New York, Feb 24, 2026, 11:52 EST — Regular session underway.
- Salesforce stock bounced Tuesday, clawing back some ground after software names took a beating the previous session.
- Anthropic has rolled out a set of enterprise AI plug-ins, drawing renewed attention to Salesforce’s Slack.
- Wednesday’s earnings hit after the bell, and traders are eyeing a possible shift in the stock’s direction.
Salesforce (CRM) rebounded 4% to $185.24 by late morning Tuesday, making up some of the losses from its 3.8% drop on Monday. Shares had bottomed out at $174.57 during the previous session. 1
Stocks in the U.S. stabilized after Monday’s slide, giving software and other growth-focused names a shot at clawing back lost ground. Traders cited the launch of new enterprise AI tools from Anthropic—built with Salesforce and FactSet among its partners—as a factor, even as tariff uncertainty kept a low profile. “The market doesn’t only have one particular worry,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities. 2
Salesforce is up next, with earnings due out after Wednesday’s close. Options are implying a swing of roughly 9% in either direction by the end of the week, judging by short-term contract pricing. Analysts polled by Investopedia are looking for an adjusted profit of $3.05 a share and revenue hitting $11.18 billion. The stock is down close to a third so far in 2026. 3
Anthropic targeted routine business operations with its latest release—think plug-ins spanning investment banking, HR, design—and spotlighted heavyweight partners. The company listed Salesforce’s Slack and DocuSign among those teaming up. That announcement gave a lift to stocks tied to Anthropic, with Salesforce shares jumping roughly 4% right after. “It’s not a product that’s trying to own every workflow,” said Scott White, Anthropic’s head of product for enterprise. 4
Not everyone’s convinced the AI boom is an automatic win for software names, even on an up day. “It’s still early in the process,” said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. He emphasized, “you definitely need human intervention.” Meanwhile, Ken Polcari, partner and chief market strategist at SlateStone Wealth, described Monday’s selloff as “so overdone” it “can’t help but bounce.” 5
Salesforce’s earnings call probably boils down to a few well-worn issues—speed of customer uptake on new products, deal size trends, and any hint of caution in management’s tone about corporate budgets.
Investors are tuning in for any talk on “bookings,” a term for signed contracts that hint at incoming revenue. They’ll also be looking to see if interest is actually migrating to fresh AI features, or just swapping out older software spending.
There’s a risk on the other side as well. Should Salesforce’s guidance hint at project delays from clients, or if shifting policies and fresh tariffs bite into IT budgets, Tuesday’s bounce might not last long.
Competition remains intense. Large enterprise customers aren’t lacking alternatives, and if Salesforce starts ceding ground to competitors, investors will likely see it reflected in the outlook before it hits the numbers just posted.
Another point on traders’ radar: can the broader software group keep those Tuesday gains alive? The sector’s been quick to react to shifting AI sentiment, with recent price action cutting both ways—sometimes abruptly.
Salesforce will report its fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 results after the bell on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The company’s conference call is set for 5:00 p.m. ET. 6
