What’s Holding Salesforce Back in Q1

Salesforce.com reported fiscal first-quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday. The firm posted $0.70 in earnings per share (EPS) and $4.87 billion in revenue compared to consensus estimates that called for $0.69 in EPS and $4.85 billion in revenue.

Published May 28, 2020, 4:18pm ET · 2 min read

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The Salesforce logo is prominently displayed outside a company building, symbolizing the tech giant's commitment to hiring 1,000 new graduates despite prevailing concerns about AI's impact on entry-level jobs. © JasonDoiy / Getty Images

Salesforce.com, Inc. (NYSE: CRM | CRM Price Prediction) released fiscal first-quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday. The firm said that it had $0.70 in earnings per share (EPS) and $4.87 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates that called for $0.69 in EPS and $4.85 billion in revenue. The same period from last year had $0.93 in EPS and $3.74 billion in revenue.

During the quarter, revenues grew 30% year over year, and 31% in constant currency.

Subscription and support revenues totaled $4.58 billion, an increase of 31%. Professional services and other revenues increased by 20% to $290 million.

Looking ahead to the fiscal second quarter, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $0.66 to $0.67 and revenue in the range of $4.89 billion to $4.90 billion. Consensus estimates are calling for $0.75 in EPS and $5.05 billion in revenue for the coming quarter.

Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at the end of the first quarter were $9.80 billion.

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Marc Benioff, chairman & co-CEO of Salesforce, commented:

Our results, amidst this global crisis, demonstrated our ability to execute at speed, innovate at scale and the strength of our business model. We made long-term investments in keeping our employees safe, supporting our customers, delivering crucial innovation like Work.com, and helping our communities with PPE, grants, and technology. The pandemic showed us that digital is an imperative for every company, and we’re confident Salesforce will continue to accelerate as we bring our customers into the new normal.

Shares of Salesforce closed Thursday at $181.37, with a 52-week range of $115.29 to $195.72. The consensus analyst price target is $194.38. Following the announcement, the stock was initially down 2.5% at $176.77 in the after-hours session.

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Chris Lange

Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.

His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.

When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.

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