Nebius Stock Surges Despite COO's Major Share Sale

Nebius Group N.V. (NBIS) shares climbed 7.4% on Tuesday, marking their strongest session this month, despite a regulatory filing revealing that Chief Operating Officer Ophir Nave sold approximately half of his stake in the company for around $118 million. According to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Nave sold 500,000 Class A shares on October 5 through multiple transactions priced between $230.67 and $243.72. The sale was executed under a pre-arranged trading plan adopted in May, leaving Nave with 454,685 Class A shares.

The rally in Nebius shares came amid a broader surge in AI infrastructure stocks, driven by strong demand and optimistic long-term outlooks. Companies like Astera Labs (ALAB), CoreWeave (CRWV), Cisco Systems (CSCO), and Lumentum Holdings (LITE) also saw gains between 3.8% and 7.6%. This uptick followed Marvell Technology's (MRVL) upbeat long-term revenue forecast, which projected fiscal 2028 revenue to reach about $20 billion, up from $18 billion, and targeted $70 billion to $90 billion in annual revenue by fiscal 2031.

Nebius, backed by Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), has become a notable player in the AI infrastructure space, rapidly expanding its GPU-based cloud capacity to meet growing demand from AI developers and enterprises. The company's stock has surged approximately 68% from its recent low on July 29 and nearly 200% year to date. Recent strategic moves, such as the acquisition of Inferize, an inference optimization company, have also fueled trading interest. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for NBIS shifted from 'bearish' to 'neutral,' with traders noting the stock's strong performance.

Last week, Chief Revenue Officer Marc Boroditsky reported selling 7,000 Class A shares worth about $1.5 million. Despite the insider sales, Nebius continues to benefit from the broader bullish sentiment in the AI sector, with investors focusing on AI spending plans and infrastructure demand.