New York, February 22, 2026, 11:21 EST — The market has closed.
- CoreWeave shares dropped 8.1% Friday, with a report casting new doubt on financing for a Pennsylvania data-center project linked to the AI cloud company.
- Blue Owl said the project is already under construction and fully funded. Bridge financing? Roughly $500 million secured, covering them through March.
- Next up: CoreWeave reports earnings Feb. 26, with investors looking for fresh details on capacity expansion and funding plans.
CoreWeave (CRWV) dropped 8.1% to finish Friday at $89.25, hit by a report spotlighting uncertainties in debt funding for a Pennsylvania data-center project tied to the AI cloud company. Shares of Blue Owl Capital (OWL), which is involved in financing the project, slid 6.7% to $10.81. CoreWeave shares churned between $84.50 and $98.30 during the session, tallying roughly 46 million in volume.
The selloff spotlighted a familiar stress for CoreWeave. The company’s scramble to expand data-center space for AI clients hinges on hefty project loans. If project financing gets shaky, costs climb or buildouts drag—regardless of how strong customer appetite for computing stays.
This drops just ahead of what’s shaping up to be a packed week for AI-exposed names. CoreWeave is on deck with results Thursday. Investors are pressing for specifics—cash requirements, power supply, and how management expects to bankroll expansion, minus any curveballs.
Blue Owl couldn’t secure outside debt for a planned $4 billion data center project in Lancaster, Pennsylvania—roughly 80 miles from Philadelphia—where CoreWeave is slated as tenant, according to Business Insider. “We saw it. We passed,” a senior executive at a specialty lender told the outlet, pointing to lenders’ growing caution with lower-rated borrowers; S&P Global Ratings has CoreWeave at B+. Blue Owl’s spokesperson said the firm “considered” external financing but maintained the project remains “fully funded, on time, and on budget.” Later, Blue Owl clarified its commitment amounts to about $500 million in bridge financing, extending through March 2026. (Business Insider)
Bridge financing serves as a short-term fix, plugging the gap during construction until CoreWeave can lock in longer-term credit. The stakes are clear for CoreWeave, which is racing to complete projects and needs steady, reliable funding access as it builds out.
CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator told CNBC the data center remains funded and on track, adding, “It’s standard practice … to evaluate a range of financing options.” He said there’s been no shift in the project’s timeline. A Blue Owl spokesperson told MarketWatch the firm’s “sole obligation” is to put up around $500 million in bridge financing through March 2026, and that commitment “remains fully in place.” (MarketWatch)
Chief Strategy Officer Brian M. Venturo converted 281,250 Class B shares into Class A and sold the lot via an entity under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, according to a Friday filing. The prearranged trading plan, set up in May, lets executives follow predetermined instructions instead of selling at whim. (SEC)
Still, the real swing factor for the stock is whether those financing jitters start cropping up across more than one site. If lenders stick with stricter terms for AI-focused data centers — or if it just gets harder to syndicate funding for new builds — CoreWeave stands to get hit with project delays, steeper borrowing costs, or could be pushed to go after new capital.
CoreWeave has set Feb. 26 for its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings release, with the conference call to follow at 5 p.m. Eastern, according to the company. On traders’ radars: any word about Lancaster, details on the March bridge-financing window, plus fresh guidance on CoreWeave’s 2026 capacity ramp. (investors.coreweave.com)
