On Wednesday, Salesforce Inc
Fiscal First Quarter Highlights
For the quarter ended on April 30th, Salesforce reported revenue grew 11% to $9.13 billion, coming short of LSEG's consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Net income impressively grew from last year's comparable quarter when it was merely $199 million, or 20 cents per share to $1.53 billion, or $1.56 per share. Adjusted earnings per share of $2.44 topped LSEG's estimate of $2.38 per share.
Second Quarter Guidance
Salesforce guided for adjusted earnings per share between $2.34 and $2.36 and revenue in the range between $9.2 billion and $9.25 billion, both short of LSEG's estimates of $2.40 per share and $9.37 billion, respectively.
Fiscal 2025 Year Guidance
While Salesforce maintained its sales forecast in the range between $37.7 billion and $38 billion, it lifted its adjusted earnings guidance from a prior range, $9.68 to $9.76, to now expecting them to be about $9.86 to $9.94 per share. CFO Amy Weaver warned of deal compression and slowing projects in the professional services segment.
AI Is The Elephant In The Room
During Salesforce's first quarter, Citi analysts evaluated that the broad challenges that have been dimming the macroeconomic environment for a while have now "returned with a vengeance". Goldman Sachs analysts find Salesforce to be "an under-appreciated generative AI winner" as they believe there is room for meaningful margin expansion. Morgan Stanley analysts were a bit more cautious about Salesforce''s growth, but believe the company will benefit from generative AI, particularly next year.
While the quarter was a disappointment and the weak forecast shook hopes of a near-term growth rebound, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff remains confident that his company will be a big winner in the AI revolution. But AI has become a point of competitive concern with Microsoft Corporation
While Microsoft and Google
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