Last Update 16 Jul 26
Fair value Decreased 6.25%BBAI: Defense AI Contracts And Debt Reduction Will Support 2026 Outlook
Analysts have trimmed their 12 month price target for BigBear.ai Holdings slightly to $5.00. This reflects updated assumptions around fair value, discount rates, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E expectations.
What’s in the News for BigBear.ai Holdings
- BigBear.ai expanded its generative AI platform for Department of War missions by adding air gapped hardware, flexible tenant configurations, and new procurement options, and is phasing out the Ask Sage brand for these customers. (Source: company announcement, product related)
- The Pangiam Threat Detection platform from BigBear.ai received Dutch national approval for aviation security screening after testing by the Netherlands’ National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security and TNO, confirming compliance with APIDS Standard 1 and Dutch requirements. (Source: company announcement, product related)
- BigBear.ai reported approximately US$75 million in defense AI contract wins, including a classified US$53 million intelligence award and deployments with NASA and the Army Intelligence and Security Command, and reaffirmed 2026 revenue guidance of US$135 million to US$165 million. (Source: recent news, guidance)
- BigBear.ai reported a significant reduction in debt by eliminating most of its 2029 convertible notes and described its cash position as robust with a growing backlog, while continuing to report losses and negative cash flow. (Source: recent news on debt reduction)
- BigBear.ai stock was removed from several Russell indices, including the Russell Microcap Index, Russell Microcap Value and Growth Benchmark indices, and the Russell 3000E Index and related benchmarks. (Source: index constituent changes)
Valuation Changes for BigBear.ai Holdings
- Fair Value: trimmed from $5.33 to $5.00, a small downward adjustment in the modeled price level.
- Discount Rate: adjusted slightly from 9.08% to 9.01%, indicating a modest change in the required return assumption.
- Revenue Growth: updated from 11.45% to 12.36%, reflecting a slightly higher expected growth rate for BigBear.ai Holdings.
- Net Profit Margin: revised marginally from 7.82% to 7.83%, a very small shift in projected profitability.
- Future P/E: moved from 291.88x to 268.31x, indicating a modest reduction in the valuation multiple applied to future earnings.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic focus on international expansion and regional partnerships aims to boost revenue and global presence through successful pilots and enduring programs.
- Targeting defense and security sectors, alongside AI-driven solutions and acquisitions, could support sustainable growth and improved margins.
- Revenue variability and high costs due to government delays and necessary R&D investments could negatively impact margins and overall financial performance.
Catalysts
About BigBear.ai Holdings- Provides artificial intelligence-powered decision intelligence solutions.
- BigBear.ai plans to expand internationally by converting successful pilots into enduring programs and building regional partnerships with leading companies, potentially increasing revenue and global market presence.
- The company is focused on business alliances and strategic acquisitions, which could drive faster innovation and open new revenue streams by accessing additional markets and technologies.
- BigBear.ai is targeting opportunities in defense, security, and infrastructure, capitalizing on increased federal spending and shifting procurement practices towards efficiency and advanced commercial technologies, potentially boosting revenue and long-term contracts.
- With a healthy backlog of $385 million and increased emphasis on multiyear programs, BigBear.ai is positioned to build a stable revenue stream, supporting sustainable growth and improved net margins.
- Continued investment in AI-driven solutions and leveraging proprietary technologies like Pangiam, veriScan, and ConductorOS can enhance product offerings, driving efficiency gains and supporting potential increases in gross profit margins.
BigBear.ai Holdings Future Earnings and Revenue Growth
Assumptions
How have these above catalysts been quantified?
- Analysts are assuming BigBear.ai Holdings's revenue will grow by 12.4% annually over the next 3 years.
- Analysts are not forecasting that BigBear.ai Holdings will become profitable in next 3 years. To represent the Analyst Price Target as a Future PE Valuation we will estimate BigBear.ai Holdings's profit margin will increase from -226.7% to the average US IT industry of 7.8% in 3 years.
- If BigBear.ai Holdings's profit margin were to converge on the industry average, you could expect earnings to reach $14.1 million (and earnings per share of $0.02) by about July 2029, up from -$288.7 million today.
- In order for the above numbers to justify the price target of the analysts, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 268.6x on those 2029 earnings, up from -5.2x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US IT industry at 17.5x.
- Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 7.0% per year for the next 3 years.
- To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 9.01%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.
Risks
What could happen that would invalidate this narrative?- The company's revenue is reported as being lumpy, meaning it can fluctuate significantly depending on the timing of contract awards and milestone achievements, posing a risk to consistent revenue streams.
- Delays in government procurement and funding can create temporary variability and excess resource capacity, potentially affecting revenue and margins in the short term.
- The company has faced significant noncash losses, including those related to the increase in fair value of derivatives, which could affect net margins and earnings.
- Increased R&D expenses, as well as higher recurring SG&A costs due to government funding delays, contribute to negative adjusted EBITDA, impacting overall earnings.
- The necessity to continually invest in R&D and technology while managing government delays and funding could strain resources and impact net margins if efficiencies are not achieved.
Valuation
How have all the factors above been brought together to estimate a fair value?
- The analysts have a consensus price target of $5.0 for BigBear.ai Holdings based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors.
- In order for you to agree with the analysts, you'd need to believe that by 2029, revenues will be $180.6 million, earnings will come to $14.1 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 268.6x, assuming you use a discount rate of 9.0%.
- Given the current share price of $3.14, the analyst price target of $5.0 is 37.2% higher.
- We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.
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Disclaimer
AnalystConsensusTarget is a tool utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) that ingests data on consensus price targets, forecasted revenue and earnings figures, as well as the transcripts of earnings calls to produce qualitative analysis. The narratives produced by AnalystConsensusTarget are general in nature and are based solely on analyst data and publicly-available material published by the respective companies. These scenarios are not indicative of the company's future performance and are exploratory in nature. Simply Wall St has no position in the company(s) mentioned. Simply Wall St may provide the securities issuer or related entities with website advertising services for a fee, on an arm's length basis. These relationships have no impact on the way we conduct our business, the content we host, or how our content is served to users. The price targets and estimates used are consensus data, and do not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and they do not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Note that AnalystConsensusTarget's analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.