Salesforce Q4 EPS Beats, Revenue Lags

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), a leading cloud-based software company known for its customer relationship management solutions, reported mixed fiscal year 2025 fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Adjusted EPS of $2.78 exceeded analysts' consensus expectations of $2.61. Q4 revenue of $9.99 billion slightly lagged behind the expected $10.04 billion, but was up 8% year over year.

Overall, the quarter showcased strong operational efficiency and significant cash flow improvements, even as revenue growth fell just short of targets.

Source: Salesforce. Note: Analysts' consensus estimates for the quarter provided by FactSet. FY = Fiscal year. YOY = Year over year. RPO = Remaining performance obligations.

Overview of Salesforce's Business

Salesforce is renowned for its Customer 360 platform, which offers a comprehensive suite of tools that create a unified customer experience across sales, service, marketing, and commerce. The versatility and scalability of this platform allow businesses to seamlessly integrate Salesforce into their existing systems. This integration is a crucial factor in Salesforce's success, along with its strategic progression in artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven solutions.

Recently, Salesforce has emphasized AI innovation, particularly within its Agentforce and Data Cloud platforms. These areas are key growth drivers, amplified by strategic partnerships, like those with Alphabet's Google Cloud. Salesforce's ability to scale its offerings globally while adapting industry-specific solutions supports its continuous expansion plans.

Fiscal 2025 Q4 Highlights

Salesforce revenue in Q4 grew 8% year over year as subscription and support revenue showed healthy gains, although results were mildly tempered by broader market conditions.

The AI and data integration focus yielded significant results. Annual recurring revenue from the AI and Data Cloud sectors surged to $900 million, a remarkable 120% growth. The integration of AI within customer interactions, such as Agentforce facilitating 380,000 conversations with an 84% resolution rate, illustrates the rising importance of AI in Salesforce’s offerings.

Operational efficiency was underscored by a jump in operating cash flow to $3.97 billion, up 16.7% from the previous year. This increase contributed to Salesforce exceeding its non-GAAP operating margin expectations, achieving a margin of 33%, compared to the prior period's 31.4% margin.

Material factors affecting the quarter include strategic partnerships and AI advancements. Notably, integration with Google's AI model shows Salesforce's commitment to enhancing its offerings through AI capabilities.

Looking Forward

For fiscal year 2026, Salesforce management provided revenue guidance of $40.5 billion to $40.9 billion, aiming for a growth rate of 7%-8% year over year. Operating cash flows are projected to grow by approximately 10% to 11%, indicating confidence in ongoing operational improvements and efficiency. The company called for $2.53 to $2.55 in adjusted EPS for fiscal 2026's first quarter, with $9.71 billion to $9.76 billion in revenue. These estimates came in short of analysts' consensus estimates.

Investors should watch Salesforce’s commitment to AI expansion, the integration of Customer 360, and its global market strategies. Updated guidance revises GAAP operating margin to 21.6% and non-GAAP margin to 34%, reflecting anticipated profitability enhancements. Salesforce’s strategic AI initiatives and geographic expansion underpin its growth trajectory in this competitive tech landscape.

Where to invest $1,000 right now

When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor’s total average return is 892% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500.*

They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now…

Learn more »

*Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2025

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. JesterAI is a Foolish AI, based on a variety of Large Language Models (LLMs) and proprietary Motley Fool systems. All articles published by JesterAI are reviewed by our editorial team, and The Motley Fool takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this article. JesterAI cannot own stocks and so it has no positions in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Salesforce. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.