Dan Ives Says Anthropic IPO Faces A 'Perfect Storm' — Aswath Damodaran Warns 'If One Falls, They Drag The Others Down'

What happened

Anthropic's potential IPO drew scrutiny after a Financial Times report, citing Blackstone, said the AI company may not secure an investment-grade credit rating immediately after going public. Dan Ives called it a perfect storm moment on CNBC Friday.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

A weaker credit rating can raise the cost of borrowed money for Anthropic, which needs to fund heavy spending on computing infrastructure. That added expense could reduce cash available and test investor appetite for the IPO, especially if a roughly $1.5 trillion valuation is expected.

Analyst inference

AI companies are in a spending arms race, and Ives compares Anthropic's situation to Oracle's heavy infrastructure outlays. Damodaran warns that if one major AI company falls, it could drag others down, showing how connected investor positioning across the AI trade has become.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Watch whether the reported credit rating concern actually affects investor appetite for Anthropic's IPO, a question Ives said is key. Confirmed
2. Track Anthropic's disclosed plans for raising money and spending on infrastructure, since Ives flags the amount needed as a possible concern. Proposed
3. Watch whether weakness at one AI company spreads to others, as Damodaran warned, which could pressure shares tied to the AI buildout. Analyst inference

Evidence

• stocktwits.com