Ouster Inc. research snapshot

OUST AI Stock Analysis

OUST AI stock analysis as of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff reads Ouster as a high-growth, pre-profit lidar company whose shares rebounded during the August 3 robotics-sector rally. The stock closed at $42.48 on August 3, 2026, up 3.47 or 8.90% after touching a session low near $36.90, with an after-hours quote of $43.00 and a market capitalization near $2.86 billion, computed as $42.48 times 67.29 million shares outstanding and cross-checked with financial_rigor.py. Revenue reached $185.33 million TTM after FY2025 rose 52.5% to $169.38 million, gross margin improved to roughly 49%, and the company holds $173.12 million in cash with $155.73 million of net cash, but net income is still negative at -$55.83 million TTM with negative operating and free cash flow. The stock is up about 96% year to date but corrected roughly 35% from the $63.79 June high after a $192 million stock offering priced at $55.22 per share on July 2, 2026, then bounced as lidar and robotics names rallied. The AI score is 45 out of 100 with a rating of high-growth lidar leader, pre-profit with dilutive overhang. This page is a research framework and information tool, not investment advice, and all figures carry a source and a data cutoff because market data and estimates change daily.

Current price

$42.48 at the August 3, 2026 close; after-hours $43.00

Market cap

$2.86 billion

AI score

45 / 100

Rating

High-growth lidar leader, pre-profit with dilutive overhang

Trend status

Corrected from the $63.79 June high, rebounded to $42.48 on Aug 3; above the 200-day MA near $28.66

Data cutoff (updated monthly)

August 4, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
B-level information richness. Ouster is a mid-cap lidar company with coverage from Northland Capital Markets, Rosenblatt, and other banks, plus SEC filings, Yahoo Finance, and StockAnalysis.com datasets. Forward estimates are uncertain because the company is pre-profit and revenue growth is lumpy.
bias Check
The main AI research risks are narrative recency bias from the robotics and physical AI theme, anchoring on the $63.79 high, and extrapolating the 96% YTD rally. The reverse checks are the roughly 35% pullback after the July 2026 offering, the 20.1% year-over-year increase in shares outstanding, the still-negative earnings and free cash flow, and 9% short interest.
ai Confidence
Medium for revenue, cash, margin, and valuation data that cross-checked across Yahoo Finance, StockAnalysis.com, and company disclosures. Low for forward earnings and price forecasts because OUST is pre-profit with negative EPS, so the scenario model uses an EV/Sales framework instead of EPS.
investment Certainty
Low at the current price. Revenue growth and the margin trajectory are real, but the stock trades at a premium multiple for a pre-profit business with recent dilution, a 3.28 beta, and high volatility. Patience and position sizing discipline are essential.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityOuster designs and sells high-resolution digital lidar sensors plus perception software for automotive, robotics, industrial, and smart infrastructure markets. Revenue grew 52.5% in FY2025 to $169.4 million and reached $185.33 million TTM with gross margin near 49%, but operating income and net income remain negative.Medium
MoatThe moat is moderate. Ouster owns proprietary digital lidar technology, a combined patent portfolio from the Velodyne merger, manufacturing scale, and integration complexity for customers embedding sensors into platforms, but competition from Hesai, Luminar, Aeva, and Innoviz is intense and China-based rivals compete aggressively on price.Medium
ManagementCo-founder and CEO Angus Pacala has led the company from founding through the SPAC IPO, the Velodyne merger, and the July 2026 $192 million offering. The next test is the path to GAAP profitability while managing share dilution, since shares outstanding rose 20.1% year over year.Medium
Financial trendRevenue grew from $33.6 million in 2021 to $169.4 million in 2025 and $185.33 million TTM, while gross margin improved from about 10% in 2023 to roughly 49% TTM. The company still burns cash with -$55.83 million TTM net income and -$69.26 million TTM free cash flow, offset by $173.12 million cash and a $155.73 million net cash position.Medium
ValuationAt $42.48 the stock trades at about 15.4x TTM sales and 9.8x book value, with no meaningful PE because EPS is negative. The multiple prices in continued rapid growth and the lidar and physical AI theme rather than current earnings.Low-medium
Technical trendOUST corrected about 35% from the $63.79 June high to the low-$30s, then rebounded to $42.48 on August 3, 2026 during a robotics-sector rally. It sits near the 50-day moving average of $42.18 and well above the 200-day moving average of $28.66, with RSI near 54.Medium
Risk levelRisks include continued cash burn, share dilution from the July 2026 offering and warrants, extreme volatility (beta 3.28), 9% short interest, competition from Hesai and others, customer concentration, and dependence on the physical AI and robotics adoption timeline.Medium
AI confidenceMedium for descriptive data and revenue figures that cross-checked across Yahoo Finance, StockAnalysis.com, and company disclosures. Low for forward valuation because the company is pre-profit and the scenario model uses EV/Sales instead of EPS.Medium data confidence
Investment certaintyLow at the current price. Growth and margin expansion are real, but the premium multiple, recent dilution, and high volatility leave a thin margin of safety for a pre-profit business.Low

OUST AI stock forecast

OUST AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The OUST AI stock forecast uses scenario ranges around the $42.48 price, a TTM revenue run rate near $185 million, and a three-year EV/Sales multiple framework. Because OUST has negative EPS, traditional EPS-based models are not applicable. The bullish case requires revenue acceleration, margin expansion toward breakeven, and sustained premium multiples. The bearish case assumes further dilution, intensifying competition, and an extended path to profitability.

Bullish case

$58 to $78

More likely if Ouster achieves faster-than-expected lidar adoption across automotive and robotics, gross margins expand above 50% toward breakeven, the $192M offering funds growth without further dilution, and the stock maintains a premium EV/Sales multiple near 12-15x as revenue compounds at 40% or more.

Base case

$36 to $50

More likely if revenue grows around 30-35% annually in line with the consensus three-year forecast of 33.3%, the market holds the stock near 10-12x forward sales, competitive dynamics stay stable, and the company makes gradual progress toward profitability.

Bearish case

$18 to $30

More likely if lidar adoption slows, Hesai or another competitor wins key automotive design wins, dilution continues through warrants or follow-on raises, cash burn forces additional financing, or the market re-rates pre-profit growth stocks lower and compresses the multiple toward 6-8x sales.

OUST AI technical analysis

OUST AI Technical Analysis

OUST AI technical analysis shows a powerful YTD uptrend from the $16 area to a 52-week high of $63.79, followed by a roughly 35% correction into the low-$30s after the July 2026 stock offering, then a strong rebound to $42.48 on August 3, 2026 during a robotics-sector rally. As of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff, the stock trades near its 50-day moving average of $42.18 and well above its 200-day moving average of $28.66.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price$42.48The August 3, 2026 close was $42.48, up 8.90% after touching a session low near $36.90, with after-hours trading at $43.00. The stock has rebounded from a roughly 35% correction off the $63.79 June high.
Near support$38 to $40The $39.01 previous close and the recent base area. A close below this range would suggest the post-offering weakness is returning.
Deeper support$33 to $36The August 3 intraday low near $36.90 and the pre-breakout zone. This area held during the recent selloff and is the first line of defense below $38.
Key support$28.66The 200-day moving average. It sits well below the current price and marks the level that would signal the medium-term uptrend is under threat.
Near resistance$47 to $50The area between the current price and the $55.22 offering price. A recovery through this zone would signal that the offering overhang is clearing.
Key resistance$55.22 then $63.79The July 2, 2026 offering price of $55.22, then the 52-week high of $63.79 set in June 2026. A decisive move above both would confirm a resumption of the uptrend.
50-day SMA~$42.18The 50-day moving average sits essentially at the current price, so OUST is testing this level as either support or resistance.
200-day SMA~$28.66The 200-day moving average is well below the price, reflecting the strong medium-term uptrend that started in early 2026.
MomentumRSI ~54RSI near 54 on StockAnalysis.com is neutral, having cooled from overbought levels after the correction and the August 3 bounce.
Volume2.89M shares on Aug 3August 3 volume of 2.89 million shares was below the 5.13 million average, so the rebound came on lighter volume and still needs confirmation.
Short interest6.06M shares, 9.00%Short interest of 6.06 million shares equals 9.00% of shares outstanding, a level that can add squeeze fuel to rallies but also signals skeptical positioning.
InvalidationClose below $28.66A decisive close below the 200-day moving average zone would shift the medium-term trend from bullish to neutral or bearish.

OUST AI trading strategy

OUST AI Trading Strategy Framework

The OUST AI trading strategy below is a research framework, not personal advice. It acknowledges the high volatility (beta 3.28), the dilutive offering overhang, 9% short interest, and the August 6, 2026 earnings catalyst.

Trend-following setup

Watch for OUST to reclaim and hold the $47 to $50 zone on above-average volume after the August 3 bounce. A recovery through $55.22, the July offering price, with volume confirmation would suggest the uptrend is resuming after the correction.

Define risk before entry. If OUST loses the $38 to $40 near-term support, reassess whether the correction is deeper than expected. A close below $28.66, the 200-day moving average, invalidates the medium-term uptrend.

Mean-reversion setup

If OUST pulls back toward the $33 to $36 zone or the 200-day moving average near $28.66 while robotics demand, OEM design wins, and the $155.73 million net cash position remain intact, evaluate whether the drop is an overreaction to dilution rather than a broken thesis.

Avoid buying the dip without checking the August 6, 2026 earnings results, dilution details from the July offering, and cash burn trends. A break below $28.66 shifts the dip from a normal correction to structural damage.

Fundamental monitor

Track the August 6, 2026 Q2 earnings report, revenue growth, gross margin progression, GAAP net income timeline, operating cash flow, use of the $192M offering proceeds, OEM design win announcements, competitive dynamics with Hesai, short interest, and insider activity.

Do not let the robotics and physical AI theme replace position sizing discipline. Scenario ranges can shift rapidly after quarterly results, offering updates, or competitor announcements.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Ouster manufactures high-resolution digital lidar sensors and perception software that let autonomous vehicles, robots, drones, and smart infrastructure systems see their environment in 3D. Customers pay for reliable, long-range solid-state sensing hardware paired with perception software.

Moat

Ouster’s moat comes from proprietary digital lidar technology, a combined intellectual property portfolio from the Velodyne merger, manufacturing scale, and the complexity of integrating sensors into customer platforms. The lidar market remains competitive, with well-funded rivals such as Hesai and Luminar pressing on price and design wins.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if lidar adoption is slower than expected, automotive OEMs choose camera-only or radar-only sensing approaches, the $192M offering proves insufficient, cash burn forces further financing before breakeven, or a larger competitor wins the dominant market position.

Management

Co-founder and CEO Angus Pacala has demonstrated long-term vision from founding through the SPAC IPO, the Velodyne merger, and automotive customer development. The management team now faces its next major test: guiding the company to GAAP profitability while managing the dilutive impact of the July 2026 offering, which pushed shares outstanding up 20.1% year over year.

Industry trend

Ouster sits at the intersection of several secular trends: autonomous vehicle development, robotics and physical AI commercialization, smart infrastructure investment, and defense modernization. Lidar is increasingly treated as a critical sensing modality for Level 3+ autonomy and industrial automation, and the August 3, 2026 robotics rally showed the theme still carries momentum.

Valuation and margin of safety

At roughly 15.4x TTM sales and a $2.86 billion market cap, OUST is priced for significant future growth that has not yet translated into GAAP profitability. Margin of safety is thin at the current price, especially with the dilutive offering overhang and the stock trading below the $55.22 offering price. The risk-reward profile favors patience over immediate entry.

Source-backed data

OUST Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
OUST price$42.48 at the August 3, 2026 close, up 3.47 or 8.90%; after-hours $43.00Yahoo Finance OUST quoteAugust 4, 2026
Market capitalization$2.86 billion, verified as $42.48 x 67.29M shares = $2.858B using financial_rigor.pyYahoo Finance and financial_rigor.pyAugust 4, 2026
Enterprise value$2.70 billionStockAnalysis.com OUST statisticsAugust 4, 2026
Revenue (TTM)$185.33 million TTM; FY2025 revenue $169.38 million, up 52.46% year over yearYahoo Finance and StockAnalysis.comAugust 4, 2026
Revenue by segment (FY2025)Product revenue $146.58 million, royalties revenue $22.81 millionStockAnalysis.com OUST financialsAugust 4, 2026
Gross marginRoughly 49% TTM; FY2025 49.26%, up from 36.42% in FY2024StockAnalysis.com OUST financialsAugust 4, 2026
Net income (TTM)-$55.83 million TTM; FY2025 net income -$60.38 millionYahoo Finance and StockAnalysis.comAugust 4, 2026
Cash and net cashCash and investments $173.12 million; total debt $17.39 million; net cash $155.73 millionStockAnalysis.com OUST statisticsAugust 4, 2026
EPS (TTM) and valuationTTM EPS -$0.93 on Yahoo Finance and -$0.95 on StockAnalysis.com, trailing PE not meaningful, price to sales 15.42x, price to book 9.78x, EV to sales 14.58xYahoo Finance and StockAnalysis.comAugust 4, 2026
Free cash flow (TTM)-$69.26 million TTM; operating cash flow -$42.36 million, capital expenditures -$26.90 millionStockAnalysis.com OUST statisticsAugust 4, 2026
Shares outstanding67.29 million shares, up 20.12% year over year following the July 2026 offeringStockAnalysis.com OUST statisticsAugust 4, 2026
52-week range$16.40 to $63.79Yahoo Finance OUST overviewAugust 4, 2026
Beta3.28 on Yahoo Finance (5Y monthly); 3.17 on StockAnalysis.com (5Y)Yahoo Finance and StockAnalysis.comAugust 4, 2026
Analyst price targetsAverage $52.14, low $33, high $75; consensus Strong Buy from 7 analysts; Northland Capital Markets raised its target from $38 to $60 on July 21, 2026Yahoo Finance and StockAnalysis.comAugust 4, 2026
Short interest6.06 million shares, 9.00% of shares outstanding, days to cover 1.12StockAnalysis.com OUST statisticsAugust 4, 2026
Q1 2026 resultsQ1 2026 revenue $48.58 million, net income -$17.46 million; Q2 2026 earnings scheduled for August 6, 2026Yahoo Finance OUST analysisAugust 4, 2026
July 2026 stock offeringPriced July 2, 2026 at $55.22 per share for 3,621,876 shares, raising about $192 million, closed July 6, 2026 with a 60-day insider lock-upOuster press release via TipRanks and Globe and MailAugust 4, 2026
CEO and leadershipCEO and co-founder Angus Pacala; CTO and co-founder Mark Frichtl; HQ San Francisco, CAWikipedia Ouster profileAugust 4, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This OUST AI stock analysis is an informational research tool only. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a guarantee of future returns. Forecast ranges are scenarios based on available data as of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff and can be wrong if lidar adoption rates, revenue growth, competitive dynamics, dilution impact, market conditions, or the path to profitability differ from current expectations.