Core Insights - Salesforce Inc's stock increased by 1.5% to $234.08 despite a price-target reduction from $315 to $300 [1] - Positive market sentiment is driven by Adobe Analytics reporting a 9% increase in Black Friday sales year-over-year and a projected 6.3% increase for Cyber Monday [1] Financial Performance - Salesforce's upcoming third-quarter earnings report is expected to show profits of $2.86 per share on revenue of $10.27 billion [2] - The stock has struggled in recent earnings reports, with the last three post-earnings sessions resulting in declines, including a 4.9% drop in September [2] - The options market anticipates an 11.6% price swing for the stock following the earnings report, which is larger than the average 7% movement over the past eight quarters [2] Stock Movement - The stock has rebounded from a 52-week low of $221.96 on November 21 but is still down 30% year-to-date [3] - The $260 price level has been a significant resistance point in recent weeks after previously acting as support during the summer [3] Options Market Sentiment - Options traders are showing optimism for a rebound, indicated by a high call/put volume ratio of 2.42, ranking above 97% of readings from the past year [5]

Core Viewpoint - Retail investors are preparing for a week of corporate earnings reports from discount retailers, cybersecurity firms, and major tech companies, with a focus on specific earnings expectations and stock movements [1]. Earnings Reports Schedule - **Monday, Dec. 1**: MongoDB Inc. (NASDAQ:MDB) and Credo Technology Group (NASDAQ:CRDO) will report after market close [2]. - **Tuesday, Dec. 2**: Crowdstrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is expected to report earnings of 94 cents per share and revenue of $1.21 billion after market close [2]. - **Wednesday, Dec. 3**: Macy's Inc. (NYSE:M) and Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) will report before market open, while Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is anticipated to report earnings of $2.86 per share and revenue of $10.27 billion after market close [3][4]. - **Thursday, Dec. 4**: Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG), and UP Fintech Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:TIGR) will report before market open, followed by Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) expected to report earnings of $4.59 per share and revenue of $2.27 billion after market close [5][6]. - **Friday, Dec. 5**: Victoria's Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO) will report before market open, with over 20% of shares currently sold short, indicating potential stock movement [6]. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Multiple analysts have raised price targets for Crowdstrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) ahead of its earnings report, with DA Davidson raising the target from $515 to $580, Keybanc from $510 to $570, and JP Morgan from $500 to $580 [4].

Salesforce stock price remained under intense pressure in November as concerns about the company's AI business continued. CRM was trading at $230 on Monday, down by 37% from the year-to-date high, mak... ...

The IRS laid off or lost a quarter of its workforce between January and May, dropping from 103,000 to around 77,000 employees, according to the October Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report. Now, it’s turning to artificial intelligence to help fill the gaps. The report says that the IRS has “used AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of audits. For example, the IRS integrated statistical and machine-learning techniques into the process used to select tax returns for audit.” Don ...

Group 1: CrowdStrike - CrowdStrike is experiencing positive momentum with multiple price target hikes from analysts, indicating strong bullish sentiment [1][2][3] - JP Morgan Chase raised its price target to $580 from $500, maintaining an overweight rating, anticipating strong third-quarter results and continued momentum into the next fiscal year [2] - Key Bank also increased its target to $570 from $510, while Wedbush reiterated a price target of $600, highlighting CrowdStrike as the "golden standard of cyber" [3][4] - Analysts believe the revenue estimate of over $1.2 billion for the third quarter is easily beatable due to CrowdStrike's agent security strategy [4] - Year-over-year comparisons show improved performance as CrowdStrike recovers from previous outages, positioning it favorably in the market [5] Group 2: Snowflake - Snowflake's stock has been a strong performer, up over 60% year-to-date, despite a slight decline recently [7] - Rosenblatt raised its price target for Snowflake to $275 from $250, maintaining a buy rating ahead of its earnings report [8] - The forecast for Q3 product revenue growth is 27%, down from 32%, driven by better-than-expected cloud service provider results and strong customer feedback [9] - Analysts see AI adoption as a significant growth engine for Snowflake, with over 4,000 customers using its platform weekly, indicating strong customer retention [9] Group 3: Salesforce - Oppenheimer has cut its price target for Salesforce to $300 from $315, citing lower software group multiples, but maintains an overweight rating [12] - Analysts believe Salesforce is undervalued and has financial strength, despite challenges with its AI initiative, Agent Force [12][13] - The company is viewed as being in transition towards its next-generation AI platform, which analysts expect will be successful in the ongoing AI transition [13]

Core Insights - Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) is expected to report strong third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on December 3, driven by digital transformation trends and AI integration in business operations [1][2] Group 1: Revenue and Growth Expectations - Despite broader economic challenges, Salesforce is anticipated to achieve solid revenue and profit growth, with strong demand for its cloud-based software and AI tools [2] - The company’s Subscription and Support segment is projected to generate approximately $9.7 billion in the quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 9.2% [11] - Non-GAAP earnings per share for the third quarter are expected to be in the range of $2.84-$2.86, indicating an 18.3% increase from the previous year [14] Group 2: AI and Cloud Adoption - Salesforce's cloud-based model aligns well with current work environments, making it a leader in enterprise software [3] - The introduction of AI tools, particularly Einstein Analytics and generative AI features, is expected to significantly enhance customer engagement and sales forecasting [4] - The early-stage adoption of AI presents long-term growth opportunities for Salesforce as businesses increasingly seek digital solutions [5] Group 3: International Expansion - Salesforce is expanding its presence in international markets, particularly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, to meet rising demand for digital tools [6][7] - This global expansion is likely contributing to revenue growth in the third quarter as many international businesses begin their digital and AI transformations [7] Group 4: Cost Management and Profitability - Salesforce has implemented cost-cutting measures and staff reductions to improve profitability, allowing for increased earnings despite slower revenue growth [12] - The company’s ability to manage costs effectively positions it well for profit growth, even if deal sizes decrease [13]

Core Insights - AI-driven shopping tools significantly increased U.S. online spending during Black Friday, with consumers opting for online platforms over physical stores due to budget constraints and tariff concerns [1] - U.S. online shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion, marking a 9.1% increase from 2024, as reported by Adobe Analytics [1] - E-commerce sales grew by 10.4%, outpacing in-store sales which only saw a 1.7% increase, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse [2] E-Commerce Performance - Online demand surged, with AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites increasing by 805% year-over-year [2] - Popular purchases included LEGO sets, Pokémon cards, Nintendo Switch, PS5 consoles, and Apple AirPods [2] - Globally, AI agents contributed to $14.2 billion in online Black Friday sales, with the U.S. accounting for $3 billion [3] Future Projections - Cyber Monday is expected to continue the spending trend, with projections of $14.2 billion in sales, a 6.3% increase year-over-year [4] Consumer Behavior - Despite increased spending, consumers purchased fewer items per order due to rising prices and inflation concerns [5] - Discount levels remained flat compared to 2024, limiting retailers' ability to offer significant promotions [5] - Shoppers expressed caution regarding overspending amid ongoing inflation and a soft labor market [5] Investment Opportunities - Several AI-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are highlighted as potential investment opportunities, including iShares U.S. Technology ETF (IYW), Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ), and others [6]

Earnings season is starting to wind down but we still have some big names due to report Q3 numbers. This week, we have Salesforce (CRM), Crowdstrike (CRWD), Marvell Technologies (MRVL), Snowflake (SNOW), Dollar Tree (DLTR) and Dollar General (DG) all set to report. More News from Barchart Before a company reports earnings, implied volatility is usually high because the market is unsure about the outcome of the report. Speculators and hedgers create huge demand for the company’s options which increases t ...

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures declined on Monday following a five-session rally over the Thanksgiving weekend, despite strong Black Friday sales, with online sales increasing by 9.4% year-over-year [1] - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.04%, while the two-year bond was at 3.49%, with an 87.6% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in December [3] - Major indices showed negative premarket performance: Dow Jones down 0.40%, S&P 500 down 0.53%, Nasdaq 100 down 0.66%, and Russell 2000 down 0.77% [3] Company Earnings and Performance - Investors are anticipating earnings reports from MongoDB Inc. (NASDAQ:MDB), CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD), and Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) this week [2] - MongoDB shares were down 0.47% pre-market ahead of its third-quarter earnings report [13] - NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares fell 1.16% pre-market due to rising competition in the GPU market, particularly from Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) [6] - Nio Inc. (NYSE:NIO) shares decreased by 4% pre-market despite reporting record vehicle deliveries and reduced losses in Q3 [6] - Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) shares were down 1.11% pre-market after a 10% surge on Friday, following speculation about becoming a foundry supplier for Apple Inc.'s M-series processors [6] Sector Performance - All S&P 500 sectors, except for healthcare, were positive on Friday, with energy, IT, communications, and financial services leading the gains [7] - The Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.65%, S&P 500 by 0.54%, Dow Jones by 0.61%, and Russell 2000 by 0.58% on the last trading day [8] Economic Indicators - No economic data was scheduled for release on Monday [10] Commodities and Global Markets - Crude oil futures rose by 1.69% to approximately $59.53 per barrel, while gold prices increased by 0.80% to around $4,253.07 per ounce [11] - Bitcoin was trading 4.20% lower at $86,640.39 per coin [11] - Asian markets showed mixed results, with Japan's Nikkei 225, India's Nifty 50, and Australia's ASX 200 declining, while China's SHENZHEN and Shanghai indices were up [12]

Core Insights - Black Friday online sales reached a record $11.8 billion, marking a 9.1% increase year-over-year, exceeding expectations [10][11] - Salesforce is anticipated to report earnings with an EPS of $2.86 and revenue of $10.27 billion, amid concerns about its growth potential and competitive positioning in the AI landscape [3][4] - The stock of Salesforce is currently trading at a historically low valuation, below the S&P 500, which presents a potential buying opportunity due to its predictable business model and AI growth prospects [4] Company Earnings Reports - Salesforce (CRM) is set to report earnings on Wednesday, alongside Snowflake (SNOW), Dollar Tree (DLTR), and C3.ai (AI) [6] - Other companies reporting include MongoDB (MDB) on Monday, and CrowdStrike (CRWD), Marvell (MRVL), and GitLab (GTLB) on Tuesday [5] Economic Indicators - The Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates by a quarter point on December 10, with an 85% probability, influenced by upcoming core PCE inflation figures [8] - Preliminary Michigan sentiment figures for December will provide additional insights into consumer conditions [9] AI and Consumer Behavior - AI traffic to U.S. retail sites surged by 805% year-over-year, indicating a significant shift in consumer behavior as shoppers increasingly utilize generative AI for product research and deal-finding [11] - ChatGPT, celebrating its third anniversary, has seen rapid growth, with projections of 220 million subscribers by 2030 and a valuation reaching $500 billion [12][13]