Did Nvidia Make a Colossal Mistake by Selling SoundHound AI Stock?

Yahoo

17-05-2025

SoundHound AI stock surged by almost 30% since the company reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2025.
Nvidia owned 1.73 million shares in SoundHound AI, but the chip giant sold its entire stake toward the end of 2024.
SoundHound's business is growing rapidly, but that doesn't mean Nvidia made the wrong move by selling the stock.
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Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) added an eye-popping $2.8 trillion to its market capitalization since the start of 2023, thanks to soaring demand for its data center chips that are the best in the world for developing artificial intelligence (AI). The company also invested in a portfolio of other AI stocks, and SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) was one of them.
SoundHound is a specialist in conversational AI, and it has an impressive list of customers that includes some of the biggest brands in the world from industries like hospitality and car manufacturing. But when Nvidia filed its 13-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the final quarter of 2024, SoundHound stock was notably missing -- it turns out the chip giant sold its entire stake toward the end of last year.
SoundHound recently reported its latest financial results for the first quarter of 2025 (ended March 31), and its stock soared by almost 30% since. Did Nvidia sell its position too early?
SoundHound's conversational AI technology understands voice prompts and can respond in kind, and it has been deployed by some of the biggest businesses in the world to transform the way we interact with our devices, our cars, and even our favorite restaurants.
SoundHound is active in almost 13,000 quick-service restaurants, operated by chains like White Castle, Chipotle, and Papa John's. Its Voice AI technology can autonomously take orders from customers over the phone, in-store, and in the drive-thru, reducing the workload on employees so they can spend more time on other tasks. SoundHound also offers a product called Employee Assist, which stands ready to provide workers with information on menu items and in-store procedures.
In the automotive industry, SoundHound's Chat AI in-car voice assistant is used by top brands like Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis (the owner of Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge). It can answer questions on a broad range of topics, and it can also provide-real time information on sports scores and stock prices. SoundHound also launched a new platform called Voice Commerce earlier this year, which allows drivers to place food orders from the comfort of their vehicle. It can even recommend restaurants and provide directions using the car's GPS system.
SoundHound expanded its product portfolio even further when it acquired another AI company called Amelia in August last year. Amelia's platform allows businesses to create custom AI agents that can be deployed to serve customers or even help employees with specific tasks. It's used in industries like healthcare, financial services, insurance, and more, which is helping SoundHound diversify its revenue base.
SoundHound generated $29.1 million in total revenue during the first quarter of 2025, which was a whopping 151% increase from the year-ago period. The inclusion of Amelia's revenue boosted the result, but the company also continued to experience broad demand for its core products.
Management is no longer updating investors on SoundHound's order backlog, but CFO Nitesh Sharan said it continued to grow from the previous quarter three months earlier, when it was an eye-popping $1.2 billion. The company expects to convert that backlog into revenue over a period of six years, so it could be a great predictor of future top-line results.
The strong first-quarter results prompted SoundHound to reaffirm its full-year guidance for 2025, suggesting revenue could soar 97% year over year to $167 million (at the midpoint of the forecasted range).
Nvidia never disclosed why it sold SoundHound stock, but its current valuation is one reason investors might want to steer clear for now. It trades at a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 40.8 as of this writing, which makes it significantly more expensive than Nvidia itself. That doesn't make much sense considering the AI chip giant is one of the highest-quality companies in the world, with a track record of success spanning decades:
SoundHound stock looks a little less expensive if we value it using its future potential revenue. If we assume the company generates $167 million this year as management expects, that places its stock at a forward P/S ratio at 27.1. But considering that figure is still higher than Nvidia's P/S ratio today, I definitely wouldn't say the stock looks attractive.
Plus, SoundHound's bottom line poses a key risk. The company generated a rare profit of $129 million on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis during the first quarter, but only because of a $176 million benefit relating to one of its acquisitions. On a non-GAAP basis, which excludes one-off and non-cash components, SoundHound still lost $22.3 million, which was a 10% increase from the year-ago period.
SoundHound had $246 million in cash and equivalents on hand at the end of the quarter, so it can afford to keep losing money at the current pace for the next couple of years. However, if the company does require more cash in the future, it might have to issue more stock, which would result in significant dilution for existing shareholders.
Nvidia only held 1.73 million shares in SoundHound, which would have been worth just $19.5 million based on its current stock price. Considering Nvidia is nearly a $3.3 trillion company, even a complete loss probably wouldn't have affected its finances at all. Even though we don't know why Nvidia sold its entire stake, SoundHound's valuation is enough reason for investors to tread very carefully if they are looking to buy.
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Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Stellantis and recommends the following options: short June 2025 $55 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Did Nvidia Make a Colossal Mistake by Selling SoundHound AI Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool