NEW YORK, July 28, 2026, 11:00 EDT
- Nebius dropped 12.0% to $165.30 in early U.S. trading.
- The AI-cloud adjusted EBITDA margin stood at 45%, while depreciation accounted for 53% of the group’s revenue.
- Initial estimates indicate that intended capital expenditure for 2026 will equal 5.9–8.3 times the forecasted revenue.
Nebius Group NASDAQ:NBIS slid 12.0% to $165.30 during morning trade on Tuesday, sharply underperforming the broader Nasdaq, which also declined early.
The valuation depends on whether gains from software can outpace GPU depreciation. Numbers are still divided.
The AI-cloud division at Nebius reported an adjusted EBITDA margin of 45% for the first quarter. This figure, however, does not account for depreciation and amortization. Group depreciation and amortization totaled $212 million, representing 53% of revenue. The group experienced an operating loss of $128 million.
AI-cloud revenue surged 841% to $389.7 million, indicating swift growth. However, first-quarter capital expenditure totaled $2.47 billion, equivalent to 6.2 times group revenue.
| Metric | Reported figure | Investor read-through |
|---|---|---|
| AI-cloud revenue | $389.7 million, up 841% | Rapid growth in capacity demand |
| AI-cloud adjusted EBITDA | $174 million; 45% margin | Does not include depreciation |
| Group D&A | $212 million; 53% of revenue | Owning GPUs continues to be expensive |
| Group operating result | $128 million loss | No GAAP earnings breakthrough |
| First-quarter capex | $2.47 billion; 6.2 times revenue | Funding needs remain high |
| 2026 capex versus revenue guidance | $20–25 billion versus $3.0–3.4 billion | 5.9–8.3 times revenue |
The preliminary ratio is based on company guidance and does not represent a profit forecast.
This split highlights the significance of Nebius’s asset-light strategy announced on July 15. Under this model, partners would supply funding and possess the equipment, while Nebius would handle the architecture, software, service commitments and customer connections.
Chief Executive Arkady Volozh said, “Our software allows partners to reach a much wider customer base with much better margins.” Nebius
Nebius stated it had reached preliminary agreements under the model. The disclosure did not name any partners nor specify capacity commitments. No timelines or estimated cost reductions were provided. Any short-term impact on capital expenditure is therefore still tentative.
Debt and customer funds continue to underpin the current build. Nebius secured $775 million via secured debt financing on July 17. The facility carries the Secured Overnight Financing Rate with an added 2.50 percentage points.
The loan is secured by deployed GPUs alongside contracted customer cash flows. Nebius stated that these cash flows, together with the loan, fully finance the infrastructure’s capex requirements.
The company pointed to over $40 billion in contracted revenue from Microsoft NASDAQ:MSFT and Meta Platforms NASDAQ:META. These deals may allow for additional borrowing at the asset level.
Nebius reported cash holdings of $9.30 billion as of March 31. The company’s total debt was about $8.45 billion, approximately twice what it was at the end of the year.
Operating cash flow for the first quarter stood at $2.26 billion. This amount factored in a $3.20 billion rise in deferred revenue. Customer prepayments are consequently providing significant financing support.
CoreWeave NASDAQ:CRWV declined by 7.8%, while Nvidia NASDAQ:NVDA remained largely steady. The Nasdaq slipped 1.16% at the start of trade as investors weighed returns from AI investments. Nebius posted a sharper decrease, reflecting additional worries about financing amid broader sector softness.
Nebius shares surged roughly 19% last week after Nvidia revealed a 9.3% beneficial stake. The turnaround on Tuesday highlights the rapid shift from strategic confidence to caution around capital expenditure.
Risks: Returns may be pressured by customer concentration, delivery setbacks, outdated GPUs, and rising funding expenses. Reduced utilization would increase the impact of depreciation. Those risks could be mitigated by quicker partner rollouts or improved pricing strength.
The next key milestone is not a new major contract. Investors require evidence of partner capacity, fee structure, and tangible decreases in owned capex. Until those are demonstrated, Nebius maintains software-level margins on an infrastructure-heavy balance sheet.
