New York, Feb 24, 2026, 17:37 (ET) — After-hours
Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) finished Tuesday up roughly 4.1% at $185.42. After the bell, shares slipped 1.8%, settling at $182.00.
After software stocks tumbled Monday, dragging Wall Street down, investors are still trying to gauge how fast artificial intelligence might impact both jobs and company earnings. “You’ve seen the market react to headlines — ‘sell first, assess later,’” said Tom Hainlin, national investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Reuters
Salesforce is set to post its quarterly results after markets close Wednesday, with options markets pointing to a possible 9% swing in the shares by week’s end. That’s the move traders are betting on heading into earnings. Wall Street’s consensus calls for adjusted EPS of $3.05, with revenue estimates coming in around $11.18 billion. UBS and Oppenheimer recently lowered their price targets to $200 and $275, according to Investopedia.
Software stocks moved higher Tuesday after AI firm Anthropic unveiled plans to roll out new “plug-ins” with partners for uses like investment banking, wealth management, and HR. Salesforce’s Slack was among the names that traded up, as the S&P 500 software & services index advanced 1.4% and the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF climbed 2.4%. “Software stocks and the IGV particularly are just massively oversold,” said Dennis Dick, chief market strategist at Stock Trader Network. Reuters
Investors have been rattled by some bleak AI predictions, not least a widely shared Citrini Research note that mapped out a 2028 slump and jobless rates climbing to 10.2%. As Reuters points out, a U.S. software stocks index has dropped 24% this year. Yet, some seasoned market watchers think the anxiety is premature.
Salesforce’s quarter probably won’t be the main event for traders; what management says about demand, pricing, and signs of customers reining in spending while trying out new AI features will be front and center.
Some analysts aren’t convinced a single report can turn the mood just like that. According to MarketWatch, BMO Capital Markets pointed out the earnings numbers, solid or not, probably won’t do much to move the market’s stance.
There’s a risk that guidance comes in light, or that Salesforce can’t demonstrate AI spending leading to lasting revenue instead of just experimental projects. The stock’s been moving between $313.70 and $174.57 over the past year—so if the outlook misses, watch for some sharp gaps.
Salesforce will report after the bell on Feb. 25, with a conference call set for 5:00 p.m. ET — marking the next key event for CRM in a week dominated by the AI-versus-software conversation.
