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Salesforce provides enterprise cloud computing solutions. The company offers customer relationship management technology that brings companies and customers together. Its Customer 360 platform helps the group to deliver a single source of truth, connecting customer data across systems, apps, and devices to help companies sell, service, market, and conduct commerce. It also offers Service Cloud for customer support, Marketing Cloud for digital marketing campaigns, Commerce Cloud as an e-commerce engine, the Salesforce Platform, which allows enterprises to build applications, and other solutions, such as MuleSoft for data integration.

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Nikita Bier, Head of Product at Elon Musk&#8216;s social media platform X, said on Thursday that Figma Inc. &#8220;is going to be a meme stock beyond all comprehension.&#8221; The prediction comes as the design platform prepares to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange today.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Executive Backs Design Platform&#8217;s Viral Potential</h2>
Bier, who also serves as advisor to Solana, made the statement on X as institutional investors increasingly embrace social <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/penny-stocks/25/07/46681079/wall-street-is-getting-in-on-meme-stock-action-40-of-hedge-funds-now-use-social-sentiment-tools-hire-social-media-savvy-analysts">sentiment analytics for trading strategies</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Figma is going to be a meme stock beyond all comprehension.
&mdash; Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) <a href="https://twitter.com/nikitabier/status/1950812870792622374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">IPO Pricing Sets Stage for Market Debut</h2>
Figma priced its initial public offering at $33.00 per share on Wednesday, offering 36.9 million Class A common stock shares. The company plans to raise approximately $411 million from 12.5 million new shares, while existing stockholders will sell 24.5 million shares.
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Allen &amp; Company LLC and JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. are serving as joint lead book-running managers for the offering.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46747895/metas-210-billion-tech-stack-may-be-masking-a-harsh-truth-jim-chanos-says-12-year-depreciation-on-2-year-gpus-overstates-profits">Meta&#8217;s $210 Billion Tech Stack May Be Masking A Harsh Truth: Jim Chanos Says 12-Year Depreciation On 2-Year GPUs Overstates Profits</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Strong Fundamentals Drive Growth Trajectory</h2>
The San Francisco-based company reported revenue of $749 million for 2024, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/07/46212893/figma-targets-wall-street-debut-after-20-billion-adobe-deal-collapse">marking 48% year-over-year growth</a>. First quarter 2025 revenue reached $228.2 million, up 46% from the prior year period. Figma&#8217;s four-year compounded annual revenue growth rate stands at 53%.
The platform <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/07/46212893/figma-targets-wall-street-debut-after-20-billion-adobe-deal-collapse">serves 95% of Fortune 500 companies</a> and 78% of Forbes Global 2000 firms. Major clients include Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) and Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>). Net Dollar Retention Rate was 134% at the end of 2024.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wall Street Embraces Meme Stock Analytics</h2>
Bier&#8217;s prediction aligns with a broader Wall Street trend. Research <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/penny-stocks/25/07/46681079/wall-street-is-getting-in-on-meme-stock-action-40-of-hedge-funds-now-use-social-sentiment-tools-hire-social-media-savvy-analysts">shows 40% of hedge funds</a> now use social sentiment analytics for trading strategies in 2025, compared to 10% three years ago.
Recent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/penny-stocks/25/07/46681079/wall-street-is-getting-in-on-meme-stock-action-40-of-hedge-funds-now-use-social-sentiment-tools-hire-social-media-savvy-analysts">meme stock rallies have driven</a> Opendoor Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OPEN#NASDAQ">OPEN</a>) up 314% in the past month, while Kohl&#8217;s Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KSS#NYSE">KSS</a>) gained 51% and Krispy Kreme Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DNUT#NASDAQ">DNUT</a>) rose 41%.
Figma&#8217;s IPO follows the collapse of a $20 billion acquisition by Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADBE#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>) due to regulatory concerns. The company&#8217;s most recent private valuation <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/07/46212893/figma-targets-wall-street-debut-after-20-billion-adobe-deal-collapse">reached $12.5 billion during a 2024 secondary share sale</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46745342/samsungs-chip-profits-crash-94-ai-demand-tesla-deal-hbm3e-ramp-offer-hope-for-2h-comeback-as-trump-hits-south-korea-with-15-tariff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Samsung's Chip Profits Crash 94% — AI Demand, Tesla Deal, HBM3E Ramp Offer Hope For 2H Comeback As Trump Hits South Korea With 15% Tariff</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: M.oo / Shutterstock.com

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Figma Could Become A 'Meme Stock Beyond All Comprehension,' Warns Elon Musk's X Product Head Nikita Bier

In a bid to reduce dependency on vendors like Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) and Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), the Pentagon is experimenting with AI models from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and OpenAI.
What Happened: The Pentagon and other federal agencies are evaluating AI models developed by Microsoft and OpenAI. These models are designed to extract data from analytics applications managed by contractors such as Palantir and Lockheed Martin, as reported <a href="https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dod-test-ai-models-that-make-it-easy-to-switch-from-vendors-like-palantir-4155825">by</a> investing.com on Monday.
The aim is to potentially free customers from vendor lock-in situations.
Major tech companies, including Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Microsoft, and Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), are developing AI tools to simplify platform transitions for their customers. 
These tools can write code to transfer corporate data between applications or convert older programs into newer formats.
These AI capabilities could be used as leverage in contract negotiations with current providers like Palantir, as they could threaten to move agency data to competing analytics platforms such as Microsoft&#8217;s Power BI.
See Also: <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46651922/samsung-inks-decade-long-16-5-billion-chip-manufacturing-pact-with-mystery-tech-giant-as-it-fights-t" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk Confirms Tesla As the Mystery Big-Tech That Signed $16.5 Billion Chip Contract With Samsung: &#8216;I Will Walk The Line Personally&#8217; To Boost Progress</a>
Why It Matters: This development comes in the wake of a growing interest in AI technologies. Just earlier this month, tech analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities raised his price target for Palantir, citing the company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/price-target/25/07/46339022/palantir-could-be-the-next-big-ai-winner-says-dan-ives-sees-12-pltr-stock-surge">AI strategy</a> as a key factor.
On the other hand, Microsoft has been under scrutiny for its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46507658/microsoft-ends-china-based-tech-support-for-pentagon-projects-amid-national-security-backlash">China-based tech support</a> for Pentagon projects. The company&#8217;s decision to discontinue this support could have influenced the DoD&#8217;s decision to explore alternative AI models.
Meanwhile, Palantir&#8217;s position in the AI landscape has also been a topic of debate, with co-founder Joe Lonsdale outlining a six-layer <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46680292/peter-thiel-debates-6-layer-ai-future-with-palantir-cofounder-why-nvidia-is-untouchable-at-level-1-and-pltr-may-be-at-risk-in-level-4">AI investment framework</a> that raises concerns about the company&#8217;s competitive position.
Price Action: Palantir shares dipped 0.58% on Monday to close at $157.88, but gained 0.39% in premarket trading on Tuesday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/07/46653477/trump-mulls-little-rebate-for-americans-funded-by-tariff-revenue-but-heres-the-big-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Mulls &#8216;Little Rebate&#8217; For Americans Funded By Tariff Revenue — But Here&#8217;s The &#8216;Big Thing&#8217; He Wants To Do First</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

PLTR

Pentagon Tests AI Models By Microsoft, OpenAI To Ease Transition From Palantir, Lockheed Martin

<a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsofts-rivals-lean-ai-pry-away-longtime-customers" title="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsofts-rivals-lean-ai-pry-away-longtime-customers">https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsofts-rivals-lean-ai-pry-away-longtime-customers</a>

'Defense Department Is Testing AI To Gain Leverage Over Providers Like Palantir' - The Information

Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 2.23% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 13.9%. Currently, Salesforce has a market capitalization of $257.69 billion. 
Buying $100 In CRM: If an investor had bought $100 of CRM stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $364.85 today based on a price of $269.55 for CRM at the time of writing.
<h3>Salesforce's Performance Over Last 10 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1753455643_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much You Would Have Made Owning Salesforce Stock In The Last 10 Years

Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) has officially expanded <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/07/b46536386/apple-retail-arrives-in-the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-with-launch-of-the-apple-store-online" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its retail presence</a> into Saudi Arabia by launching the Apple Store online and app, introducing direct customer support in Arabic. 
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/12/42383949/apple-expands-retail-footprint-in-saudi-arabia-with-online-store-launch-plans-multiple-flagship-locations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The planned move</a> marks a significant milestone in Apple&#8217;s broader Middle East strategy and delivers a fully localized experience to Saudi customers.
By rolling out its full range of products and services online, Apple now allows users across the Kingdom to shop iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, and accessories with personalized support and service.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45930835/iphone-sales-rebound-in-china-but-apples-next-move-could-be-risky" rel="noreferrer noopener">iPhone Sales Rebound In China, But Apple&#8217;s Next Move Could Be Risky</a>
Customers can access configure-to-order Macs, create custom Apple Watch combinations, and enjoy free Arabic and English engraving on select products like AirPods and Apple Pencil.
Apple also integrated flexible shopping features such as Buy Now, Pay Later through Tamara and launched Apple Trade In, which offers credit for eligible devices or free recycling for non-eligible ones. 
For added convenience, customers can get help with personal setup, device migration, and cellular activation through Apple&#8217;s support team. Apple extended its Education Store benefits to the Kingdom to attract students and educators.
This retail launch is just the beginning. Apple confirmed plans to open flagship physical stores in Saudi Arabia starting in 2026, including a significant location in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site. 
The expansion builds on Apple&#8217;s 2021 opening of the region&#8217;s first Apple Developer Academy in Riyadh, in partnership with the Saudi government, Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah University.
In May, President Donald Trump announced a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/05/45390422/trump-unveils-historic-and-transformative-600-billion-saudi-deal-predicts-markets-will-go-a-lot-higher" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$600 billion investment</a> pledge from Saudi Arabia into the U.S. economy on Tuesday, framing the deal as the beginning of a &#8220;golden era&#8221; of economic cooperation between the two countries. 
At the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, Trump highlighted various commercial agreements across tech, defense, energy, healthcare, and infrastructure, calling it &#8220;the largest set of commercial agreements on record.&#8221;
Trump spotlighted a series of multibillion-dollar deals involving major U.S. corporations such as Amazon.com (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Oracle (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), Uber Tech (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), and others. 
These companies are part of an $80 billion tech collaboration that includes Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), and DataVolt, marking a strategic joint push into AI, data infrastructure, and cloud technology.
AAPL Price Action: Apple stock is trading higher by 0.10% to $212.70 premarket at last check Tuesday.
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The collaborative design software start-up Figma is eyeing a valuation of $13.6 billion on its market debut; however, experts predict that its valuation could stretch up to $16 billion including restricted stock units and options.
What Happened: The firm seeks to raise approximately $1.03 billion through its initial public offering, which could value it at $13.6 billion by selling nearly 37 million shares priced between $25 and $28 each.
This announcement comes as the company stated on its <a href="https://www.figma.com/blog/ipo-roadshow-launch/">website</a> on Monday that the proposed offering consists of 12,472,657 shares of Class A common stock being offered by Figma and 24,646,423 shares of Class A common stock being offered by certain of Figma's existing stockholders. 
While this approximately comes up to 37 million shares, Bloomberg&#8217;s equities capital markets reporter Anthony Hughes said that &#8220;I think it&#8217;s interesting because once you add in restricted stock units and options, you know, equivalent of options, and they&#8217;re like, the evaluation will be a bit higher than, more like $16 billion, $16.5 billion.&#8221;
According to him, the deal is going to be priced next week, on Wednesday, July 30.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Figma, along with some of its investors, are seeking to raise as much as $1.03 billion in a US initial public offering, which could give it a market value of as much as $13.6 billion. Anthony Hughes reports <a href="https://t.co/77LpqNvBrg">https://t.co/77LpqNvBrg</a> <a href="https://t.co/mucR492xz3">pic.twitter.com/mucR492xz3</a>
&mdash; Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/BloombergTV/status/1947307443911872711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The company is known for its collaborative browser-based tools, which are used by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/07/46212893/figma-targets-wall-street-debut-after-20-billion-adobe-deal-collapse">major clients</a> such as Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), and Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>).
As of March 31, the company had invested approximately $70 million in Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BITB#NYSE">BITB</a>) and plans to invest an additional $30 million in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), according to its filing.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/07/46515755/3-stocks-with-sky-high-overbought-signals-quantumscape-opendoor-cogent-flash-rsi-red-flags">3 Stocks With Sky-High Overbought Signals: QuantumScape, Opendoor, Cogent Flash RSI Red Flags</a>
Why It Matters: This valuation of approximately $16 billion is a step down from the $20 billion valuation Figma would have achieved in its proposed sale to Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADBE#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>), which was abandoned <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/23/07/33353200/adobes-game-changing-20-billion-figma-acquisition-under-global-regulatory-microscope">due to regulatory hurdles</a>. 
Figma&#8217;s platform is utilized by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/07/46212893/figma-targets-wall-street-debut-after-20-billion-adobe-deal-collapse">95% of the Fortune 500</a> and 78% of the Forbes Global 2000, demonstrating its extensive use across various sectors.
The company has significantly broadened its offerings, introducing features like Dev Mode for developers, FigJam for brainstorming, and innovative AI-driven tools such as Figma Make, which can create working prototypes based on user prompts.
Its business model is subscription-based, offering tiered plans for individuals, organizations, and enterprises, with pricing tailored to different user roles and workflows.
Price Action: The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, ended higher on Monday. The SPY was up 0.19% at $628.77, while the QQQ advanced 0.52% to $564.17, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
On Monday, the futures of the S&amp;P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones indices were mixed.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46463595/dan-ives-picks-5-stocks-for-2nd-half-of-2025-nvidia-palantir-microsoft-and-more-golden-age-of-tech-is-here-with-ai-revolution">Dan Ives Picks 5 Stocks For 2nd Half Of 2025: Nvidia, Palantir, Microsoft And More: &#8216;Golden Age Of Tech Is Here With AI Revolution&#8217;</a></li>
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Photo courtesy: M.oo / Shutterstock.com

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Figma's Market Debut Could Value Design Giant At $16 Billion, Down From Adobe's $20 Billion Deal

<ul>
<li>Italian tax authorities approach could influence EU tax policy</li>
<li>Rome seeks EU advisory opinion on VAT case against tech giants</li>
<li>Italy's case could impact all companies linking free services to data exchange</li>
</ul>
MILAN, July 21 (Reuters) - U.S. tech giants Meta <a href="https://workspace.refinitiv.com/web/apps/quotewebapi?RIC=META.O">META.O</a>, X and LinkedIn have lodged an appeal against an unprecedented VAT claim by Italy that could influence tax policy across the 27-nation European Union, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.
This is the first time that Italy has failed to reach a settlement agreement after bringing <a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nS8N3MI0AZ">tax</a><a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nKBN0UD13K">cases</a> against tech companies, resulting in a fully-fledged judicial tax trial being launched.
According to the sources, this came about because the case went beyond agreeing on a settlement figure and sought to establish a broader approach focused on how social networks provide access to their services.
Italian tax authorities argue that free user registrations with X, LinkedIn and Meta platforms should be seen as taxable transactions as they imply the exchange of a membership account in return for a user's personal data.
The issue is especially sensitive given wider <a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nL5N3P80Y4">trade tensions</a> between the EU and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Italy is claiming 887.6 million euros ($1.03 billion) from Meta, 12.5 million euros from X and around 140 million euros from LinkedIn.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Elon Musk's social network X and Microsoft's <a href="https://workspace.refinitiv.com/web/apps/quotewebapi?RIC=MSFT.O">MSFT.O</a> LinkedIn filed their appeals with a first instance tax court after mid-July, when the deadline for responding to a tax assessment notice <a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nL5N3Q91R3">issued</a> by Italy's Revenue Agency in March passed.
According to several experts consulted by Reuters, the Italian approach could affect almost all companies, from airlines to supermarkets to publishers, who link access to free services on their sites to users' acceptance of profiling cookies.
It could also eventually be extended across the EU where VAT is a harmonised tax.
In a statement to Reuters, Meta said that it had cooperated "fully with the authorities on our obligations under EU and local law".
It added that the company "strongly disagrees with the idea that providing access to online platforms to users should be subject to VAT".
LinkedIn said it had "nothing to share at this time".
X did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
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ROME SEEN SEEKING EU ADVISORY
It is uncertain whether a full trial of the matter, which involves three levels of judgement and takes an average of 10 years, will go ahead.
Following discussions with the three companies, Italy is preparing as a next step to seek an advisory opinion from the European Commission, the sources said.
The Italian Revenue Agency will have to prepare specific questions, which the Economy Ministry will then send to the EU Commission's VAT Committee, which meets twice a year.
Rome aims to submit its questions for the meeting scheduled to be held by early November, in order to receive the EU's comments in time for the following meeting in spring 2026.
Italy's Economy Ministry and Revenue Agency declined to comment.
The EU Commission's VAT Committee is an independent advisory group. While its assessment will be non-binding, a "No" could prompt Italy to halt the case and ultimately drop the criminal investigation by Italian prosecutors, according to the sources.
The dispute is one of several between Europeans and U.S. Big Tech.
On July 11 Reuters exclusively reported that Meta <a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nL1N3T80M9">would not be tweaking its</a> pay-or-consent model further despite the risk of EU fines.
According to a Financial Times report on July 17, the European Commission <a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nL4N3TE09C">has stalled</a> one of its investigations into Musk's platform X for breaching its digital transparency rules while it seeks to conclude trade talks with the U.S.

Legal

Global

'U.S. Tech Companies Meta, X And LinkedIn File Legal Appeals To Oppose Italian Taxation Claim; Italy Preparing To Seek Advisory Opinion From Eu Commission As Next Step In Tax Cases' - Reuters Exclusive

Benzinga examined the prospects for <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">many investors' favorite stocks</a> over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
The Magnificent Seven led Wall Street higher this week, pushing the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 to new all-time highs. Strong retail sales, low jobless claims, and standout bank earnings drove momentum, while tech giants' rally — including gains by Nvidia (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) — supported investor enthusiasm.
Nvidia remains central, its AI-fueled valuation anchoring broader tech optimism. Microsoft posted a 22% YTD gain — second only to Nvidia — while Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) also kicked off upbeat forecasts.
The S&amp;P 500 closed above 6,297 — the highest ever — reflecting a broad-based bullish sentiment. Yet focus is shifting to potential Fed commentary and looming trade risks, which could test tech's capacity to carry markets much further
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/07/46453684/defense-stocks-earnings-q2-2025-preview">"Defense stocks head into earnings at record highs — is the boom just beginning?"</a>, by Piero Cingari, reports that, buoyed by the $156 billion "One Big Beautiful Bill" defense package, aerospace and defense stocks — including the iShares U.S. Aerospace &amp; Defense ETF (BATS: ITA) — have rallied into record‑high territory ahead of Q2 earnings season, though analysts caution upcoming results must justify the bullish run.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46473075/exclusive-this-stocks-up-1300-but-ceo-says-the-real-payoffs-4-years-away">"Exclusive: This stock's up 1,300% — but CEO says the real payoff's 4 years away"</a>, by Surbhi Jain, reports that Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RGTI#NASDAQ">RGTI</a>) stock has surged over 1,300% on quantum hype, but CEO Subodh Kulkarni cautions that true commercial quantum advantage — and meaningful returns — are still about four years away.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46481193/netflix-q2-fueled-by-price-ads-squid-game-q3-set-to-repeat">"Netflix Q2 fueled by price, ads, Squid Game; Q3 set to repeat"</a>, by Adam Eckert, reports that Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) delivered a strong Q2 thanks to subscription price hikes, increased ad revenue, and the return of Squid Game, and analysts anticipate similar momentum in Q3.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46444470/gamesquare-holdings-stock-is-surging-wednesday-whats-going-on">GameSquare Holdings Stock Is Surging Wednesday: What's Going On?</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46471676/meta-palantir-amazon-ai-datacenter-growth">Meta, Palantir, Amazon Are All-In On AI—Can Datacenters Keep Up?</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46424062/rocket-lab-stock-launches-to-new-all-time-highs-whats-going-on">Rocket Lab Stock Launches To New All-Time Highs: What's Going On?</a>

The Bears
"GameStop CEO is not scared of the short sellers, calls it ‘un‑American' to bet against business — but it's a free market", by Adam Eckert, reports that GameStop Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>) CEO Ryan Cohen pushed back on skeptics—calling short-selling "un‑American" — while reaffirming confidence in the company's turnaround and the strength of its free-market model.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46398722/plug-powers-hot-streak-stalls-as-wall-street-frets-over-warrant-surprise">"Plug Power's hot streak stalls as Wall Street frets over warrant surprise"</a>, by Akanksha Bakshi, reports that Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) shares dropped over 7% after the company filed to register 31.5 million shares for resale—raising investor concerns about dilution despite the stock being up 8% over the prior week thanks to a hydrogen supply deal and supportive federal policy developments.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/space/25/07/46481437/blacksky-stock-drops-after-hours-what-happened">"BlackSky stock drops after hours — what happened?"</a>, by Erica Kollmann, reports that BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKSY#NYSE">BKSY</a>) saw its shares fall after hours following weaker-than-expected Q2 bookings, prompting investor concerns about near-term revenue visibility despite the company reaffirming its full-year guidance.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46393365/salesforce-underperforms-market-as-growth-concerns-plague-crm-giant">Salesforce Underperforms Market As Growth Concerns Plague CRM Giant</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/07/46504921/stock-of-the-day-pepsicos-former-floor-becomes-ceiling-sellers-lining-up">Stock Of The Day: PepsiCo's Former Floor Becomes Ceiling — Sellers Lining Up</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46499876/wall-street-friday-stocks-today-trump-netflix-earnings">Stocks Slip As Netflix Fails To Impress, Bitcoin Eyes Negative Week: What's Moving Markets Friday?</a>

Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following <a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a><a href="http://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> on X</a>.
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Markets

BlackSky Technology Inc. Class A Common Stock

BKSY

GAME

NFLX

PLUG

RGTI

RKLB

Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Netflix, GameStop, Plug Power — And Defense Stocks Soar

AI agent adoption is projected to grow by 327% by 2027, a new report from <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/agentic-ai-impact-on-workforce-research/">Salesforce</a> (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) finds. This is expected to increase a company's productivity by 30%, but will drastically impact the way those companies are organized and run.
With the implementation of these AI agents, an estimated 61% of a company's workforce will remain in their current roles. However, their day-to-day responsibilities will almost certainly be impacted, human resource executives said.
Around 75% of the HR executives surveyed said that they expect soft skills to become much more important and that collaboration and adaptability skills will become increasingly valued in the new AI economy.
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Tech executives who spoke to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-skills-learn-ai-era-tech-executives-2025-7">Business Insider</a> about the findings agreed, highlighting three skills in particular.
First, you'll need to become a generalist.
"Deep expertise will be less valued" in this new AI-driven world, Cognizant Technology Solutions&nbsp; (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CTSH#NASDAQ">CTSH</a>) CEO Ravi Kumar told the outlet. Instead, he suggests learning how to merge that expertise with technological capabilities to make yourself a more appealing candidate.
Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NET#NYSE">NET</a>) CEO Matthew Prince agreed, saying, "We&#8217;re trying to find people who have a broad set of skills and can be general.&#8221;
Second, tech executives say creativity will be the key to making yourself stand out from the crowd.
Trending: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/americans-spend-1000-per-year-on-plastic-water-bottles-kara-pod-gives-you-clean-drinking-water-by-pulling-moisture-from-the-air">And You Can Invest At Just $6.37/Share</a>
Dropbox (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBX#NASDAQ">DBX</a>) Vice President of Product and Growth Morgan Brown told Business Insider that with AI taking on many of the more mundane, time-consuming tasks for many roles, employees will have more time for "expansive thinking" about new ideas.&nbsp;
The third skill you'll need to master in the age of AI is proficiency with AI tools, execs say.
Google Cloud Product Executive Yasmeen Ahmad told the outlet that successful employees will be able to "interact with these new-age tools and be able to prompt to engineer and ask the right questions and interact in this flow that hasn&#8217;t been there before."&nbsp;
&nbsp;Will Grannis, Google Cloud's chief technology officer, took things a step further, telling Business Insider a strong candidate will not only know how to craft their queries effectively but will go "beyond the formal curriculum" to learn how to do things like use AI to code.
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Image: Shutterstock

CTSH

The Three Skills You Need To Master In The Age Of AI, According To Tech Execs

In the last three months, 38 analysts have published ratings on Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), offering a diverse range of perspectives from bullish to bearish.
The following table provides a quick overview of their recent ratings, highlighting the changing sentiments over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th align="right">Bullish</th>
<th align="right">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th align="right">Indifferent</th>
<th align="right">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th align="right">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">15</td>
<td align="right">9</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">8</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The 12-month price targets assessed by analysts reveal further insights, featuring an average target of $329.37, a high estimate of $430.00, and a low estimate of $200.00. This current average represents a 5.35% decrease from the previous average price target of $347.97. 
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1752703231_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Decoding Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Look</h2>
A comprehensive examination of how financial experts perceive Salesforce is derived from recent analyst actions. The following is a detailed summary of key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Walravens</td>
<td>JMP Securities</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Market Outperform</td>
<td>$430.00</td>
<td>$430.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rishi Jaluria</td>
<td>RBC Capital</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Sector Perform</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Walravens</td>
<td>JMP Securities</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Market Outperform</td>
<td>$430.00</td>
<td>$430.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Keith Bachman</td>
<td>BMO Capital</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$335.00</td>
<td>$350.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matthew Vanvliet</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$325.00</td>
<td>$325.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matthew Vanvliet</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$325.00</td>
<td>$325.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brian Schwartz</td>
<td>Oppenheimer</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$370.00</td>
<td>$370.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matthew Vanvliet</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$325.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tyler Radke</td>
<td>Citigroup</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$295.00</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brett Huff</td>
<td>Stephens &amp; Co.</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$309.00</td>
<td>$311.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Michael Turrin</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
<td>$255.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brent Bracelin</td>
<td>Piper Sandler</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$335.00</td>
<td>$315.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brian Schwartz</td>
<td>Oppenheimer</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$370.00</td>
<td>$380.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nehal Chokshi</td>
<td>Northland Capital Markets</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$396.00</td>
<td>$423.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Keith Weiss</td>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$404.00</td>
<td>$393.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Raimo Lenschow</td>
<td>Barclays</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$347.00</td>
<td>$425.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gil Luria</td>
<td>DA Davidson</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Underperform</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kash Rangan</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$385.00</td>
<td>$340.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mark Moerdler</td>
<td>Bernstein</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Underperform</td>
<td>$255.00</td>
<td>$243.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rishi Jaluria</td>
<td>RBC Capital</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Sector Perform</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
<td>$420.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Curtis Shauger</td>
<td>WestPark Capital</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scott Berg</td>
<td>Needham</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gil Luria</td>
<td>DA Davidson</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Underperform</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>David Hynes</td>
<td>Canaccord Genuity</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$350.00</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Curtis Shauger</td>
<td>WestPark Capital</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scott Berg</td>
<td>Needham</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kash Rangan</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$340.00</td>
<td>$340.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Karl Keirstead</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$300.00</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Keith Bachman</td>
<td>BMO Capital</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$350.00</td>
<td>$367.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tyler Radke</td>
<td>Citigroup</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$335.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Karl Keirstead</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$340.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gregg Moskowitz</td>
<td>Mizuho</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$380.00</td>
<td>$425.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Curtis Shauger</td>
<td>WestPark Capital</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scott Berg</td>
<td>Needham</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kash Rangan</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Adjusts</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$340.00</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brent Bracelin</td>
<td>Piper Sandler</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$315.00</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Michael Turrin</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$255.00</td>
<td>$310.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gil Luria</td>
<td>DA Davidson</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Underperform</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: In response to dynamic market conditions and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their reaction to recent developments related to Salesforce. This insight gives a snapshot of analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Analysts unravel qualitative evaluations for stocks, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings offer insights into expectations for the relative performance of Salesforce compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Gaining insights, analysts provide estimates for the future value of Salesforce's stock. This comparison reveals trends in analysts' expectations over time.</li>
</ul>
To gain a panoramic view of Salesforce's market performance, explore these analyst evaluations alongside essential financial indicators. Stay informed and make judicious decisions using our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CRM/analyst-ratings?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=analyst-ratings&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Stay up to date on Salesforce analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>About Salesforce</h2>
Salesforce provides enterprise cloud computing solutions. The company offers customer relationship management technology that brings companies and customers together. Its Customer 360 platform helps the group to deliver a single source of truth, connecting customer data across systems, apps, and devices to help companies sell, service, market, and conduct commerce. It also offers Service Cloud for customer support, Marketing Cloud for digital marketing campaigns, Commerce Cloud as an e-commerce engine, the Salesforce Platform, which allows enterprises to build applications, and other solutions, such as MuleSoft for data integration.
<h3>Key Indicators: Salesforce's Financial Health</h3>
Market Capitalization: Positioned above industry average, the company's market capitalization underscores its superiority in size, indicative of a strong market presence.
Revenue Growth: Over the 3M period, Salesforce showcased positive performance, achieving a revenue growth rate of 7.62% as of 30 April, 2025. This reflects a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. When compared to others in the Information Technology sector, the company faces challenges, achieving a growth rate lower than the average among peers.
Net Margin: Salesforce's financial strength is reflected in its exceptional net margin, which exceeds industry averages. With a remarkable net margin of 15.68%, the company showcases strong profitability and effective cost management.
Return on Equity (ROE): Salesforce's ROE lags behind industry averages, suggesting challenges in maximizing returns on equity capital. With an ROE of 2.53%, the company may face hurdles in achieving optimal financial performance.
Return on Assets (ROA): The company's ROA is below industry benchmarks, signaling potential difficulties in efficiently utilizing assets. With an ROA of 1.53%, the company may need to address challenges in generating satisfactory returns from its assets.
Debt Management: Salesforce's debt-to-equity ratio is below industry norms, indicating a sound financial structure with a ratio of 0.19.
<h2>Analyst Ratings: Simplified</h2>
Within the domain of banking and financial systems, analysts specialize in reporting for specific stocks or defined sectors. Their work involves attending company conference calls and meetings, researching company financial statements, and communicating with insiders to publish "analyst ratings" for stocks. Analysts typically assess and rate each stock once per quarter.
Some analysts also offer predictions for helpful metrics such as earnings, revenue, and growth estimates to provide further guidance as to what to do with certain tickers. It is important to keep in mind that while stock and sector analysts are specialists, they are also human and can only forecast their beliefs to traders.
Which Stocks Are Analysts Recommending Now?
Benzinga Edge gives you instant access to all major analyst upgrades, downgrades, and price targets. Sort by accuracy, upside potential, and more. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=be8be9arja3be22bz21&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=analyst-ratings&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here to stay ahead of the market</a>.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Analyst Ratings

What 38 Analyst Ratings Have To Say About Salesforce

JMP Securities analyst Patrick Walravens reiterates Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) with a Market Outperform and maintains $430 price target.

Price Target

Reiteration

JMP Securities Reiterates Market Outperform on Salesforce, Maintains $430 Price Target

As the tech industry increasingly pivots towards artificial intelligence, Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) is positioning itself at the forefront of this shift with its AI-powered Service Cloud. This strategic move not only highlights the growing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence">importance of AI</a> in driving business growth but also reshapes investor perceptions of Salesforce&#8217;s long-term potential.
Bank of America Securities analyst Brad Sills <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CRM/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maintained a Buy</a> rating on Salesforce with a price target of $350 on Monday.
Salesforce is betting big on its largest business unit, Service Cloud, which analysts expect will generate $9.7 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue, making up 25% of total subscription revenue, Sills noted. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, growth slowed slightly to 7%.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46393365/salesforce-underperforms-market-as-growth-concerns-plague-crm-giant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salesforce Underperforms Market As Growth Concerns Plague CRM Giant</a>
Still, after adjusting for leap year effects and rounding, the analyst noted that the normalized rate stands closer to 8.5%, indicating only a modest deceleration.
He noted the slowdown has bottomed out and projects acceleration to 9% in the coming quarters, trending toward 12% in the long run.
Sills noted that Service Cloud's growth potential stands out across the industry, with projected incremental gains of 21%, significantly ahead of the next closest competitor at 7%. The analyst attributed this outperformance to Service Cloud's user-friendly interface, deep customization, seamless integration across sales and service, and, most notably, Agentforce, Salesforce's AI-powered service agent suite.
He said that add-ons such as Service Cloud Voice, Field Service, Customer Experience Intelligence, and Digital Engagement represent durable upsell opportunities that support this bullish outlook.
Sills noted that Salesforce's Agentforce AI suite is becoming a central growth lever. In recent partner conversations, the analyst stated that use cases such as case management, meeting preparation, shipment tracking, and analytics were repeatedly cited. 
He expects Agentforce for Service Cloud to contribute $1.7 billion in revenue over the next five years, helping the platform achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%, or 12% in an upside scenario. Sills noted that over 8,000 customers have already signed up for AI agents, with more than half of them converting to paying accounts.
The analyst noted that the Service Cloud platform provides agents with powerful tools, including AI-driven case routing, knowledge base searches, and self-service customer portals, making it a key enabler of customer satisfaction and lifetime value.
Salesforce offers pricing tiers ranging from the $25/month Starter Suite to the $550/month Agentforce 1 edition, which bundles AI credits and Data Cloud capacity for enterprise-scale deployments. According to the analyst, this flexible pricing model facilitates broad adoption across businesses of all sizes.
Crucially, Salesforce's go-to-market strategy integrates Agentforce into its existing customer base—60% of which already uses Sales or Service Cloud—allowing for easy cross-sell and bundled offerings, Sills noted. He said that by publicizing case studies from OpenTable, PepsiCo, and other enterprise users, Salesforce aims to demonstrate real-world benefits and drive deeper adoption of Agentforce.
The analyst noted that Salesforce is well-positioned to reaccelerate top-line growth with its AI-first vision, full-stack capabilities, and established customer base. He added that Service Cloud's continued evolution, primarily through Agentforce, may very well be the company's ticket to sustained leadership in enterprise software through the end of the decade.
Sills projected fiscal 2026 sales of $41.2 billion and EPS of $11.28.
CRM Price Action: Salesforce shares were up 1.07% at $260.83 at the time of publication Monday, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Benzinga Pro</a>. 
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Salesforce's AI Moves Could Skyrocket Service Cloud Revenue

Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) stock has significantly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/salesforce">underperformed</a> the broader tech market this year, plummeting nearly 22% while the S&amp;P 500 Information Technology Sector Index has gained 9%. 
This stark contrast arises as the cloud-based CRM leader, which primarily generates revenue from subscriptions and support, faces heightened competition from rivals like Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Oracle (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>). 
Despite reporting strong Q1 results and maintaining a leading market share, Salesforce is navigating analyst skepticism regarding its acquisition strategy and future growth momentum.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/25/06/45755544/rising-ai-analytics-budgets-could-lift-microsoft-snowflake-datadog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rising AI, Analytics Budgets Could Lift Microsoft, Snowflake, Datadog</a>
Salesforce&#8217;s core business involves selling subscriptions to its cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and providing associated customer support services. This puts them in direct competition with various CRM and cloud-based software providers, notably Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Oracle.
During the pandemic, Salesforce quickly <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/in/news/stories/fy21-year-in-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adapted to a fully digital</a>, work-from-anywhere model, shifting 54,000 employees to remote work and reimagining every part of its operations. 
As businesses raced to digitize, Salesforce saw record demand for its cloud services, driving revenue up 24% to $21.25 billion in fiscal 2021. 
The company also joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average and signed a deal to acquire Slack, positioning itself at the center of the new digital workplace.
Salesforce led the <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/idc-crm-market-share-ranking-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global CRM market</a> in 2024 with a 20.7% share, according to IDC, marking its 12th straight year as the #1 CRM provider. 
It also held the top spot in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and ranked #1 in Sales, Customer Service, and Marketing.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Financial Performance and Analyst Scrutiny</h2>
On May 28, the company reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45657851/salesforce-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-raised-guidance-momentum-in-agentic-ai-shares-surge" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-quarter revenue</a> of $9.83 billion, up 8% on a year-over-year basis, beating the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion.
Operating margin came in at 19.8%, or 32.3% on an adjusted basis. Salesforce repurchased $2.7 billion of its stock in the quarter and returned $402 million to shareholders through dividend payments.
Salesforce expects second-quarter revenue of $10.11 billion-$10.16 billion versus estimates of $10.01 billion. 
Analysts, including Kash Rangan of Goldman Sachs and Mark Murphy of JP Morgan, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/earnings-beats/25/05/45674786/salesforce-posts-q1-beat-as-ai-crosses-1b-but-how-concerned-should-investors-be-about-margins" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maintained bullish ratings</a> after the company&#8217;s quarterly results but pointed to concerns over margins and future growth momentum.
DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/05/45650982/salesforce-buying-spree-worries-analyst-who-sees-informatica-deal-as-cover-for-weak-growth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> expressed skepticism over</a> its $8 billion Informatica acquisition. He questioned the strategic value of adding a legacy company with a weak execution record to address Salesforce&#8217;s slowing organic growth.
Luria warned that Salesforce may rely more on acquisitions to mask this slowdown and doubted the Informatica deal would reignite innovation. While it could be financially accretive in year two, he viewed the move as part of a broader trend of covering growth gaps with bolt-on data deals.
On June 18, Salesforce announced it will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45989577/salesforce-raises-enterprise-software-prices-6-as-company-pushes-ai-powered-agentforce-platform" rel="noreferrer noopener">raise prices by</a> an average of 6% for its Enterprise and Unlimited Editions starting August 1. The hike will be attributed to expanded AI tools under its Agentforce platform to boost margins.
The increase affects key products like Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, as Salesforce rolls out Agentforce add-ons starting at $125/user/month and Agentforce 1 Editions at $550/month, offering unlimited generative AI use.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI Integration and Outlook</h2>
In June, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said AI <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46135663/marc-benioff-says-ai-now-handles-up-to-50-of-work-at-salesforce-could-an-ai-agent-eventually-take-over-his-job" rel="noreferrer noopener">now handles up to</a> 50% of tasks across key areas like engineering and support. In a Bloomberg interview, Benioff joked that he hopes AI could replace him someday, though he clarified the comment was partly tongue-in-cheek.
However, this week, Benioff rebutted fears of mass white-collar layoffs from AI, saying it will augment rather than replace jobs. At the 2025 AI for Good Global Summit, Benioff said AI will transform the workforce by enhancing human capabilities, not eliminating roles.
On June 9, Bank of America Securities analyst Brad Sills highlighted Salesforce&#8217;s growth in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45846294/which-software-stocks-is-bofa-securities-bullish-on" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its core products</a> and Agentforce platform despite some weakness in manufacturing and retail due to tariffs.
Sills highlighted that Salesforce&#8217;s COO and CFO, Robin Washington, acknowledged sector-specific challenges but pointed to broader momentum across its front-office applications, reflecting continued AI-driven growth and product expansion.
On June 24, BofA&#8217;s Sills said he expects Salesforce <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/46079632/bofa-sees-155-billion-agentic-ai-boom-by-2030-spotlights-microsoft-salesforce-and-others" rel="noreferrer noopener">to be one</a> of the key winners from the upcoming AI boom, driven by a surge in demand for agentic AI. The analyst noted Salesforce&#8217;s Agentforce platform as well-positioned to capitalize, citing its large customer base, strong data infrastructure, and early deployment of AI features.
BofA estimates global spending on agentic AI could hit $155 billion by 2030, far exceeding current forecasts. Sills believes companies like Salesforce will start meaningfully monetizing this wave beginning in 2026, as organizations move from pilot programs to full-scale deployment.
Price Action: CRM stock is trading higher by 1.02% to $260.70 at last check Monday.
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Salesforce Underperforms Market As Growth Concerns Plague CRM Giant

RBC Capital analyst Rishi Jaluria maintains Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) with a Sector Perform and maintains $275 price target.

RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Salesforce, Maintains $275 Price Target

Marc Benioff, CEO of&nbsp;Salesforce&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), has dismissed fears that artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to mass layoffs of white-collar workers.
What Happened: Benioff shared his views on AI during an&nbsp;interview at the 2025 AI&nbsp;for Good Global Summit, as reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-benioff-ai-white-collar-jobs-salesforce-2025-7">Business Insider</a>. He stated that AI would not lead to a significant reduction in white-collar jobs but would instead lead to &#8220;a radical augmentation of the workforce.&#8221;
Check out the current price of&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/quote/CRM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRM stock here</a>.
Benioff&#8217;s viewpoint differs from that of other tech leaders. For instance, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that AI could potentially eliminate as much as 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs over the next five years.
The Salesforce CEO urged people to move beyond this &#8220;fear,&#8221; stating that his customers aren&#8217;t laying off employees due to AI advancements. Instead, he sees AI as a tool for amplifying the capabilities of businesses, particularly small and medium-sized ones.
Despite the differing opinions, Benioff has put a pause on hiring engineers, lawyers as well and customer service agents at Salesforce for the year, to allow for the full integration of AI productivity. However, the company is increasing its sales-related hires due to the growing demand for AI deployment amid anticipation for major growth in small and medium businesses.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46384692/elon-musk-says-trump-wants-everyone-to-stop-talking-about-epstein-reiterates-demand-that-president-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Says Trump Wants Everyone To &#8216;Stop Talking&#8217; About Epstein, Reiterates Demand That President &#8216;Just Release The Files&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Benioff&#8217;s stance on AI&#8217;s role in the workforce is not new. In June, he revealed in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46135663/marc-benioff-says-ai-now-handles-up-to-50-of-work-at-salesforce-could-an-ai-agent-eventually-take-over-his-job">interview</a>&nbsp;that AI was handling up to 50% of tasks at Salesforce, boosting productivity in key functions. This aligns with his current view of AI as a workforce augmenter.
However, not all tech leaders share Benioff&#8217;s optimism. Last week, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) CEO Jensen Huang&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46380955/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-warns-ai-could-replace-jobs-if-innovation-stalls-if-the-world-runs-out-of-ideas">warned</a>&nbsp;that AI could replace jobs if industries fail to innovate. Similarly, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/03/44522899/anthropic-ceo-says-ai-could-write-90-of-code-in-3-to-6-months-warns-every-industry-will-be-affected">predicted</a>&nbsp;in March 2025 that AI could handle nearly all coding tasks within a year.
As AI continues to evolve, the debate on its impact on the workforce is likely to intensify. The differing views of tech leaders underscore the need for businesses to carefully navigate the integration of AI into their operations.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Marc Benioff Dismisses AI Panic, Says White-Collar Workforce Won't Be Wiped Out

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>) has begun testing Devin, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an autonomous AI</a> software engineer developed by Cognition Labs, as it seeks to integrate AI agents alongside its 12,000 human developers, tech chief Marco Argenti <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/11/goldman-sachs-autonomous-coder-pilot-marks-major-ai-milestone.html">told</a> CNBC.
Argenti said the firm will start deploying hundreds—and eventually thousands—of Devins to handle routine engineering tasks, such as updating internal codebases. These AI agents will operate under human supervision, significantly boosting developer productivity.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/reiteration/25/06/45888329/goldman-sachs-isnt-just-a-trading-powerhouse-analyst-says-its-entering-new-era-of-growth" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goldman Sachs Isn&#8217;t Just A Trading Powerhouse, Analyst Says It&#8217;s Entering New Era Of Growth</a>
Goldman becomes the first major bank to pilot Devin, which gained attention in 2024 after Cognition Labs claimed it had built the world&#8217;s first fully autonomous software engineer. The startup, valued at nearly $4 billion, counts Peter Thiel&#8217;s Founders Fund among its backers.
Argenti described the initiative as a step toward a &#8220;hybrid workforce,&#8221; where humans and AI work side by side. The move underscores Wall Street&#8217;s accelerating adoption of agentic AI tools, which extend beyond assisting with tasks and executing complex, multi-step projects, such as building apps or modernizing infrastructure.
As AI adoption grows, concerns about job displacement continue. Bloomberg&#8217;s research unit estimates that banks may cut up to 200,000 jobs in the next 3–5 years due to AI automation.
Goldman&#8217;s approach, however, utilizes AI to offload repetitive tasks, allowing human developers to focus on higher-value projects.
Alibaba Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46314590/alibaba-predicts-ai-digital-colleagues-will-be-commonplace-within-five-years" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">each expect AI</a> to play a central role in reshaping the modern workplace by handling routine tasks and boosting human productivity.
Alibaba forecasts that AI-powered digital colleagues—virtual assistants capable of performing repetitive work—will become common within five years. According to Huang Fei, VP at Alibaba Cloud, these AI agents are already gaining traction across industries, allowing employees to focus more on strategic and creative work.
At Salesforce, CEO Marc Benioff said in June that AI now completes up to 50% of tasks in areas such as engineering and support. He even joked about AI replacing him, underscoring its expanding influence in leadership and operations.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also weighed in, stating in March that AI won&#8217;t replace knowledge workers but will redefine cognitive tasks, much like email or spreadsheets have transformed office work. He sees AI agents freeing people to focus on high-value activities.
Price Action: GS stock is down 1.29% at $700.00 premarket as of last check on Friday.
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Media

BABA

Goldman Bets On AI Developer To Boost Productivity—Could This Be The Future Of Wall Street Jobs?

Alphabet Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google division will heavily discount cloud computing services for the U.S. government as the Trump administration pressures technology giants to slash prices on lucrative federal contracts worth more than $20 billion annually.
What Happened: The agreement follows Oracle Corp.&#8216;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) precedent-setting deal that included 75% discounts on some software contracts and substantial reductions on cloud computing services. A senior General Services Administration official <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f4b6e155-8f2e-4486-8811-aaaa6158228a">told</a> the Financial Times that Google&#8217;s cloud contract is likely &#8220;to land in a similar spot,&#8221; with finalization expected within weeks.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) Azure and Amazon.com Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) Amazon Web Services are expected to follow with equivalent discounts, though negotiations remain less advanced than with Google, according to the GSA official. &#8220;Every single of those companies is totally bought in, they understand the mission,&#8221; the official said. &#8220;We will get there with all four players.&#8221;
The four cloud providers account for the bulk of the government&#8217;s annual $20 billion cloud services spending. President Donald Trump&#8216;s administration is attempting to slash IT procurement costs as part of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, previously led by Elon Musk.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46359669/teslas-annual-shareholder-meeting-set-for-november-6th-dan-ives-says-elon-musks-pay-package-in-the-spotlight">Tesla&#8217;s Annual Shareholder Meeting Set For November 6th, Dan Ives Says Elon Musk&#8217;s $56 Billion Pay Package &#8216;Will Be The Focus&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Oracle&#8217;s recent agreements could <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46335864/oracle-stock-gains-as-30-billion-ai-cloud-deals-mark-pivotal-moment-in-race-against-rivals-jefferies-calls-it-a-hyperscale-leap-amid-trump-backed-stargate-push">generate over $30 billion in yearly revenue by fiscal 2028</a>, according to regulatory filings. Jefferies analysts called the deals a &#8220;pivotal moment&#8221; in Oracle&#8217;s transition to hyperscale cloud status, positioning the company to double its remaining performance obligations while accelerating revenue growth.
Tech leaders, including Meta Platforms Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Mark Zuckerberg and Google&#8217;s Sundar Pichai have courted Trump, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/43085323/trump-sworn-in-as-47th-president-declares-golden-age-of-america-begins-right-now">appearing at his inauguration</a> and ending diversity programs. Amazon&#8217;s Jeff Bezos has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46107959/jeff-bezos-and-blue-origin-engaged-with-trump-administration-for-government-contracts-amid-elon-musks-rift-with-the-president-report">worked to rebuild relationships</a> after Trump&#8217;s first term saw AWS lose the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract to Microsoft in 2019.
Oracle founder Larry Ellison has formed close ties with Trump, participating in TikTok <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43118289/trump-open-to-elon-musk-or-larry-ellison-buying-tiktok-calls-us-permit-key-to-1-trillion-valuation">acquisition talks and the $100 billion</a> Stargate AI data center project alongside OpenAI.
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Politics

Trump Pushes Google, Amazon, Microsoft To Cut Cloud Prices: $20 Billion IT Budget On Chopping Block As Oracle Sets Precedent: Report

BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman maintains Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) with a Outperform and lowers the price target from $350 to $335.

BMO Capital Maintains Outperform on Salesforce, Lowers Price Target to $335

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in CRM usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 19 extraordinary options activities for Salesforce. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 36% leaning bullish and 57% bearish. Among these notable options, 6 are puts, totaling $1,308,956, and 13 are calls, amounting to $1,148,075.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $200.0 to $300.0 for Salesforce during the past quarter. 
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Salesforce stands at 2468.53, with a total volume reaching 4,948.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Salesforce, situated within the strike price corridor from $200.0 to $300.0, throughout the last 30 days.
<h3>Salesforce Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1752159708_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$4.2</td>
<td>$4.05</td>
<td>$4.09</td>
<td>$230.00</td>
<td>$950.0K</td>
<td>4.0K</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$4.95</td>
<td>$4.9</td>
<td>$4.9</td>
<td>$280.00</td>
<td>$258.8K</td>
<td>4.6K</td>
<td align="right">661</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$22.25</td>
<td>$21.55</td>
<td>$21.8</td>
<td>$260.00</td>
<td>$218.0K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
<td align="right">106</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$21.55</td>
<td>$21.3</td>
<td>$21.3</td>
<td>$260.00</td>
<td>$213.0K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
<td align="right">306</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$3.35</td>
<td>$3.2</td>
<td>$3.29</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$115.1K</td>
<td>3.0K</td>
<td align="right">431</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Salesforce</h3>
Salesforce provides enterprise cloud computing solutions. The company offers customer relationship management technology that brings companies and customers together. Its Customer 360 platform helps the group to deliver a single source of truth, connecting customer data across systems, apps, and devices to help companies sell, service, market, and conduct commerce. It also offers Service Cloud for customer support, Marketing Cloud for digital marketing campaigns, Commerce Cloud as an e-commerce engine, the Salesforce Platform, which allows enterprises to build applications, and other solutions, such as MuleSoft for data integration.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Salesforce, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Where Is Salesforce Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 1,976,856, the CRM's price is down by -0.03%, now at $270.85. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 48 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Salesforce</h3>
Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $325.0.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; In a cautious move, an analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded its rating to Overweight, setting a price target of $325. 
&#x2A; Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald lowers its rating to Overweight with a new price target of $325.
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Salesforce, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Options

A Closer Look at Salesforce's Options Market Dynamics

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Salesforce Collaborates With UChicago Medicine to Enhance Patient Support

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