Earnings

Ouster's Loss Shrank To $49.7 Million, But Cash Burn In Operations Doubled To $49.4 Million

Customer prepayments are unwinding and inventory is building, so cash left Ouster faster than its narrowing net loss suggests.

Ouster, which makes digital lidar sensors, cameras and AI computing hardware for machines, used $49.4 million in cash in operations over the first nine months of 2026, up from $24.5 million a year earlier, its third-quarter 10-Q filed Tuesday shows. Over the same period its net loss narrowed to $49.7 million from $64.4 million, so the income statement and the cash flow statement point in opposite directions.

Where the cash went

Working capital took the cash. Contract liabilities, which are customer prepayments and deposits for goods not yet delivered, fell $11.9 million over the nine months, and inventory absorbed another $11.0 million. Raw materials stood at $14.8 million at September 30, against $3.9 million at year-end.

Accounts receivable rose $6.8 million. Customer E, which made up 15% of third-quarter revenue, accounted for 26% of receivables at quarter-end.

The prior quarterly filing showed $20.0 million of operating cash burn for the first six months. That leaves roughly $29.4 million leaving the business in the third quarter, against a net loss of $14.2 million for the period.

Refunds flatter the loss

The loss improvement leaned on items outside the core business. Ouster booked a $5.4 million cost-of-sales benefit from refunds of import duties paid under IEEPA tariffs, which the Supreme Court struck down, and it has received that sum plus interest. In the nine months of 2025, the company received $5.5 million in employee retention credits.

Revenue is growing. Third-quarter revenue rose 50% to $59.3 million, helped by the Stereolabs camera business Ouster bought on February 4, 2026, and by higher sensor volumes. The nine-month gross margin was 45%, against 43% a year earlier.

A $421.2 million cushion built on stock

Ouster held $421.2 million in cash, restricted cash and short-term investments at September 30. Equity raises paid for it: $191.8 million from a July underwritten offering priced at $55.22 a share, and $98.0 million from an at-the-market program. Shares outstanding rose to 72,996,390 from 60,947,757 at year-end.

Management says that cash is enough to fund operations for at least twelve months. It also says it expects negative operating cash flow for the foreseeable future and may need more capital. Market value was about $2.0 billion at Tuesday's report.

Ouster guided fourth-quarter revenue of $61 million to $64 million.