We recently published Jim Cramer Discussed These 13 Stocks And Talked About Market “Froth” & Dotcom Bubble. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed. Cramer’s recent comments about customer relationship management software firm Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) have wondered whether the firm has managed to become the standout SaaS stock in an era where the SaaS sector has suffered due to AI. This time, he discussed Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)’s operating environment in deta ...

Core Insights - Index funds are a valuable tool for gaining exposure to stock market sectors without the need to select individual stocks, particularly in the promising field of artificial intelligence [1] - The Vanguard Information Technology ETF offers a cost-effective way to invest in AI-related companies, with a significantly lower expense ratio compared to other AI-focused ETFs [2][7] Vanguard Information Technology ETF Overview - The Vanguard Information Technology ETF is not exclusively an AI investment but tracks the information technology sector, which includes many leading AI companies [4] - The fund's portfolio is heavily weighted towards major AI players, with semiconductor manufacturers constituting 31% and software companies 36% of the fund [5] - The top 10 holdings represent 58% of the fund's assets, featuring prominent AI companies such as Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple [5][6] Fund Performance and Fees - The Vanguard Information Technology ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.09%, making it an economical choice for investors looking to gain exposure to AI stocks [7][8] - The fund's performance is highly dependent on a few key companies, indicating a top-heavy structure [7]

Core Insights - The market is closely monitoring trade policy developments following President Trump's response to China's rare earth export curbs with higher tariffs [1] - A federal government shutdown may delay the release of key economic reports, but corporate earnings from major banks and semiconductor companies are anticipated [1][3] Corporate Earnings - Major financial firms such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and American Express are set to report earnings this week [2][5] - TSMC, the world's largest chip manufacturer, is expected to report a 40% revenue growth in the first half of 2025 due to strong AI chip sales [7] - Other financial institutions reporting include BlackRock, CitiGroup, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley throughout the week [6] Economic Data and Federal Reserve - The ongoing government shutdown is likely to extend the blackout on economic data releases, affecting reports on retail sales, jobless claims, and housing starts [3][8] - Federal Reserve officials, including Chair Jerome Powell, are scheduled to speak, coinciding with the release of the Beige Book economic update [9] Key Events and Conferences - Oracle's AI World conference begins on Monday, while Salesforce's Dreamforce event starts on Tuesday [7] - The bond market will be closed on Monday for Columbus Day, but major stock exchanges will remain open [4]

Core Insights - Wall Street is entering earnings season with reports from major financial institutions such as Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan expected [1] - Despite a significant sell-off on Friday, there is an expectation that the market's multi-year rally is not over [1] Earnings Reports - Earnings season begins on Tuesday with Blackrock, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs reporting; all three have performed well this year and are not heavily impacted by the trade war [3] - Johnson & Johnson and Domino's Pizza will also report on Tuesday, with expectations for Johnson & Johnson to have the best quarter in its sector, while Domino's may miss estimates [4] - On Wednesday, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Abbott Laboratories will report; Morgan Stanley has shown positive results recently, and Abbott is considered reliable [4] - Thursday will see earnings from Taiwan Semiconductor, CSX, and Charles Schwab, with positive figures expected from Taiwan Semiconductor, which supplies chips to Nvidia and AMD [6] - American Express and SLB will report on Friday; American Express shares typically decline post-earnings, while SLB management is known for transparency [7] Market Context - The week is complicated by a sharp decline in Treasury yields, which usually indicates better economic conditions ahead, but current sentiment is negative [2] - Salesforce's annual conference begins on Monday, and clarity on President Trump's new tariffs on China is anticipated, following threats of a significant increase in tariffs on Chinese imports [2]

Core Insights - Salesforce is experiencing a fractional weekly gain ahead of the Dreamforce conference, but the stock is down over 25% year-to-date, indicating a lack of investor confidence despite its early adoption of AI technology [1][2] Company Performance - The company's quarterly results have been described as lackluster, leading to concerns about its growth trajectory and competitive dynamics in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) space [4][10] - Analysts have noted that Salesforce's core businesses have significantly decelerated over the past few years, with competition intensifying from other companies [4][10] AI Strategy - Salesforce is positioning itself as a leader in the AI space, particularly with its focus on "agentic AI," but the reception from Wall Street has been mixed [2][5] - The company's aggressive push into AI is seen as potentially premature, as many enterprises are still in the early stages of adopting AI technologies [7][8] Investor Sentiment - Investor sentiment towards Salesforce is currently negative, with some long-time investors reportedly reducing their positions due to concerns about competition from OpenAI and the overall market outlook [9] - Despite beating estimates in its recent earnings report, Salesforce's outlook disappointed investors, leading to a sell-off [9] Market Dynamics - The narrative that AI poses an immediate threat to SaaS is contested, with some analysts believing that AI could actually serve as an accelerator for companies like Salesforce [13][14] - The majority of software companies' business has remained largely unaffected by AI developments thus far, suggesting that the transition may take longer than anticipated [14]

Core Insights - Oakmark Equity and Income Fund's Q3 2025 performance showed underperformance against the S&P 500 and outperformance since inception, with equity portfolio returning 3.64% and fixed income portfolio returning 2.40% [1] - The fund's allocation consisted of 59.6% in equities, 39.3% in fixed income, and 1.1% in cash [1] Company Analysis: Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) - Salesforce, Inc. is recognized as a leading technology company providing a comprehensive front office productivity suite, currently undergoing a transformation to enhance profitability and shareholder focus [3] - The stock experienced a one-month return of 1.65% but has declined by 14.35% over the past 52 weeks, closing at $245.33 with a market capitalization of $235.163 billion on October 9, 2025 [2][3] - Despite a significant drop in stock price since exiting the position in December, Salesforce continues to report fundamental results aligned with expectations, indicating potential for future growth [3] Market Position - Salesforce, Inc. ranks 16th among the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds, with 121 hedge fund portfolios holding the stock at the end of Q2 2025, down from 140 in the previous quarter [4] - The company reported Q2 2026 revenue of $10.25 billion, marking a 10% year-over-year increase and 9% in constant currency [5]

Core Viewpoint - Salesforce.com (CRM) has shown a mixed performance in the stock market, with a recent increase in stock price but a decline over the past month compared to sector averages [1][2]. Financial Performance - Analysts expect Salesforce.com to report earnings of $2.85 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 18.26% [2]. - The anticipated quarterly revenue is $10.26 billion, which represents an increase of 8.68% from the previous year [2]. - Full-year estimates project earnings of $11.35 per share and revenue of $41.21 billion, indicating year-over-year changes of +11.27% and +8.76%, respectively [3]. Analyst Estimates and Revisions - Recent revisions to analyst estimates are crucial as they reflect near-term business trends, with positive revisions indicating confidence in performance and profit potential [3][4]. - The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has increased by 0.02% over the past month, and Salesforce.com currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [5]. Valuation Metrics - Salesforce.com has a Forward P/E ratio of 21.19, which is lower than the industry average Forward P/E of 27.31, suggesting a valuation discount [6]. - The company's PEG ratio stands at 1.57, compared to the industry average PEG ratio of 2.09, indicating a more favorable growth valuation [6]. Industry Context - The Computer - Software industry, which includes Salesforce.com, ranks 94 in the Zacks Industry Rank, placing it in the top 39% of over 250 industries [7]. - Strong industry rankings correlate with performance, as the top 50% of rated industries tend to outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7].

Market Overview - The Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 292.77 points, or 0.63%, indicating a cautious sentiment in the U.S. stock market [1] - Dow Futures also showed weakness, down 276.00 points, or 0.59% [1] - This decline follows a period of record-setting gains for indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq [1] Economic Context - The market is influenced by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which has delayed important economic data [2] - Investors are anticipating the upcoming third-quarter earnings season, creating a "wait and see" environment [2] - The absence of new economic reports on inflation and employment has left investors looking for direction from corporate performance [2] - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's recent comments did not provide new insights into monetary policy, although previous Fed minutes suggested potential rate cuts this year [2] Individual Stock Performance - Nvidia (NVDA) was a notable gainer, rising by 1.93% due to optimism around artificial intelligence demand [3] - Other gainers included Salesforce (CRM) up 1.83% and Merck (MRK) up 1.38% [3] - Boeing (BA) was the largest loser, falling by 3.48%, followed by 3M (MMM) down 2.57% and Honeywell (HON) down 2.42% [3] - Strong early earnings reports from Delta Air Lines and PepsiCo provided some positive momentum for individual stocks but did not prevent the overall market decline [3]

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unaric, the fast-growing UK tech firm helping Salesforce customers harness AI through its suite of applications and AI agents, today announced the acquisition of DESelect, a Belgian and US-based Salesforce Independent Software Vendor (ISV), in an eight-figure deal. Founded in 2023 by Peter Lindhom, James Gasteen, Moritz Birke, and Neil Crawford, Unaric helps Salesforce customers scale smarter, move faster, and deliver better experiences by converting fragmented applicat. ...

Salesforce is launching a product for information technology management, moving into a new area for the company’s software and deepening its competition with ServiceNow https://t.co/ycqTCDQNu4 ...