Salesforce (CRM) Stock Tumbles 25% as Bank of America Warns on AI Revenue Model

Key Takeaways

• Bank of America maintained its Underperform stance on Salesforce (CRM), setting a $160 price target that suggests approximately 8% downside from current trading levels.
• The firm highlighted three primary challenges: sluggish new customer acquisition, constrained expansion opportunities with existing accounts, and questionable AI revenue generation capabilities.
• Shares of CRM began Monday’s session at $173.77, hovering close to the 52-week low of $163.52, reflecting a 25% decline over the last half-year.
• Contrasting with BofA’s pessimistic outlook, the broader analyst community rates CRM as a Moderate Buy with a consensus target of $274.56.
• The company delivered fourth-quarter results exceeding expectations with $3.81 EPS and $11.20 billion in revenue, while authorizing a substantial $25 billion stock repurchase initiative.

Bank of America reaffirmed its Underperform position on Salesforce (CRM) at the start of the week, establishing a $160 price objective — calculated using 9x CY27 EV/FCF — which indicates potential downside of approximately 7.9% from the opening price of $173.77.

Salesforce, Inc., CRM

Shares of CRM kicked off Monday’s trading session dangerously close to the 52-week bottom of $163.52, after experiencing a substantial 25% pullback throughout the preceding six-month period. The stock currently trades significantly below its 50-day moving average of $184.17.

BofA identified three fundamental concerns driving its bearish thesis: lackluster growth in new customer acquisition, minimal opportunities to expand wallet share with current customers, and what analysts characterized as a questionable AI monetization strategy.

The financial institution perceives Salesforce as evolving from a high-velocity growth company into a mature enterprise focused on cash generation. BofA’s projections anticipate annual revenue growth around the 10% mark moving forward — representing a notable deceleration from the company’s historical expansion trajectory.

However, Salesforce’s underlying business metrics remain solid. The enterprise software giant delivered fourth-quarter earnings of $3.81 per share, surpassing analyst projections of $3.05 by a substantial $0.76 margin. Quarterly revenue reached $11.20 billion, narrowly exceeding the Street’s $11.18 billion estimate and representing 12.1% year-over-year growth.

Wall Street’s Broader Perspective

Bank of America’s bearish position represents a clear outlier. Among 39 analysts tracking the stock, 25 recommend buying, 11 suggest holding, and merely two — including BofA — advocate selling. One analyst has assigned a Strong Buy rating. The average price target stands at $274.56.

Truist Securities affirmed its Buy recommendation with a $280 price objective following the company’s TDX developer conference. Barclays sustained its Overweight rating alongside a $252 target. Jefferies continues to recommend buying the stock, though it reduced its price target from $375 down to $250.

Salesforce has implemented strategic measures to bolster shareholder value. This past March, the board greenlit a $25 billion share buyback authorization, empowering management to repurchase as much as 14.1% of shares outstanding — typically interpreted as leadership’s conviction that shares are trading below intrinsic value.

Director Purchases and Institutional Movements

Two board members executed stock purchases during March. Laura Alber acquired 2,571 shares at an average price of $194.58, while David Blair Kirk purchased 2,570 shares at $194.62. Both transactions represented significant increases to their respective holdings.

Institutional investors control 80.43% of outstanding shares, with multiple funds expanding their positions during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones grew its stake by 13.7%, while Revolve Wealth Partners increased its holdings by 12.6%.

Salesforce recently reorganized its revenue reporting framework into two distinct segments — Agentforce Apps and Data 360 — mirroring evolution in its product portfolio. The company has also deepened its strategic alliance with Google Cloud to implement AI agents throughout Slack and Google Workspace environments.

Looking toward FY2027, Salesforce has projected EPS ranging from $13.11 to $13.19, with first-quarter guidance between $3.11 and $3.13. Current analyst consensus anticipates full-year EPS of $9.71.

The stock trades at a P/E ratio of 22.25 with a beta of 1.14, maintaining a robust gross profit margin of 77.68% and a conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

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