Why Salesforce Stock Is Up Today
Key Points
Investors are too bearish about the impact of AI on Salesforce's business, according to one Wall Street analyst.
The enterprise software specialist's stock is trading at a sizable discount to its recent highs.
- 10 stocks we like better than Salesforce ›
Shares of Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) rose on Wednesday after an investment bank upgraded its rating on the beleaguered tech stock.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
AI fears are overblown
Like many software stocks, Salesforce's shares have come under pressure as investors have grown increasingly concerned about the threat posed by AI to traditional software-as-a-service (SaaS) business models.
Prior to today's gains, Salesforce's stock price was down 43% from its 52-week high back in July 2025.
Guggenheim analyst John DiFucci believes the steep drop was an overreaction.
DiFucci acknowledges the risks presented by AI and even concedes that the expected boom in AI agents could weigh on Salesforce's growth. Yet he does not think that it will lead to "Armageddon" for the software leader.
In turn, he argues that Salesforce's current stock price does accurately reflect the company's current and future prospects in an AI-driven world.
All told, DiFucci placed a $228 price target on Salesforce's shares and upgraded the stock from neutral to buy. His new price forecast represents potential gains for investors of roughly 38% from the stock's current price near $165.
Acquisitions are helping Salesforce adapt
Salesforce's acquisitive strategy should enable it to integrate more AI offerings into its services. It struck a deal to purchase agentic AI-powered customer support provider Fin for $3.6 billion in June. The deal is expected to bolster Salesforce's Agentforce autonomous AI agent platform.
Should you buy stock in Salesforce right now?
Before you buy stock in Salesforce, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Salesforce wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $385,055!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,228,089!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 902% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 1, 2026.
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Salesforce. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
