Group 1: Investment Performance - Vulcan Value Partners reported positive results across all strategies in Q4 2025, with the Large Cap Composite returning -1.5% in Q4 and 7.9% YTD, and the Small Cap Composite gaining 3.2% in Q4 and 9.5% YTD [1] - The Focus Composite and Focus Plus Composite both returned 0.1% in Q4, with YTD returns of 7.1% and 6.2% respectively, while the All-Cap Composite returned 1.3% in Q4 and 10.7% YTD [1] - The firm improved its price-to-value ratios despite overvalued markets, focusing on safety and long-term gains over short-term performance [1] Group 2: Salesforce, Inc. Overview - Salesforce, Inc. is recognized as the world's leading SaaS vendor for customer relationship management (CRM) and salesforce automation (SFA) software, including AI agents [3] - The company has a strong product portfolio that includes marketing automation, customer service automation, analytics, application integration, and enterprise collaboration [3] - Salesforce aims for over 10% organic top-line growth and significant margin expansion through FY2030, supported by successful data points related to Agentforce, including triple-digit revenue growth [3] Group 3: Salesforce, Inc. Stock Performance - Salesforce, Inc. experienced a one-month return of -13.73% and a 52-week loss of 36.27% [2] - As of January 26, 2026, Salesforce's stock closed at $229.40 per share, with a market capitalization of $218.389 billion [2]

Core Viewpoint - Salesforce has secured a significant contract with the U.S. Army valued at approximately $5.6 billion, which is expected to positively impact its stock performance and accelerate the integration of AI into military operations [1][4]. Group 1: Contract Details - The $5.6 billion contract aims to enhance the Department of War's integration of advanced artificial intelligence into its systems and provide access to Salesforce's Missionforce portfolio [4]. - The Missionforce initiative, launched in September 2025, focuses on transforming defense and intelligence operations by leveraging AI for logistics, personnel support, and decision-making [5]. - Key benefits of the contract include predictable pricing, expedited procurement processes, real-time analytics, enhanced situational awareness, and support for 'hire-to-retire' workflows [6]. Group 2: Market Reaction - Following the announcement of the contract, Salesforce's stock price increased by 2.11%, rising from $229.40 to $234.23 in after-hours trading [1]. - Despite this positive news, CRM shares are down 9.55% year-to-date and 33.91% over the past 12 months, indicating a reversal from previous market trends [3]. Group 3: Industry Context - The contract aligns with the U.S. government's broader initiative to advance defense technology, which includes a 'patent holiday' allowing private companies to access government-owned patents for free for two years [7].

| CRM 赛富时 | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 229.400↑+1.350 +0.59% | | 收盘价 01/26 16:00 美东 | | 234.150 + 4.750 +2.07% | | 盘前价 01/27 04:18 美东 | | 三 7 24 华 S 9 日 ♥ 自选 | | ● 快捷交易 | | 最高价 230.949 | 开盘价 229.430 | 成交量 723.96万 | | 最低价 227.585 | 昨收价 228.050 | 成交额 16.63亿 | | 平均价 229.669 | 市容率 IM 30.63 | 总市值 2149.48亿(…) | | 振 幅 1.48% | 市盈率(静) 36.07 | 总股本 9.37亿 | | 换手率 0.78% | 市净率 3.581 | 流通值 2131.49亿 | | 52周最高 345.783 | 委 比 -73.91% | 流通股 9.29亿 | | 52周最低 218.963 | 量 比 0.61 | 色 主 1路 | | 历史最高 366.189 | 股息TTM 1.648 | | | 历史最低 2. ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call focused on the software industry, particularly the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on software companies and their business models [1][2]. Core Insights and Arguments 1. **Reliance on Existing Software Vendors** Companies prefer to rely on existing software vendors for AI feature upgrades and are willing to pay for these enhancements. There is no plan to replace current vendors, and spending continues to grow during contract renewals [1][2]. 2. **Focus on Time to Market** Companies aim to concentrate internal development resources on revenue growth and core business rather than redeveloping third-party applications. This indicates a strategic shift towards leveraging existing solutions [1][2]. 3. **Outsourcing Development and Maintenance** Businesses are dismissing the idea of developing software in-house and prefer to outsource responsibilities and risks to third-party vendors. Developer headcount remains unchanged despite the growing reliance on external solutions [2]. 4. **AI Monetization** The call highlighted that many companies are successfully monetizing additional AI features through new contracts and product SKUs. This trend is seen as a legitimate business rationale for increased spending [2][3][4][5]. 5. **SaaS Pricing Dynamics** The SaaS sector is evolving, with AI transforming simple functionalities into high-value productivity engines, justifying significant price increases for software products. For instance, a user expressed willingness to pay 50% more for a service due to the exponential utility of AI-generated content [5][19]. 6. **Challenges in Data Management** The complexity of managing vast amounts of data across various systems poses significant challenges. Companies face issues related to data governance, privacy, and integration, making it impractical to switch from established products [6][7][8][9]. 7. **Emergence of Claude Code** The transition towards tools like Claude Code is noted, where AI is taking on more coding responsibilities, potentially accelerating development processes. However, there are concerns about the reliability and effectiveness of such tools in large enterprise environments [10][11][12][13]. Additional Important Insights - **Market Sentiment** The overall sentiment in the software industry is cautious, with a belief that market emotions may have been overstretched. The hype around AI tools like Claude Code is nearing its peak, indicating a potential shift in market dynamics [14][15]. - **Growth Expectations** A recent Morgan Stanley CIO survey indicates an increase in growth expectations for the software industry from 2.4% in 2025 to 3.8% in 2026, surpassing growth rates in hardware and communication services [18]. - **Skepticism on Price Compression** There is skepticism regarding significant price compression in the software industry, as low-cost software already exists, and SaaS pricing is generally low. R&D spending as a percentage of revenue for CRM companies is around 25%, indicating a balanced investment approach [19]. Investment Strategy - The software industry is viewed as a potential buy in the short to medium term, with a focus on identifying individual stocks that present investment opportunities. The market is expected to experience volatility, leading to increased differentiation in stock performance [20].

SAN FRANCISCO & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the world's #1 AI CRM, today announced that the U.S. Army has awarded the company a $5.6 billion, 10-year* Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The landmark agreement is executed through Computable Insights LLC.**, a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to Salesforce's national security operations. Through Missionforce National Security, Salesforce will bring the best of private sector innovation to support th. ...

Core Insights - Salesforce Inc. stock is showing a significant disconnect between its fundamental health and market performance [1] Group 1: Market Performance - The stock's momentum has significantly declined, falling into the bottom decile, with negative price trend indicators across short, medium, and long terms [2] - Year-to-date, Salesforce shares have decreased by 10.08%, with a 15.62% decline over the last six months and a 34.30% drop over the past year [5] - On the latest trading day, shares closed at $228.05, down 0.018%, and were 0.29% lower in premarket trading [5] Group 2: Fundamental Health - Despite the bearish price action, Salesforce maintains a quality score of 74.43, indicating strong operational efficiency and financial health [3] - The company's growth score of 66.56 suggests ongoing expansion in earnings and revenue [3] Group 3: Valuation Concerns - The disconnect between market performance and fundamental health may be attributed to valuation concerns, with a value score of 6.28 indicating the stock trades at a premium compared to its fundamental assets and earnings [4]

Core Insights - Khaveen Investments is a global investment advisory firm focused on serving high-net-worth individuals, corporations, associations, and institutions [1] - The firm is a registered investment adviser with the SEC and offers a range of services including market and security research, business valuation, and wealth management [1] - The flagship Macroquantamental Hedge Fund maintains a diversified portfolio across various asset classes, geographies, sectors, and industries [1] - The investment approach integrates top-down and bottom-up analysis, utilizing global macro, fundamental, and quantitative strategies [1] - Core expertise lies in disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, 5G, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles, FinTech, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT) [1]

Core Viewpoint - The offer from billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group is €36 per share, representing a 19% premium over the closing price on Friday [1] Company Summary - The proposed acquisition price of €36 per share indicates a significant premium, which may attract shareholder interest [1] - The offer reflects EP Group's strategic intent to enhance its portfolio through this acquisition [1] Industry Summary - The acquisition bid highlights ongoing consolidation trends within the industry, as larger players seek to expand their market presence [1] - The premium offered suggests competitive bidding dynamics in the current market environment [1]

Summary of Global Software Conference Call Industry Overview - The software industry is experiencing a significant shift in focus from macroeconomic concerns to the disruptive rise of AI, with investor discussions centered around whether an AI bubble exists and the potential impact of AI on enterprise software [1][11][15]. Key Themes for 2026 - **Valuation Reset**: Software valuations have halved over the past year, creating opportunities to acquire high-quality stocks at discounted prices [14][31]. - **IT Spending Outlook**: Recent CIO surveys indicate one of the strongest IT spending outlooks since 2018, with expectations for a stable macro environment and lower interest rates supporting demand, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) [3][13][23]. - **Generative AI Impact**: While Generative AI is a major topic, its revenue impact on most software companies is still limited. The expectation is that significant revenue generation from AI will not materialize until 2027 or later [6][19][22]. Company-Specific Insights - **Top Picks**: Recommended stocks include Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, and HubSpot, all rated as Outperform. MongoDB is also favored for its long-term potential and near-term momentum [4][7][25][26]. - **Cautionary Stocks**: Salesforce is expected to underperform due to concerns over AI disruption and market saturation. Snowflake is rated as Market-Perform, with long-term growth prospects viewed as uncertain [4][7][29][30]. Financial Metrics - **Valuation Comparisons**: - Adobe (ADBE): Current price $296.12, target $506.00, adjusted P/E 12.0 for 2026E. - Microsoft (MSFT): Current price $459.86, target $645.00, adjusted P/E 27.5 for 2026E. - Oracle (ORCL): Current price $191.09, target $339.00, adjusted P/E 25.9 for 2026E. - Salesforce (CRM): Current price $227.11, target $223.00, adjusted P/E 19.2 for 2026E [5][8]. Investment Implications - **SMB vs. Enterprise**: SMB-focused software companies may see earlier revenue recovery compared to enterprise-focused firms, as SMBs typically rebound faster in improving economic conditions [6][23]. - **AI Revenue Generation**: The expectation is that while AI will contribute to revenue growth, it will be limited in 2026, with only a few companies likely to see a significant positive impact [19][20]. Macro Considerations - **Economic Stability**: The macroeconomic environment is expected to remain stable, with potential benefits from deregulation and tax cuts in the U.S. [3][23]. - **Geopolitical Risks**: Ongoing global conflicts and geopolitical tensions may continue to impact market sentiment and investment strategies [21][23]. Conclusion - The software sector is at a pivotal moment, with significant opportunities arising from valuation resets and a favorable IT spending outlook. However, the impact of Generative AI remains uncertain, and investors are advised to focus on company-specific fundamentals while being cautious of potential disruptions in the market.

Core Insights - The evolution of artificial intelligence is moving towards agentic AI, where AI agents perform tasks autonomously with minimal human supervision [1] - Companies like SoundHound AI and Salesforce are pursuing opportunities in this space, each with unique approaches [2] SoundHound AI - SoundHound has established itself as a leader in voice-first AI technology, utilizing "speech-to-meaning" and "deep meaning understanding" to recognize intent before speech completion [3] - The company has a market capitalization of $4.3 billion, with a current stock price of $10.34 and a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 15 based on 2026 revenue estimates [4][5] - SoundHound's revenue has more than doubled in the past nine months, and it aims to provide an end-to-end AI customer service solution [5] Salesforce - Salesforce, a leader in customer relationship management software, faces pressure due to concerns about AI impacting the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model [6] - The company has a market capitalization of $214 billion, with a current stock price of $228.05 and a forward P/S multiple of 4.5, indicating a more attractive valuation compared to SoundHound [8][11] - Salesforce has evolved into an agentic AI platform by acquiring Informatica and launching Data 360, positioning itself as a master record of organizational data [9][10] Comparative Analysis - Salesforce is viewed as a more stable investment due to its lower valuation and strategic moves towards becoming an agentic AI leader, while SoundHound may have higher upside potential due to its smaller size and innovative voice technology [12]