Salesforce Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:CRM)

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors acquired 96,587 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 30% compared to the typical volume of 74,438 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on CRM shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Salesforce in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Salesforce in a research report on Thursday. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Salesforce in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho cut their price objective on Salesforce from $350.00 to $340.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of Salesforce in a report on Thursday. Twenty-nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Salesforce presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $326.27.

Insider Transactions at Salesforce

In related news, insider Parker Harris sold 134,662 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.70, for a total value of $31,605,171.40. Following the transaction, the insider owned 139,767 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,803,314.90. The trade was a 49.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Marc Benioff sold 122 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.00, for a total value of $31,598.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 11,911,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,085,096,889. This trade represents a 0.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 184,284 shares of company stock worth $43,862,999. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Salesforce

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Salesforce by 4.0% during the second quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 87,331 shares of the CRM provider’s stock worth $23,814,000 after purchasing an additional 3,387 shares during the period. Advyzon Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Salesforce by 57.4% in the second quarter. Advyzon Investment Management LLC now owns 1,884 shares of the CRM provider’s stock valued at $514,000 after buying an additional 687 shares during the last quarter. Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Salesforce by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC now owns 206,614 shares of the CRM provider’s stock worth $56,342,000 after acquiring an additional 16,176 shares during the period. Achmea Investment Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Salesforce by 9.2% during the 2nd quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 148,254 shares of the CRM provider’s stock worth $40,427,000 after acquiring an additional 12,544 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tableaux LLC bought a new stake in Salesforce in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,904,000. 80.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Salesforce Stock Up 3.9%

Shares of Salesforce stock opened at $247.92 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $236.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.10, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.25. Salesforce has a twelve month low of $221.96 and a twelve month high of $367.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $242.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $253.07.

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 3rd. The CRM provider reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $10.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.27 billion. Salesforce had a return on equity of 14.35% and a net margin of 17.91%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.41 EPS. Salesforce has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.020-3.040 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Salesforce will post 7.46 earnings per share for the current year.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale.