Goldman raises Nebius 2030 revenue to $35.5B as Burry shorts stock
Goldman Sachs upgraded Nebius Group NV’s 2030 revenue forecast to $35.5 billion, reflecting optimism over its AI infrastructure growth and major partnerships with Meta and Nvidia. However, the stock faces headwinds from Michael Burry’s short position and Jim Cramer’s warnings on leverage, alongside expected near-term margin compression in Q2 earnings.

*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
Goldman Sachs raised its 2030 revenue estimate for Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ: NBIS) to $35.5 billion, a 61% increase from its prior $22.1 billion forecast, even as high-profile investors signal caution ahead of the company’s second-quarter earnings report on August 12. The upgrade reflects confidence in Nebius’s AI infrastructure expansion, including a five-year, $27 billion deal with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META). However, the bullish institutional outlook contrasts sharply with bearish sentiment from Michael Burry, who disclosed a short position at $211.77, and Jim Cramer, who warned retail investors against using leverage for data-center stocks.
The divergence in sentiment sets the stage for a volatile earnings week. While Goldman also lifted its 2030 EBITDA estimate to $29.1 billion from $17.7 billion, Wall Street consensus projects a near-term margin squeeze. Analysts expect Q2 revenue of $576.7 million but anticipate a non-GAAP EPS loss of $0.82 per share. CFO Dado Alonso cautioned that heavy, back-end-weighted capacity deployments will cause adjusted EBITDA margins to dip in the second quarter before recovering in the third quarter.
Conflicting Investor Signals
Michael Burry described his short trade as "a bit like shooting fish in a barrel," noting that put options had become too expensive, prompting him to short shares directly alongside Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL). This move aligns with broader caution expressed by Jim Cramer on CNBC, who advised investors borrowing money to buy data-center related assets to "sell it no matter what."
The risks of leverage are evident in Nebius-related leveraged ETFs. The Leverage Shares 2x Long NBIS Daily ETF (NASDAQ: NBIG) and GraniteShares 2x Long NBIS Daily ETF (NASDAQ: NBIL) have plummeted 38.79% and 38.49%, respectively, over the past month, despite strong year-to-date gains of 114.09% and 121.50%. These declines underscore the volatility inherent in leveraged positions amid recent tech sector pullbacks.
| Leveraged ETF | 1-Month Return | YTD Return | 1-Year Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leverage Shares 2x Long NBIS Daily ETF | -38.79% | 114.09% | -10.86% |
| GraniteShares 2x Long NBIS Daily ETF | -38.49% | 121.50% | -20.41% |
Operational Outlook and Market Position
CEO Arkady Volozh emphasized that Nebius is building an "AI-native hyperscaler," citing intense demand where "several customers compete for every GPU we bring online." This demand drove first-quarter pipeline generation up 3.5 times sequentially, prompting Nebius to raise its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to between $20 billion and $25 billion. The company holds a cash position of over $9 billion, supporting its aggressive expansion plans against 2026 capital spending projections of up to $25 billion.
Prediction markets on Kalshi reflect investor focus on specific operational keywords during the upcoming earnings call. "Token," referring to Nebius’s inference platform, trades at 96% probability, while "Cash" sits at 94%. Mentions of "Nvidia" (88%) and "Meta" (84%) are also heavily favored, underscoring the strategic importance of NVIDIA Corp.’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) $2 billion investment and Meta’s infrastructure deal. Conversely, terms like "Google" (19%) and "Convertible" (28%) trade at lower probabilities, suggesting management may downplay potential Alphabet Inc. collaborations or fresh debt issuance.
What the Numbers Show
The combination of explosive top-line growth and persistent near-term losses highlights the capital-intensive nature of AI infrastructure build-outs. While the projected revenue jump demonstrates robust demand, the anticipated EPS loss signals that operating costs and depreciation continue to outpace income generation in the short term. Nebius’s ability to leverage its $9 billion cash reserve and strategic partnerships will be critical in navigating this scaling phase. Investors will closely watch whether the company can improve unit economics or if margin compression persists amid intense competition from integrated tech giants like CoreWeave Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWV), which reports earnings shortly before Nebius.
How might the anticipated Q2 margin squeeze impact Nebius's ability to secure additional funding or maintain its aggressive $25 billion 2026 capex guidance?
Could Michael Burry's short position and Jim Cramer's warnings trigger a broader sell-off in leveraged AI infrastructure ETFs beyond just Nebius-related products?
What specific operational milestones must Nebius achieve in Q3 to validate Goldman Sachs' bullish $35.5 billion 2030 revenue projection against near-term losses?

































