Should Investors Download Salesforce (CRM) to Their Portfolios?

In the second fiscal quarter of 2024, which ended on April 30, 2023, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) exceeded its non-GAAP margin target producing a dramatic surge of 1,000 basis points year-over-year. The company has advanced its guidance further, now forecasting growth of 550 basis points in non-GAAP operating margin for fiscal 2024.

Alongside this, CRM is spearheading a key shift in customer relationship management by embedding secure, cutting-edge generative AI across its entire product suite.

On August 4, CRM unveiled Einstein Studio, an innovation that enables businesses to incorporate customized AI models that can power CRM applications across sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT. This is expected to fuel an increase in subscription rates, broaden the customer base, and optimize revenue generation for the company.

In addition, on August 2, the company launched Starter, an amalgamated CRM tool crafted specifically for burgeoning businesses, bringing together sales, service, and marketing functions. This launch could enhance customer retention, streamline sales operations, and boost company-wide productivity for CRM.

Given this backdrop, let’s look at the trends of CRM’s key financial metrics to understand why it could be wise to invest in the stock.

Examining Financial Performance of Salesforce, Inc. from October 2020 to April 2023: A Comprehensive Analysis.

The Price/Earnings ratio (P/E) of CRM has been on an overall upward trend from October 2020 to April 2023, punctuated by fluctuating values. The key insights can be expressed as follows:

• In October 2020, the P/E ratio was measured at 58.1.
• There was a dip in value to 48.20 by January 2021 but a slight rise again to 48.91 by April 2021.
• A massive leap was seen by July 2021 when the P/E ratio shot up to 110.94.
• This trend continued with significant growth, reaching 147.95 by October 2021 and 135.68 by January 2022.
• The P/E ratio value dramatically increased to 174.67 by April 2022, followed by a huge surge to 324.46 in July 2022 and an alarmingly high value of 528.78 in October 2022.
• The most substantial value was reached in January 2023 when the P/E ratio soared to 879.57.
• However, there was a significant decrease to 574.07 by April 2023, which indicates a drop.

The overall growth rate from October 2020 to April 2023 represents a notable rise, suggesting that CRM’s market valuation relative to its earnings had significantly grown over this period. This suggests a positive perception of CRM in the market.

The Price/Sales Ratio (P/S) of CRM shows mixed fluctuations from October 2020 to April 2023. Key Observations:

• In October 2020, the P/S ratio was 10.19.
• The P/S ratio experienced a decrease to 9.24 by January 2021 and an increase to 11.09 by July 2021.
• The ratio experienced a significant downward trend from July 2021, with a P/S ratio of 11.09 to a low of 4.85 in October 2022.
• After October 2022, we observe an upward trend reaching 6.76 in April 2023.

This analysis suggests that while there have been sizable fluctuations in the P/S ratio for CRM, the P/S ratio is currently recovering from its lowest point in 2022. This information could be valuable for potential investors evaluating the company’s performance.

The trailing-12-month revenue trend and fluctuations for CRM report a consistent increase over the examined period.

• On October 31, 2020, CRM posted revenue of $20.29 billion.
• The company then showed steady growth, marking the end of each subsequent quarter with increased revenue. January 2021 ended with $21.25 billion, April 2021 with $22.35 billion, July 2021 completed with $23.54 billion, and October 2021 rounded up with $24.98 billion.
• The trend of growing revenue continued into 2022, with January finishing at $26.49 billion, April ending at $27.94 billion, July closing at $29.32 billion, and October, marking the most significant leap, completed with a sizeable increase to $30.29 billion.
• The upward trend remained into 2023, with January ending at $31.35 billion, and the most recent data from April, showcasing a small yet consistent rise, concluding the period with a revenue mark of $32.19 billion.

Overall, the growth rate calculated by measuring the last value ($32.19 billion in April 2023) from the first value ($20.29 billion in October 2020) indicates a significant, steady financial expansion of CRM’s operations. With this, the company shows one can expect this positive evolution to persist in the forthcoming quarters.

The analyst price target for CRM demonstrated a noticeable downward trend but ended with an upward spike. Here are the specifics, based on two significant digits and emphasizing recent data:

• The starting target was $322.5 on November 12, 2021.
• It rose slightly and stabilized around $325 from December 3, 2021, through February 4, 2022.
• After a minor dip, there was a significant drop to $310 on March 11, 2022, remaining static until May 27, 2022.
• Further decreases were observed, dropping dramatically to $250 on June 8, 2022. This steady target went on until August 26, 2022, when it fell to $248.5.
• By September 2, 2022, it dropped sharply to $220 and stayed constant for roughly a month.
• Afterward, it continued to decrease, with the most prominent dip to $180 in January 2023.
• Following a brief rise to $191 on March 3, 2023, there was a critical leap to $225 on March 10, 2023, where it remained stable for several weeks.
• On June 2, 2023, the target once again started rising, ending with a price of $240 on June 16, 2023, where it persisted until the last registered value on August 17, 2023.

In summary, despite unstable periods with falling and rising trends, the final value showed an increase from a low point earlier in the series.

Analyzing CRM’s Six-Month Growth Trend Surges and Decelerating Pressures

The data indicates the trend and growth rate of CRM shares over a period from February 2023 to August 2023.

• The share price begins at $162.63 on February 24, 2023.
• There is a noticeable accelerating trend in prices up until July 2023. Within a span of five months from February to July, the share price increased by roughly 37%, reaching its peak on July 14, 2023, at $223.33.
• Specifically, in the span of March itself, there was a steep rise, with the price jumping from $174.80 on March 3, 2023, to $194.96 on March 31, 2023.
• The stock experienced its maximum value on July 21, 2023, when the share price hit $229.81.
• From late July onward, however, the share price shows a decelerating trend, with the price falling to $210.19 by August 11, 2023.
• On the final recorded date of August 16, 2023, the stock closed the last trading session at $206.99.

Despite the said deceleration, an overall upward trend can be observed over the period analyzed. The share price in August 2023 is still notably higher than it was at the start of February 2023 despite the dips observed.

This analysis suggests that the last six months have been a period of considerable growth for CRM though investors might need to be cautious about potential volatility and downward pressures in the market. Here is a chart of CRM's price over the past 180 days.

Examining Salesforce's Performance: Insights into Growth, Quality, and Sentiment Ratings

The POWR Ratings grade for CRM, a prominent entity in the Software - Application category, is employed in assessing its performance relative to other stocks. The progression of this grading mechanism has exhibited fluctuation throughout 2023. A summary of the chronology is detailed below:

• From mid-February through late May, CRM maintained a steady POWR Grade of B (Buy). During this period, the rank within the category varied from #26 (at the beginning of this time frame) and generally improved, ending at #15 on May 20, 2023.
• In June, a significant escalation was observed as CRM's POWR grade advanced to A (Strong Buy), coupled with a noticeable improvement in its ranking within the Software - Application category. Notably, it not only broke into the top 10 but improved further to #7 in the week of June 17, 2023.
• This elevated status lingered throughout July, with the POWR grade remaining A (Strong Buy) and position fluctuating within the top 10.
• Yet, a slight decline took hold at the month's end. By July 29, 2023, the POWR Grade had slipped to B (Buy), where it continued to stay through the most current data point of August 9, 2023. However, the rank within the category remained robust, maintaining close proximity within the top 10.
•  As of the latest data point, on August 17, 2023, CRM holds a POWR grade of B. It is ranked #8 within the Software - Application category, comprising a total of 136 stocks, underscoring its superior standing among its peers.

Analyzing the POWR Ratings for CRM, it is noticeable that the three most noteworthy dimensions are Growth, Quality, and Sentiment. In the following discussion, we will focus on these three dimensions: 

Growth: The Growth dimension has consistently high ratings from February to August 2023, maintaining a steady value of 96.

• February 2023: 96
• March 2023: 96
• April 2023: 96
• May 2023: 96
• June 2023: 96
• July 2023: 96
• August 2023: 96

Quality: Trends in the Quality dimension display a gradual increase in ratings from February 2023, when it begins at 70, to August 2023, reaching a peak of 88.

• February 2023: 70
• March 2023: 75
• April 2023: 76
• May 2023: 79
• June 2023: 88
• July 2023: 88
• August 2023: 88

Sentiment: The Sentiment dimension exhibits some volatility, starting at 92 in February 2023, peaking at 98 in March and April, and then experiencing a mild decline into August 2023, where it stands at 84:

• February 2023: 92
• March 2023: 98
• April 2023: 98
• May 2023: 96
• June 2023: 92
• July 2023: 89
• August 2023: 84

These ratings suggest CRM’s strong performance in terms of Growth and Quality, with some fluctuation in Sentiment over the observed period.

How does Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) Stack Up Against its Peers?

Other stocks in the Software - Application sector that may be worth considering are Commvault Systems, Inc. (CVLT), IBEX Limited (IBEX), and eGain Corporation (EGAN) - they have better POWR Ratings.

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CRM shares were trading at $204.56 per share on Thursday afternoon, down $2.43 (-1.17%). Year-to-date, CRM has gained 54.28%, versus a 15.39% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

Aanchal's passion for financial markets drives her work as an investment analyst and journalist. She earned her bachelor's degree in finance and is pursuing the CFA program. She is proficient at assessing the long-term prospects of stocks with her fundamental analysis skills. Her goal is to help investors build portfolios with sustainable returns.

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