AI Chatbot Showdown: 6 Models Predict CoreWeave Stock After NVIDIA Deal

Executive Summary

In this instalment of our AI Stock Prediction Series, TheDayAfterAI News tasked six leading AI chatbots with forecasting CoreWeave Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWV) stock price over the trading week of January 26–30, 2026. The six models tested are: Gemini (Google), Claude (Anthropic), Grok (xAI), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Perplexity, and Copilot (Microsoft).

The catalyst driving this week's forecast is a major strategic development: NVIDIA announced a $2 billion investment in CoreWeave at $87.20 per share, representing a significant endorsement of the AI cloud infrastructure company's business model and valuation. The result from our AI panel is a unanimously bullish consensus, with all six models predicting CRWV will close higher by January 30 — though they differ meaningfully on the magnitude of gains, with closing price estimates ranging from Claude's conservative $95–$98 to Grok's aggressive $108.

The Context: NVIDIA's $2 Billion Vote of Confidence

CoreWeave, the GPU-as-a-service cloud provider that has positioned itself as a pure-play AI infrastructure company, received a transformative catalyst when NVIDIA disclosed a $2 billion strategic equity investment at $87.20 per share. This investment carries significance on multiple levels:

• Valuation Anchor: The $87.20 per share entry price establishes a floor that the market's most sophisticated GPU buyer considers fair value, effectively creating a reference point for institutional investors.
• Strategic Partnership Signal: NVIDIA's investment extends beyond passive ownership — it signals deepening integration between CoreWeave's cloud platform and NVIDIA's GPU ecosystem, potentially giving CoreWeave preferential access to next-generation hardware.
• Short Squeeze Potential: With CRWV carrying elevated short interest, a high-profile strategic investment from the world's most valuable semiconductor company creates conditions for a potential short squeeze as bearish positions are forced to cover.

The stock, which had been trading in the $90–$100 range, gapped higher on the news, setting up a dynamic week with multiple additional catalysts including the FOMC rate decision and earnings from Microsoft and Meta — both major CoreWeave customers.

Head-to-Head: Forecast Summary

The table below presents each chatbot's core predictions side by side. All models were given equivalent prompts and access to publicly available market data as of January 26, 2026.

Individual Chatbot Analysis

1. Gemini — The Strategic Equity Theorist

Gemini projected a close of $106.75 with 65% bullish conviction, producing one of the more optimistic yet well-reasoned forecasts. Its analysis was framed around what it calls the "Strategic Equity Thesis" — the argument that NVIDIA's $87.20 entry price creates a valuation anchor that fundamentally resets the risk-reward calculus for institutional investors.

Gemini's report included detailed scenario modelling: a bull case ($110–$112.50) driven by short squeeze mechanics and positive earnings spillover from Microsoft/Meta, a base case ($103–$107) reflecting measured appreciation as the market digests the NVIDIA investment, and a bear case ($93–$96) triggered by macro headwinds or disappointing hyperscaler earnings. Its standout contribution was a thorough treatment of the options microstructure, identifying significant open interest at the $100 and $105 strikes as potential gamma-driven price magnets.

2. Claude — The Cautious Contrarian

Claude was the most conservative model, projecting a closing range of $95–$98 with 58% bullish probability — the lowest conviction in the group. While acknowledging the significance of the NVIDIA investment, Claude devoted considerable attention to countervailing risks.

Its most distinctive analytical contribution was flagging insider selling patterns as a concern. Claude noted that strategic investments from dominant industry players can sometimes precede periods of insider profit-taking, particularly in recently-IPO'd companies where lock-up provisions may be expiring. Claude also highlighted CoreWeave's customer concentration risk — with a small number of hyperscale clients representing the bulk of revenue — and argued that the NVIDIA investment, while positive, does not fully address the company's path-to-profitability questions. The $88 floor of Claude's range represents a scenario where the initial gap-up fully reverses on profit-taking and macro headwinds.

3. Grok — The Squeeze Specialist

Grok delivered the most aggressively bullish forecast at $108 with 70% confidence — the highest conviction in the group. Its analysis was heavily weighted toward short squeeze mechanics, arguing that CRWV's elevated short interest creates a coiled-spring dynamic when combined with a catalyst as powerful as a $2 billion NVIDIA investment.

Grok cited real-time social media sentiment from X (Twitter) showing surging retail interest and "squeeze" narrative momentum. It projected a day-by-day escalation: initial gap-up to $101 on Monday, consolidation around $103–$105 mid-week as shorts begin covering, and a push toward $108–$115 by Friday as the combination of short covering, positive earnings spillover from MSFT/Meta, and momentum buying creates a virtuous cycle. Grok's $115 upper range was the most aggressive ceiling of any model.

4. ChatGPT — The Scenario Planner

ChatGPT projected a close of $104 with 56% bullish probability — the second-lowest conviction. Its analysis stood out for the most structured scenario framework, explicitly modelling three outcomes with probability weights:

• Bull Case (30%): $112–$118 — driven by short squeeze, strong MSFT/Meta earnings validating AI infrastructure demand, and dovish Fed.
• Base Case (45%): $100–$108 — measured appreciation as the NVIDIA investment is digested, with the stock finding a new equilibrium range.
• Bear Case (25%): $86–$95 — triggered by disappointing hyperscaler earnings, hawkish FOMC, or broader risk-off sentiment overwhelming the company-specific catalyst.

ChatGPT's $86–$118 range was tied with Copilot for the widest of any model, reflecting its view that binary catalyst risk — particularly from FOMC and mega-cap earnings — could drive outsized moves in either direction for a high-beta name like CRWV.

5. Perplexity — The Research Synthesiser

Perplexity projected a close of $105–$107.50 with 68–72% bullish conviction — the second-highest confidence level. Its analysis was by far the most extensively sourced, drawing on approximately 85 citations across financial data providers, analyst reports, SEC filings, and industry publications.

Perplexity's distinguishing contribution was its deep treatment of the AI cloud infrastructure competitive landscape, positioning CoreWeave relative to peers including Lambda Labs, Together AI, and the hyperscaler first-party cloud services. It argued that the NVIDIA investment effectively differentiates CoreWeave from these competitors by ensuring preferential GPU allocation — a critical advantage given the persistent supply constraints on NVIDIA's most advanced chips. Perplexity also provided the most detailed analysis of CoreWeave's revenue visibility, citing the company's multi-year contract backlog as a stabilising factor.

6. Copilot — The Concise Pragmatist

Copilot projected a close of $100 with 62% bullish conviction, delivering the most accessible and concise analysis. Its forecast implies a more modest ~4% gain from its predicted $96 open, reflecting a view that much of the NVIDIA investment premium would be front-loaded into the opening gap-up, with limited additional upside through the remainder of the week.

Copilot's analysis was practical and trading-oriented, identifying $96 as immediate support (roughly the gap-up level), $100 as the first resistance target, and $108 as the upper bound that would require additional catalysts to breach. Its quick-reference format and clear risk/reward framing make it the most actionable of the six analyses for shorter-term traders.

Key Themes Across All Six Models

NVIDIA Valuation Floor

All six models agreed that NVIDIA's $87.20 entry price creates a meaningful psychological and technical floor for the stock. The logic is straightforward: if the world's leading AI hardware company is willing to invest $2 billion at that price, it provides a reference point that limits downside. However, models differed on how far above that floor the stock should trade — Claude saw it as the primary anchor (targeting the $95–$98 range), while Grok viewed it as a launching pad (targeting $108+).

Short Squeeze Mechanics

Four of six models explicitly discussed short squeeze potential, with Grok making it the centrepiece of its bullish thesis. The combination of elevated short interest and a powerful fundamental catalyst creates conditions where forced short covering can amplify upward price momentum. However, Claude and Copilot cautioned that short squeeze narratives often attract speculative excess that reverses quickly once the covering pressure subsides.

FOMC Risk

The FOMC rate decision was identified by all models as the primary macro risk factor. As a high-growth, pre-profitability infrastructure company, CoreWeave is particularly sensitive to interest rate expectations. A hawkish surprise could overshadow the NVIDIA catalyst, while a dovish tilt would provide a macro tailwind amplifying the company-specific positive.

Earnings Correlation

Microsoft and Meta earnings, both scheduled during the forecast week, were flagged by five of six models as significant indirect catalysts. Both companies are CoreWeave customers, and their AI capex guidance would directly inform the market's view of CoreWeave's demand pipeline. Strong hyperscaler earnings would validate the AI infrastructure thesis; weak results or guidance cuts could raise questions about the sustainability of CoreWeave's growth trajectory.

Consensus and Divergence

Where They Agree

• Unanimously Bullish: All six models predict CRWV will close higher by January 30, driven by the NVIDIA investment catalyst.
• $87.20 as a Floor: The NVIDIA entry price is universally recognised as establishing a valuation reference point.
• Catalyst-Rich Week: FOMC, mega-cap earnings, and options dynamics create a volatile but opportunity-rich environment.
• Moderately Bullish Consensus: The average ~5% projected gain reflects measured optimism rather than euphoria.

Where They Diverge

• Price Target Variance: The $13 spread between Claude's $95–$98 midpoint and Grok's $108 close represents meaningful disagreement on upside magnitude.
• Conviction Spread: The 14 percentage-point gap between ChatGPT's 56% and Grok's 70% reflects different weighting of risk factors.
• Short Squeeze Significance: Grok and Perplexity view short squeeze mechanics as a primary driver, while Claude and Copilot treat them as secondary noise.
• Insider Selling Risk: Only Claude raised insider selling as a meaningful concern; the other five models either dismissed or did not address this factor.

What to Watch This Week

• January 26 (Mon): CRWV opening reaction to the NVIDIA investment — the gap-up magnitude will set the baseline for the week's price action.
• January 28–29: FOMC rate decision — the most significant binary risk event for a high-beta growth name like CRWV.
• January 28–29: Microsoft and Meta earnings — direct validation (or challenge) of AI infrastructure demand.
• January 30 (Fri): Weekly options expiry — gamma effects at round-number strikes ($100, $105) could create magnified moves.
• Throughout the week: Short interest data and borrowing cost changes — early indicators of whether the squeeze thesis is materialising.

Conclusion

NVIDIA's $2 billion strategic investment in CoreWeave at $87.20 per share created the conditions for a unanimously bullish AI consensus, with all six models projecting gains over the forecast period. The average projected close of approximately $103.50 represents a roughly 5% gain from the average predicted open, with a consensus bullish probability of approximately 63%.

However, the variance between the models tells an important story. The spread from Claude's cautious $95–$98 target to Grok's aggressive $108 reflects genuine uncertainty about whether the NVIDIA catalyst is a one-day gap-up event or the beginning of a sustained re-rating. The answer will likely depend on the interplay between company-specific momentum (short squeeze dynamics, NVIDIA integration details) and macro factors (FOMC outcome, hyperscaler earnings) — a combination that makes this one of the most catalyst-dense forecast periods in our series.

We will publish our follow-up accuracy assessment after the trading period concludes on January 30, 2026.

Methodology

Each AI chatbot was given an identical prompt requesting a five-day stock price forecast. The models used their own web-search and data-retrieval capabilities; no proprietary data was provided. Responses were collected without modification. Variations in depth, format, and analytical approach reflect each platform's native capabilities.