Core Insights - Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) is focusing on its Agentforce platform to rejuvenate revenue growth, which has recently slowed to single digits after years of strong double-digit increases [1][10] Revenue Growth - In fiscal 2026, Salesforce's revenue growth rates for the first three quarters were 7.6%, 9.8%, and 8.6% year over year [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate predicts revenue growth of 9.5% and 10.7% for fiscal 2026 and 2027, respectively [5] Agentforce and AI Integration - Salesforce is developing a broader ecosystem centered on artificial intelligence (AI), data, and collaboration, with Agentforce as a key component [2] - The Agentforce platform, combined with Data Cloud, generated $1.4 billion in recurring revenues in Q3 of fiscal 2026, marking a 114% year-over-year increase [3] - Agentforce alone contributed $540 million in recurring revenues, reflecting a 330% year-over-year growth [3] Booking Trends - Salesforce reported a current remaining performance obligation of $29.4 billion at the end of Q3 fiscal 2026, an 11% increase year over year, driven by larger deals and early renewals [4][10] - Over 50% of Agentforce deals originated from existing clients, indicating effective cross-selling of AI features [4] Competitive Landscape - Microsoft and ServiceNow are also advancing AI automation in the enterprise market, with Microsoft integrating AI features into Dynamics 365 and ServiceNow deploying AI tools for IT service management [6][7] Valuation and Performance - Salesforce's shares have decreased by 40.9% over the past year, compared to a 17.1% decline in the Zacks Computer – Software industry [8] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 14.37, significantly lower than the industry average of 21.96 [12] - Earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 suggest year-over-year increases of approximately 15.3% and 10.4%, respectively, with recent upward revisions [15]

Core Viewpoint - The potential for Salesforce to be acquired is significant due to its undervalued stock and strong financials, but CEO Marc Benioff's influence makes a buyout unlikely [1] Financial Profile - Salesforce's stock has decreased by 30% year-to-date, closing at $184.29, down from $264.91 at the end of the previous year [1] - The company generated $2.18 billion in free cash flow in Q3 FY2026, with non-GAAP operating margins of 34.1% [1] - Annual revenue is reported at $40.3 billion, with a quarterly revenue growth of 8.6% [1] - The market capitalization stands at $175 billion, with a forward P/E ratio of 14x, significantly below the analyst consensus price target of $323 [1] Shareholder Actions - Salesforce repurchased $3.8 billion in stock during Q3 FY2026, returning a total of $4.2 billion to shareholders, including dividends [1] CEO Influence - CEO Marc Benioff's significant influence is a primary obstacle to a potential buyout, as he emphasizes the company's AI strategy and future growth [1] - Benioff's recent comments indicate a focus on long-term innovation rather than a sale, particularly with the launch of the AI platform Agentforce [1] Institutional Ownership - Institutional ownership of Salesforce is at 84.0%, with no visible activist pressure currently [1] - Director G. Mason Morfit's purchase of 96,000 shares at $260.58 reflects confidence in the company's future despite current stock prices [1] Upcoming Earnings Report - The Q4 FY2026 earnings report is anticipated on February 25, 2026, with analysts expecting an EPS of $3.03 and revenue of $11.17 billion [1] - There is an 83% probability that the earnings will exceed expectations, which could influence shareholder dynamics [1]

When you don't know what to pay for a stock you tend to sell it. Right now, we have people selling technology shares left and right because they are unsure of what they own and what it might be worth. They are looking at the incredible shrinking price-to-earnings ratio — the "multiple" — and they are saying get me out of here. I see it. And not just in tech. What do we pay for Danaher when it buys a company , Masimo, that we have long since disliked, ever since its litigation with Apple over patent infringe ...

Market Analysis by covering: Oracle Corporation, Salesforce Inc. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com ...

We recently published 17 Stocks Jim Cramer Talked About.  Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) is one of the stocks that Jim Cramer talked about. Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) is a customer relationship management software provider. The shares are down by 42% over the past year and by 25% year-to-date. Stifel reiterated a Buy rating and a $300 share price target on the firm in February. The financial firm outlined that Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM)’s Agentforce platform is the key to its performance. Stifel believes that Ag ...

AcuityMD Announces AcuityMD for Salesforce on Salesforce AppExchangeFeb 18, 2026 7:05 AM Eastern Standard Time# AcuityMD Announces AcuityMD for Salesforce on Salesforce AppExchangeShare--- AcuityMD's customers can now benefit from a Salesforce integration that unifies market intelligence and rep-centric workflowsBOSTON--([BUSINESS WIRE])--AcuityMD today announced it has launched AcuityMD for Salesforce on Salesforce AppExchange, the leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts, empowering cus ...

Heroku, which was acquired by Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) in 2011, was one of the original platform-as-a-service providers. A PaaS platform like Heroku lets developers develop, deploy, and manage apps without having to fiddle with the underlying infrastructure. PaaS platforms are a dime a dozen today, but Heroku is still a major player. Gartner recently named Heroku a leader among cloud-native application platforms for 2025. Despite that leadership position, Salesforce is pivoting away from Heroku. In an anno ...

Market Overview - Stocks showed a mixed performance with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by about 18 basis points, NASDAQ Composite increasing by approximately 0.33%, and S&P 500 rising by 0.3% [2][4] - The Russell 2000 index also climbed into positive territory, reflecting a broader market recovery [3] - The bond market remained stable, with the 30-year T-bond yield down to 4.69% and the 10-year yield around 4.06% [3] Sector Performance - Financials led the large-cap sectors, with notable gains from JP Morgan (up 1.5%), Goldman Sachs, and American Express [4][8] - The technology sector saw mixed results, with Nvidia up nearly 2% and Apple rebounding by 3.76%, while Tesla and other mega-cap tech stocks faced declines [5][6] - Defensive sectors like staples, energy, and materials experienced losses of over 1% [4] Investment Sentiment - Investor sentiment is characterized as cautious, with a significant sector rotation observed from software to hardware and safer areas like materials and energy [10][11] - Small and mid-cap stocks are expected to show greater earnings growth compared to large caps, driven by AI infrastructure and other growth areas [18] BHP Financial Results - BHP reported a 22% increase in first-half profit, with copper now accounting for over 50% of its core earnings, indicating a strategic pivot towards copper production [33][34] - The company plans to increase copper production guidance for this year and next, capitalizing on strong copper prices [36] - BHP's operational performance remains robust, with record production and shipment in iron ore alongside copper growth [36][45] Copper Market Dynamics - The demand for copper is expected to grow significantly, driven by energy transition and digitization, with projections of a 70% increase over the next 25 years [38] - Supply challenges are anticipated due to lower grades and the complexity of new projects, enhancing the demand-supply dynamics for copper [39] Gold and Byproducts - BHP's copper deposits also yield significant byproducts, including gold, which contributed around $2 billion to earnings in the last half [41] - The company is actively seeking to unlock additional value from its portfolio, including a recent $4.3 billion silver stream agreement [42] Iron Ore Negotiations - BHP is engaged in tough negotiations with China's state-owned iron ore buyer but has managed to maintain strong production and price realization [45]

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market experienced a "V" shaped recovery after initial declines, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping over 300 points and the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 1.2% at one point [2][3] - The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, a key indicator for chip manufacturers, saw a decline of over 2% [6] - Software stock index ETFs plummeted by 3% [9] - Despite the overall downturn, the declines in tech stocks have moderated [12] AI Impact on Market Sentiment - The recent turmoil in the market reflects two conflicting fears regarding AI: one is the concern that AI could drastically disrupt various economic sectors, leading investors to sell stocks perceived to have any risk of being replaced; the other is skepticism about whether the billions invested in AI will yield significant returns in the short term [12][14] - Analysts noted that mentions of "AI disruption" in corporate earnings calls nearly doubled compared to the previous quarter, indicating heightened awareness and concern among management teams [14] Economic Data and Market Trends - Morgan Stanley's Chris Larkin indicated that the ongoing rotation in tech stocks and fears of AI disruption overshadowed recent employment and inflation data, suggesting that unless upcoming economic data presents a significant surprise, the current market trend may continue [15] - The market remains close to historical highs, but the volatility from sell-offs could disrupt upward trends, posing challenges for investors [15] Commodity Market Reactions - Oil prices experienced a sharp decline following indications of progress in U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, which could lead to the lifting of sanctions on Tehran and reduce geopolitical risk in the Middle East [17] - Silver prices fell over 4% and gold prices dropped more than 2%, as market anxiety eased with the potential for avoiding conflict with Iran [17]

Key Takeaways Salesforce takes the lead over Oracle in the cloud software investment debate.CRM's AI offerings drove $1.4B in Q3 recurring revenues, up 114% year over year.ORCL raised capex to $50B as Q2 free cash flow fell to negative $10B.Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) and Oracle Corporation (ORCL) are two major players in the cloud enterprise software market. Both companies offer powerful, enterprise-grade platforms spanning customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, database management and ...