Salesforce, SAP's competitor, achieved both revenue and profit increases in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2025, exceeding analysts' expectations. Earnings per share were $2.56, a significant increase from $1.30 in the same period last year. Analysts had expected lower earnings of $2.35 per share. Bottom line, profit rose by nearly 13 percent to $1.4 billion.

Salesforce also impressed with revenue. The company achieved sales of 9.33 billion US dollars in the reporting period, an increase from 8.6 billion US dollars the previous year, exceeding analysts' forecast of 9.22 billion US dollars.

The raised annual forecast was particularly well received by investors. Salesforce now expects a profit per share of between 10.03 and 10.11 US dollars for fiscal year 2025, while analysts had previously anticipated a value of 9.91 US dollars. Additionally, the company slightly raised the forecast for the adjusted operating margin to 32.8 percent. Revenue is still expected to be between 37.7 and 38.0 billion US dollars, in line with market expectations.

Despite the solid results and optimistic forecast, Salesforce stock lost 0.73 percent on Thursday and closed at $257.01. Before the market opened, the stock had still been in positive territory.

The Swiss major bank UBS has raised its price target for Salesforce from 250 to 275 US dollars in response to the quarterly figures, but maintains the “Neutral” rating. Analyst Karl Keirstead was cautious in his commentary, noting that despite the positive quarterly results and stable forecast, the prospects for a significant growth recovery remain unclear. Additionally, the departure of the popular CFO Amy Weaver could be considered a downside.