GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) ended Wednesday’s session sharply lower and held near those levels after the closing bell, as a fresh wave of “AI infrastructure” jitters hit the market’s power-and-data-center trade.
As of the latest post-close update (4:25 p.m. ET), GE Vernova shares were around $614.19, down about 10.5% on the day, after trading between roughly $613 and $694 with about 6.7 million shares changing hands. [1]
GE Vernova stock price recap: where GEV finished after Wednesday’s bell
Wednesday’s move was notable not just for the magnitude, but also for the reversal feel: GEV opened near $687, pushed as high as $694, and then slid to the low $613 area before settling near $614. [2]
That’s the kind of intraday range investors typically see when a crowded narrative trade (in this case, AI-driven electricity demand) gets tested in real time—especially in a stock that has already had a powerful run earlier in the year.
Why GE Vernova stock fell today: the AI data-center “power demand” narrative got rattled
Multiple market stories converged on Wednesday, but the common thread was renewed questioning around how durable and how “must-spend” AI data-center buildouts really are—and what happens to the companies that have become proxies for that theme.
1) A new funding headline reignited “lower power AI” concerns
Barron’s tied GE Vernova’s drop to investor worries after AI chip startup Mythic raised $125 million—a reminder that innovation aimed at reducing AI power consumption can quickly spook trades built around the assumption of ever-rising electricity demand from AI data centers. [3]
Mythic’s backer DCVC framed the raise around breaking “AI’s power wall,” emphasizing energy efficiency as a key competitive battleground. [4]
Why that matters for GEV: Even if power demand still grows in absolute terms, the market’s near-term reaction function can be brutal when “efficiency” headlines hit—because GE Vernova is widely viewed as one of the most direct public-market beneficiaries of incremental generation and grid investment linked to hyperscale data centers.
2) Oracle’s data center funding drama added fuel to the fire
A second pressure point came from AI infrastructure financing risk. Reuters reported that Oracle said talks supporting its Michigan data center project remain on track without Blue Owl Capital, after a report about stalled negotiations hit Oracle shares. [5]
The broader implication for markets: if large AI data-center projects face funding frictions, repricing can ripple through the whole “AI infrastructure stack,” including power generation and grid suppliers.
3) The broader “AI infrastructure” complex was under pressure
A Nasdaq market wrap highlighted the same theme—AI infrastructure names and chip-adjacent companies slid as headlines swirled around the reported $10 billion Oracle data-center financing situation. [6]
In other words, Wednesday didn’t look like a company-specific GE Vernova blow-up (no earnings, no guidance cut). It looked like a macro/narrative air pocket.
“What changed?” vs. “what didn’t”: GE Vernova’s own long-cycle demand signals remain strong
Even as the stock sold off on AI narrative volatility, GE Vernova’s fundamental positioning—particularly in gas power equipment and electrification—has been underpinned by management commentary and updated multi-year targets delivered recently.
GE Vernova’s raised targets and capital return plan are still the anchor for many bulls
At its investor update, GE Vernova raised its 2028 outlook to $52B in revenue and 20% adjusted EBITDA margin, and said it expects at least $22B in cumulative free cash flow from 2025–2028. The company also disclosed a $0.50 per share quarterly dividend (payable in Q1 2026) and increased share repurchase authorization to $10B. [7]
It also pointed to expanding backlog ambitions, including a goal to grow total backlog from $135B to about $200B by year-end 2028 (including a plan to double Electrification backlog from $30B to $60B). [8]
Gas turbines: Reuters reported supply is effectively spoken for into 2028
In a separate report tied to that investor messaging, Reuters said GE Vernova expects 80 GW of signed combined-cycle gas turbine contracts by year-end and that the company has sold out of its gas turbines through 2028, with less than 10% left to sell for the following year. [9]
Critically for the AI debate, Reuters also quoted CEO Scott Strazik saying he didn’t see signs of a slowdown in AI-related demand, describing “accelerating growth in demand.” [10]
Today’s forecasts and analyst takes: price targets rose even as the stock sank
One reason today’s selloff stood out is that it ran against the direction of several recent (and in at least one case, same-day) bullish analyst updates.
Goldman Sachs lifts price target to $840
A research note carried by TheFly (via TipRanks) said Goldman Sachs analyst Joe Ritchie raised GE Vernova’s price target to $840 from $735, keeping a Buy rating and framing the power market as early in an “inflection point,” explicitly referencing GE Vernova’s updated 2028 targets and cumulative free cash flow outlook. [11]
Quiver Quantitative also listed the Goldman $840 target as dated 12/17/2025, aligning the call with Wednesday’s news cycle. [12]
Street-level sentiment remained constructive (despite the volatility)
Barron’s reported that, even after today’s drop, 68% of analysts rate GE Vernova a Buy, and that the average price target increased following the recent analyst/investor event (Barron’s cited an increase to $739 from $681). [13]
MarketBeat’s consensus snapshot (methodology varies by provider) shows a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target near $680.52, with a wide dispersion between high and low targets—useful context for why the stock can move violently when narrative sentiment turns. [14]
After-hours check: what happened after the closing bell on Dec. 17
As of the latest available post-close update, GEV was still near $614.19, roughly where it finished the regular session.
No market-moving GE Vernova press release or new company-specific catalyst dominated the tape in the immediate post-close window from what was publicly visible in today’s news flow; the action was primarily about how investors digested AI infrastructure headlines and the resulting risk-off mood across correlated names. [15]
What to know before the stock market opens Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
With GE Vernova now trading more like a high-beta “AI infrastructure” proxy again, Thursday morning’s setup matters—especially because several scheduled macro releases hit before or around the U.S. open.
1) CPI is due at 8:30 a.m. ET — and it can move everything tied to rates and capex
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the Consumer Price Index for November 2025 for release on Dec. 18, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. [16]
Even if GE Vernova’s story is “industrial + energy transition,” the stock’s multiple and the market’s appetite for long-cycle capex winners can still swing with inflation expectations and bond yields—particularly after a day where narrative risk dominated.
2) Also at 8:30 a.m. ET: jobless claims + Philly Fed manufacturing
Econoday’s calendar lists Jobless Claims and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index at 8:30 a.m. ET as well. [17]
Translation for GEV watchers: another morning where macro prints could set the tone for cyclicals, industrials, and “AI capex” stocks before the opening bell fully digests corporate headlines.
3) Watch for follow-through (or reversal) in the “AI power trade” names
Because Wednesday’s selling pressure was heavily thematic, many traders will watch whether correlated names stabilize (or break lower) in premarket and early trading—especially those tied to data-center capex and electricity demand.
Key storyline to monitor overnight into Thursday: whether there’s additional clarification around large AI data-center financing and construction plans (the Oracle/partner angle was a major catalyst today). [18]
4) Analyst notes and “valuation talk” can intensify after a one-day air pocket
Big one-day drops often bring a second wave of commentary: fresh target changes, “downgrade after the run” arguments, and valuation framing. Today already featured a high-profile bullish target bump (Goldman), but the next 12–24 hours can bring more desk notes reacting to the volatility. [19]
5) Levels many investors will be watching (no chart, just the numbers)
Based on today’s tape:
- Near-term support zone: around $613–$615 (today’s low area and close zone) [20]
- First upside “reclaim” zone: around $687 (today’s open) [21]
- Overhead resistance reference: around $694 (today’s high) [22]
Separately, Investing.com lists a recent high of $731 in its historical data window, underscoring how quickly sentiment has swung since last week’s peak. [23]
Dividend calendar note: one more date some investors may keep on the radar
Following the company’s dividend increase announcement, Investing.com lists the next ex-dividend date as Jan. 5, 2026 for a $0.50 dividend, with a Feb. 2, 2026 payment date. [24]
That’s not a “tomorrow” catalyst, but it’s part of the post-investor-day shareholder return narrative that has been supporting the stock through 2025. [25]
The takeaway going into Thursday’s open
GE Vernova stock’s post-close picture on Dec. 17 is less about a new company-specific negative and more about how fast the market can reprice AI-driven electricity demand assumptions when efficiency and financing headlines collide.
Before the opening bell on Thursday, the two biggest swing factors are:
- Macro tone (CPI at 8:30 a.m. ET) and how it moves rates-sensitive sentiment, and [26]
- Whether AI infrastructure funding/buildout concerns keep spreading—or start to fade—after today’s shock. [27]
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. www.barrons.com, 4. www.dcvc.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.nasdaq.com, 7. www.gevernova.com, 8. www.gevernova.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.tipranks.com, 12. www.quiverquant.com, 13. www.barrons.com, 14. www.marketbeat.com, 15. www.barrons.com, 16. www.bls.gov, 17. us.econoday.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.tipranks.com, 20. www.investing.com, 21. www.investing.com, 22. www.investing.com, 23. www.investing.com, 24. www.investing.com, 25. www.gevernova.com, 26. www.bls.gov, 27. www.reuters.com
