Nebius Just Cemented Its Lead as the Premier Neocloud Stock to Buy

Photo of Rich Duprey
By Rich Duprey Published

Quick Read

  • Nebius Group (NBIS) secured a $27 billion multi-year AI infrastructure deal with Meta Platforms, committing $12 billion in dedicated capacity starting early 2027 with up to $15 billion in optional additional capacity.

  • Nebius transformed its aggressive capex spending from a perceived liability into a high-return growth engine by securing long-term take-or-pay commitments from hyperscalers that de-risk the build-out and lock in premium customers at scale.

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Nebius Just Cemented Its Lead as the Premier Neocloud Stock to Buy

© Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock.com

Investors in Nebius Group (NASDAQ:NBIS | NBIS Price Prediction) endured a punishing stretch last fall when aggressive capital-expenditure plans sparked deep concerns about cash burn and execution risk. The stock that had climbed to an all-time high of $141 per share in October, cratered nearly 50% to a recent low below $74 as worries mounted that the AI-cloud upstart was spending too fast in a market suddenly sensitive to over-investment. 

Yet a string of operational and commercial victories has steadily parted those clouds. Today’s announcement of a landmark multi-billion-dollar pact with Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) not only validates Nebius’s build-out strategy but cements its status as the clear frontrunner among the new generation of specialized AI infrastructure providers known as “neoclouds.”

Capex Fears Once Dominated the Narrative

For months the market fixated on Nebius’s ambitious spending roadmap. The company guided for $16 billion to $20 billion in 2026 capex alone — more than four times 2025 levels — to scale its AI factories and contracted power capacity toward multi-gigawatt targets. Analysts and short sellers warned that such heavy outlays, combined with convertible debt and negative free cash flow figures, could pressure the balance sheet if hyperscaler demand cooled or power-delivery timelines slipped. 

The stock’s sharp pullback reflected those legitimate fears, especially after rival CoreWeave’s (NASDAQ:CRWV) own sky-high capex forecast rattled the sector. Yet beneath the noise, Nebius kept delivering: sold-out clusters, growing backlog, and early revenue traction that already pointed to annualized run-rates exceeding $1 billion by the end of 2025.

A Milestone Triggers a $2 Billion Endorsement

The turnaround accelerated in early March when Nebius secured city-council approval to build its first U.S. gigawatt-scale AI factory on 400 acres near Independence, Mo. The 1.2-gigawatt campus, with power delivery slated for the second half of 2026, instantly moved the company from planning to shovel-ready execution. Days later, Nvidia delivered the ultimate vote of confidence: a $2 billion strategic investment via private placement plus a commitment to supply early access to its most advanced accelerators — including the next-generation Rubin platform, Vera CPUs, and BlueField storage systems. The partnership explicitly positions Nebius as a preferred infrastructure layer for hyperscale agentic-AI workloads, giving the Dutch-American player both capital and silicon superiority that competitors will struggle to match.

New $27 Billion Commitment Seals Market Leadership

Today’s news removes any lingering doubt. Nebius signed a new five-year AI-infrastructure supply agreement with Meta Platforms that commits the social-media giant to $12 billion of dedicated capacity across multiple sites beginning in early 2027. Meta has also agreed to purchase up to an additional $15 billion of available capacity over the same period if Nebius does not sell it elsewhere — bringing the total contract value to as much as $27 billion. 

The deal expands an existing relationship and provides Nebius with unprecedented revenue visibility while de-risking the very capex that once terrified investors. With Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) already locked in for billions more, Nebius now boasts roughly $22 billion in committed contract value and a clear runway to multi-gigawatt scale.

Key Takeaway

This Meta mega-deal does far more than pad the backlog. It transforms Nebius’s capex from a perceived liability into a high-return growth engine by locking in premium, long-term customers at scale. Hyperscalers like Meta and Microsoft are effectively co-funding the build-out through take-or-pay commitments, dramatically improving cash-flow predictability and lowering the cost of capital. 

Combined with the Missouri campus, Nvidia’s silicon partnership, and early access to Rubin-class chips, Nebius now enjoys a structural edge that pure-play neocloud rivals lack. Sold out capacity, secured power, and committed marquee customers — Nebius has moved from “promising upstart” to “must-own infrastructure winner.” For investors who weathered the capex-induced storm, today’s announcement rewards patience and signals the next leg higher. 

At current levels, the stock trades at a fraction of the enterprise value implied by its contracted backlog and growth trajectory. With AI demand showing no signs of slowing and Nebius’s full-stack platform uniquely positioned to capture hyperscale spend, Nebius stands out as the premier neocloud stock to buy for anyone seeking leveraged, high-conviction exposure to the AI infrastructure boom.

Photo of Rich Duprey
About the Author Rich Duprey →

After two decades of patrolling the dark corners of suburbia as a police officer, Rich Duprey hung up his badge and gun to begin writing full time about stocks and investing. For the past 20 years he’s been cruising the markets looking for companies to lock up as long-term holdings in a portfolio while writing extensively on the broad sectors of consumer goods, technology, and industrials. Because his experience isn’t from the typical financial analyst track, Rich is able to break down complex topics into understandable and useful action points for the average investor. His writings have appeared on The Motley Fool, InvestorPlace, Yahoo! Finance, and Money Morning. He has been interviewed for both U.S. and international publications, including MarketWatch, Financial Times, Forbes, Fast Company, and USA Today.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618