bar

Shallow moat
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The five investor questions

35

2022–2026 (latest 5 aligned FYs; v3 window cap 5): revenue $253M to $250M, decreasing; diluted EPS -1.84 to -3.35, decreasing.

77

Median gross margin 67.2% over 8y, variable.

0

Median ROIC -35.6%, above the 12% hurdle in 0% of years.

55

Net cash position — no leverage risk.

44

Owner earnings changed trend unclear over up to the ten most recent annual observations, share count n/a.

Price vs. value if growth stopped today

A cautious baseline, not a price target: what the shares may support if normalized owner earnings simply hold steady.

Above value if growth stopped todayBelow value if growth stopped today
No price data
Not reported
Unavailable — insufficient owner-earnings data
Unavailable — insufficient growth-model data
$8.15
No price data

This zero-growth estimate assumes trailing owner earnings persist — unreliable for declining businesses. The recent FY revenue series does not trigger the three-consecutive-declines flag.

Among the current top-score group, the median current price is 239% above the zero-growth estimate across 48 of the current top 50 companies by Moat Score with both values.

Score records captured Jul 26, 2026.

Exactly which 50 companies?

FTNT, META, MEDP, IBEX, MSFT, GOOGL, LULU, ANF, IDXX, TXRH, FHI, QLYS, FFIV, ADBE, LLY, MANH, VEEV, GRMN, SSD, MNST, DOCS, MCO, CPRT, NTAP, LRCX, NVDA, CORT, SFM, MPTI, ULTA, SN, RMD, ROL, PAYC, IRMD, INTU, DECK, MORN, LGCY, DAL, GWW, ISRG, MPWR, CTAS, LOPE, MRK, CMG, FAST, BKNG, ORLY

Missing a usable price or zero-growth estimate: ANF, BKNG.

Model details under moat-index@3.0.0: zero-growth multiple 11.1×, capped-growth comparison at no more than 18×; 9% discount rate; high-end growth 0% (capped at 4%) using min(5y revenue CAGR, 5y diluted-EPS CAGR), clamped to 0%–4%; maintenance capex uses min(capex, D&A); abstain when D&A is unavailable. This is a disclosed model range, not intrinsic value as fact.

9 years of fundamentals

The business, in plain English

C3.ai, Inc. booked $250M of revenue in FY2026 in the Technology sector and kept 30.9% of it as gross profit — a moderate-margin business by that measure. After every other cost, −187.9% of each revenue dollar reached the bottom line.

Across the filed record, revenue grew from $91.6M (FY2019) to $250M (FY2026) — about 15.4% a year compounded over 7 years.

It earned −67.0% on invested capital in the latest filed year, FY2026. Across the full 6-year measurable filed record, median ROIC was −35.6%. Over the v3 recent window (6 measurable filed years), median ROIC was −35.6%. The Returns on Capital filter above scores it 0/100.

AI's latest filed year, FY2026, doesn't disclose total debt in a form the methodology can use, so current leverage is treated as unmeasured — never assumed to be zero.

Put together: Pricing Power is the strongest of the five filters (77/100) and Returns on Capital the weakest (0/100), which is how AI lands at 42/100 — a Shallow moat.

This breakdown is generated from the filed numbers and sub-scores above — no outside narrative, no estimates. Where a filing doesn’t disclose an input, the sentence that would need it is omitted instead of guessed.

FY2018–FY2026 · 9 fiscal years, normalized from AI’s SEC filings

Sales, as filed$250M FY2026
$0$200M$400M2018202120242026
Revenue kept after cost of goods30.9% FY2026
0%50%2018202120242026
Standard ROIC or separately labeled Operating ROICROIC −67.0% FY2026
−50%−25%0%2018202120242026
Cash an owner could take out−$459M FY2026
−$400M−$200M$02018202120242026

Gaps in a line mean that item isn’t in AI’s filings for that year. The series is never interpolated or estimated. The Table view lists every filed value, including operating and net margins, total debt, and share count.

Flagship explainer

How C3.ai, Inc. makes its money

Start with a dollar of revenue and follow what the filing says remains.

revenueBranching filed flows with values and percentages directly labeled. Missing filing concepts are omitted rather than estimated.Revenue$250M · 100%Cost of revenue$173M · 69%Gross profit$77.4M · 31%Operating income−$498M · −199%Income before tax−$470M · −188%Income tax$822000 · 0%Net income−$470M · −188%As of 2026-04-30 · 1 SEC filing sourceBuy Like Buffett · buylikebuffett.com

Honest partial: the filing did not provide a normalized tag for Research and development, Selling, general and administrative; those components are omitted, not plugged.

Table alternative
Filed lineValue% of revenueSource
$250M100%
Cost of revenue$173M69%
$77.4M31%
−$498M−199%
Income before tax−$470M−188%
Income tax$8220000%
−$470M−188%
Source: · event Apr 30, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set
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Flagship explainer

What C3.ai, Inc. owns — and owes

C3.ai, Inc.'s filing tags don't support a full breakdown — here's what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed lineValue% of assetsSource
Total assets$816M100%
Cash and equivalents$66.2M8%
Stockholders’ equity$654M80%
Source: · event Apr 30, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set

Flagship explainer

What drives C3.ai, Inc.’s return on equity?

ROE is five filed business factors multiplied together.

DuPont return on equity factor treeReturn on equity branches into tax burden, interest burden, operating margin, asset turnover, and the equity multiplier.Return on equity−63%Tax burden100%net income ÷ pretax incomeInterest burden94%pretax ÷ operating incomeOperating margin−199%operating income ÷ revenueAsset turnover0.27×revenue ÷ average assetsEquity multiplier1.23×average assets ÷ average equityAs of 2026-04-30 · 1 SEC filing sourceBuy Like Buffett · buylikebuffett.com
DuPont source inputs
InputValueFiscal yearSource
−$470MFY2026
Income before tax−$470MFY2026
Operating income−$498MFY2026
$250MFY2026
Ending assets$816MFY2026
Beginning assets$1.0BFY2025
$654MFY2026
$838MFY2025
Source:
  • SEC filingFiling detailsAccession 0001577526-26-000078
· event Apr 30, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set
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Flagship explainer

Where C3.ai, Inc.'s cash went

C3.ai, Inc.’s filing does not supply enough provenance-matched cash-flow lines for a truthful flow chart — here’s what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed lineValue% of cash from operationsSource
Cash from operations−$190M−100%
Depreciation and amortization$13.6M7%
Source: · event Apr 30, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set

Curated 19-manager tier

Who reported holding C3.ai, Inc.

Delayed public 13F reports for 2026-Q1—not live positions, trades, or recommendations.

0 holding0 exited19 not holding19/19 resolved

Named manager positions and quarter-over-quarter changes
ManagerReported positionQuarter-over-quarterFiling accession
Abrams CapitalNo position reportedNo position reported
Akre CapitalNo position reportedNo position reported
Baupost GroupNo position reportedNo position reported
Berkshire HathawayNo position reportedNo position reported
Brave Warrior AdvisorsNo position reportedNo position reported
Dodge & CoxNo position reportedNo position reported
First EagleNo position reportedNo position reported
FundsmithNo position reportedNo position reported
Gardner Russo & QuinnNo position reportedNo position reported
Gates Foundation TrustNo position reportedNo position reported
Mairs & PowerNo position reportedNo position reported
Markel / Markel-GaynerNo position reportedNo position reported
Oakmark / Harris AssociatesNo position reportedNo position reported
Pershing SquareNo position reportedNo position reported
Polen CapitalNo position reportedNo position reported
Sequoia / Ruane CunniffNo position reportedNo position reported
Southeastern Asset ManagementNo position reportedNo position reported
Tweedy, BrowneNo position reportedNo position reported
Yacktman Asset ManagementNo position reportedNo position reported

Position size uses shares and filed value from each manager’s 13F. Portfolio weight uses the eligible long-share filing denominator. Changes compare only with the immediately preceding calendar quarter.

Source:
38 SEC filings
  1. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0000813917-26-000022 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  2. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0000813917-26-000038 · filed May 15, 2026
  3. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0000860643-26-000001 · filed Feb 12, 2026
  4. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0000860643-26-000003 · filed May 13, 2026
  5. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0000905567-26-000001 · filed Feb 3, 2026
  6. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0000905567-26-000002 · filed May 1, 2026
  7. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0000919574-26-000775 · filed Feb 13, 2026
  8. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0000919574-26-003132 · filed May 15, 2026
  9. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001061768-26-000005 · filed Feb 13, 2026
  10. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001061768-26-000007 · filed May 14, 2026
  11. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001096343-26-000011 · filed Feb 6, 2026
  12. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001096343-26-000044 · filed May 1, 2026
  13. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001104659-26-016458 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  14. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001104659-26-062592 · filed May 15, 2026
  15. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001112520-26-000008 · filed Feb 13, 2026
  16. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001112520-26-000009 · filed May 14, 2026
  17. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-000654 · filed Feb 12, 2026
  18. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-000791 · filed Feb 13, 2026
  19. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-001057 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  20. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-001068 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  21. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-001091 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  22. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-001819 · filed May 14, 2026
  23. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-001911 · filed May 14, 2026
  24. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-001966 · filed May 14, 2026
  25. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-002294 · filed May 15, 2026
  26. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001172661-26-002336 · filed May 15, 2026
  27. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001193125-26-033986 · filed Feb 3, 2026
  28. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001193125-26-050636 · filed Feb 13, 2026
  29. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001193125-26-054580 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  30. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001193125-26-208439 · filed May 6, 2026
  31. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001193125-26-223352 · filed May 14, 2026
  32. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001193125-26-226661 · filed May 15, 2026
  33. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001325447-26-000004 · filed Feb 4, 2026
  34. 13F-HR/A · Q1 2026 · Amendment RESTATEMENTFiling detailsAccession 0001325447-26-000018 · filed May 14, 2026
  35. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001398344-26-003084 · filed Feb 13, 2026
  36. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001398344-26-009296 · filed May 15, 2026
  37. 13F-HR · Q4 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001569205-26-000002 · filed Feb 17, 2026
  38. 13F-HR · Q1 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001569205-26-000005 · filed May 15, 2026
· event Mar 31, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026

Flagship explainer

What C3.ai, Inc. insiders reported

Records still being gathered — partial as of retrieval Aug 14, 2026.

Partial coverage: the incomplete Form 4 walk cannot establish no activity, an activity date, or zero counts.

Moat Score history

16 logged readings since Jul 17, 2026 · append-only, never rewritten

Moat Score over timeLast scored reading of each day, on the 0–100 scale42.2 / 100
0406080100WideNarrowShallowNo moatJul 17, 2026Jul 26, 2026

Breaks in the line mark methodology or normalizer upgrades — readings across versions aren’t compared, so a level shift there isn’t a change in the business.

Tier changesSame-methodology and same-normalizer crossings of the Wide / Narrow / Shallow bars

  1. Normalizer upgraded unstamped (version unknown)moat-xbrl-normalizer@1.1.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 26, 2026
  2. Methodology upgraded moat-index@2.0.0moat-index@3.0.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 23, 2026
  3. Methodology upgraded moat-index@1.2.0moat-index@2.0.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 20, 2026

Scores are logged append-only and never overwritten — this record cannot be reconstructed retroactively, which is exactly why it’s worth keeping.

Insider activity

Form 4 reports mix P/S market or private transactions with compensation-plan mechanics. Activity casually described as “insider selling” can include compensation mechanics; awards, tax withholding, and option exercises are shown by their exact filed class here, never collapsed into “Bought” or “Sold.”

These are disclosed filing facts and arithmetic aggregates, not a signal or verdict.

This machine-readable surface covers SEC ownership filings from 2003; it does not represent earlier paper-era records.

Records still being gathered — partial as of retrieval Aug 14, 2026.

Among the rows shown, A/F/M acquisition, payment or withholding, and exercise or conversion rows outnumber S sale rows (4 versus 3). The filing codes alone do not establish that every such row arose from a compensation plan.

Trailing-12-month totals and the 90-day cluster result are withheld because this issuer walk is incomplete.

InsiderShares owned afterDateFiling detail
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Class A Common Stock · 1 paired event453,314$3.90$1,767,9251,175,676Aug 11, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 453,314 shares at $3.90 · code M · owned after 1,175,676 · Paired event: 453,314 Stock Option (Right to Buy) → 453,314 Class A Common Stock ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerOpen-market or private sale (S)Table I · Disposed · Class A Common Stock453,314$10.51$4,764,330722,362Aug 11, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 453,314 shares at $10.51 · code S · owned after 722,362 ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Stock Option (Right to Buy) · 1 paired event453,314—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—2,413,196Aug 11, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Stock Option (Right to Buy): 453,314 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 2,413,196 · Paired event: 453,314 Stock Option (Right to Buy) → 453,314 Class A Common Stock ·
Lath HiteshCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICEROpen-market or private sale (S)Table I · Disposed · Class A Common Stock20,000$10.00$200,000363,106Aug 4, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 20,000 shares at $10.00 · code S · owned after 363,106 ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerGift (G)Table I · Disposed · Class A Common Stock143,834—Gift (G)—722,362Aug 4, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 143,834 shares at — (Gift (G)) · code G · owned after 722,362 ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerGift (G)Table I · Acquired · Class A Common Stock143,834—Gift (G)—7,067,187Aug 4, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 143,834 shares at — (Gift (G)) · code G · owned after 7,067,187 ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerOpen-market or private sale (S)Table I · Disposed · Class A Common Stock139,500$9.61$1,340,595866,196Aug 3, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 139,500 shares at $9.61 · code S · owned after 866,196 ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Class A Common Stock · 1 paired event283,334Not disclosedNot disclosed1,005,696Aug 2, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Class A Common Stock: 283,334 shares at Not disclosed · code M · owned after 1,005,696 · Paired event: 283,334 Performance Restricted Stock Units → 283,334 Class A Common Stock ·
SIEBEL THOMAS MDirector, CEO and Chairman of the Board, 10% ownerExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Performance Restricted Stock Units · 1 paired event283,334—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 2, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Performance Restricted Stock Units: 283,334 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 283,334 Performance Restricted Stock Units → 283,334 Class A Common Stock ·

Source-event as of . Retrieved .

Track record

How C3.ai, Inc.’s moat rated in each of the years we can reconstruct from its filings — scored only on what was knowable at the time — and what its price and returns did afterward. The score never saw a price; the two are joined only in hindsight, for education, not as a signal.

Point-in-time scores 2021–2025, one methodology version · reconstructed from filings on file each Dec 31 — never with hindsight

Point-in-time Moat Score (dot colored by tier)Indexed price (total-return (dividends reinvested))Rated Wide-moat that year

How to read this: each dot is what the engine would have scored AI on that December 31; the line below is its total-return price path (dividends reinvested) in the years since.

0406080100WideNarrowShallowNo moatPoint-in-time Moat Score102050100Indexed price · log scale (2021 = 100)202120222023202420252026

Two tracks, one timeline: the score has its own 0–100 scale (top), the price its own 100-based scale (bottom) — never a shared axis. The price path is a total-return (dividends reinvested) index built from the same data the forward returns use; gaps in the score line are years with no reconstructed rating (see the table for why). The Table view carries every value.

What followed, in the years it rated Wide

In the reconstructed history shown, AI did not rate Wide-moat in any year, so there is no wide-moat track record to report. That absence is itself the honest answer — we don’t manufacture a comparison where the rating never earned one.

Technology context

#429 of 744 scored Technology companies, ranked by Moat Score.

Nearest peers by Moat Score

  1. #427TBCH TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION42.4Shallow moat
  2. #428BNAI Brand Engagement Network Inc.42.3Shallow moat
  3. #430VTIX Virtuix Holdings Inc.42.2Shallow moat
  4. #431VERI Veritone, Inc.42.1Shallow moat

Compare AI with its nearest peers →All Technology companies on the Index →

Common questions about AI

Does C3.ai, Inc. have an economic moat?
Based on its FY2026 SEC filings, the Moat Index scores C3.ai, Inc. (AI) 42.2 out of 100 — a Shallow moat. The five questions behind that score begin at 20% each; if exactly one genuinely lacks data, the other four weights are renormalized and disclosed. revenue and EPS trend 35, pricing power 77, returns on capital 0, balance-sheet safety 55, capital allocation 44.
How has AI's Moat Score changed over time?
The record logs 16 readings since Jul 17, 2026; the latest reads 42.2 out of 100 (shallow moat). No tier changes on record yet. (Methodology or normalizer upgrades on Jul 20, 2026, Jul 23, 2026, Jul 26, 2026 re-based the score; readings across versions aren't compared.) The history is append-only — readings are only ever added, never rewritten.

Scored from primary SEC filings via the public methodology. Educational only — not a recommendation to buy or sell AI. See the disclaimer.