Canaccord Lowers Salesforce (CRM) Target After ‘Fine, Not Great’ Quarter

Core Viewpoint - Salesforce, Inc. is currently viewed as an exciting AI stock, but recent performance indicates steady yet unimpressive results, leading to a lowered price target from $350.00 to $300.00 while maintaining a Buy rating [1][2]. Financial Performance - Salesforce reported FQ2 results that were steady but not outstanding, with management acknowledging that revenue upside was largely timing-driven, particularly from upfront revenue recognition on licensed products and professional services [2]. - The company’s Data Cloud and Agentic AI showed significant momentum, reaching $1.2 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), which is a 120% year-over-year increase and approximately 20% sequential growth. However, this growth is relatively small compared to Salesforce's overall revenue size of over $40 billion [4]. Management Guidance - Management slightly increased full-year revenue and operating margin targets but provided a light guidance for FQ3, indicating that revenue growth for the remainder of the year is expected to be in the high-single digits, consistent with historical trends [4]. - The overall sentiment from the earnings call was that the quarter felt "fine, not great," with little change to estimates, suggesting that the market may have already priced in these results [3][4]. Investment Considerations - While Salesforce has potential as an investment, there are opinions that other AI stocks may offer greater upside potential with less downside risk [5].