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KeyBanc maintains Salesforce shares at Sector Weight post-Zoomin buy

EditorNatashya Angelica
Published 09/25/2024, 08:19 AM
© Reuters.
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On Wednesday, KeyBanc Capital Markets maintained its Sector Weight rating on shares of Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) following the company's announcement of acquiring Zoomin, a firm specializing in unstructured data management. The acquisition is aimed to enhance Salesforce's Data Cloud strategy, which is a key component of its broader Agentforce initiative.

Salesforce disclosed the acquisition of Zoomin after the market closed on Tuesday. Zoomin is expected to complement Salesforce's current Customer Relationship Management (CRM) offerings by adding capabilities in handling unstructured data—a topic that was emphasized during last week's Dreamforce conference. Despite the close existing relationship between Salesforce and Zoomin, including Salesforce's prior investment and integrated partnerships, the acquisition's impact on their relationship remains unclear.

KeyBanc's analysis suggests that the transaction is not likely to be materially significant, as no guidance update was provided by Salesforce. With approximately 150 employees at Zoomin listed on LinkedIn, and assuming an all-in cost of $250,000 per employee operating at breakeven, KeyBanc estimates Zoomin's revenue base to be around $37.5 million. The financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but based on Zoomin's growth profile, KeyBanc would be surprised if the total deal value exceeded $400 million.

The acquisition is part of Salesforce's strategy to expand its data management capabilities, but according to KeyBanc, it does not warrant a change in the investment firm's rating of Salesforce's stock. The integration of Zoomin's unstructured data management into Salesforce's suite of services is seen as a natural progression of the existing partnership, rather than a transformative move for the company.

In other recent news, Salesforce has been the focus of several analyst firms following strong second-quarter earnings, which exceeded the consensus estimate. The company reported earnings per share of $2.56, driven by an 8% increase in sales and a 9% rise in subscription and support revenues. Moreover, Salesforce entered a definitive agreement to acquire Own Company, a provider of data protection and management solutions, for $1.9 billion in cash.

Piper Sandler upgraded Salesforce's stock rating from Neutral to Overweight, anticipating a significant rise in Salesforce's free cash flow per share. On the other hand, Erste Group downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold due to projected slower growth. Other firms such as BofA Securities, TD Cowen, Needham, and Baird maintained their ratings on Salesforce, reflecting varying degrees of confidence in the company's future performance.

Recent developments include the launch of Agentforce, an AI-driven suite of autonomous bots, and a partnership with IBM (NYSE:IBM) to integrate advanced AI capabilities into its platform. Salesforce also reported a significant increase in the adoption of its Data Cloud platform, marking a 130% year-over-year growth in its paid customer base. These developments illustrate Salesforce's ongoing efforts to innovate and remain a leader in the CRM industry.


InvestingPro Insights


As Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) continues to expand its offerings with the acquisition of Zoomin, insights from InvestingPro provide a more nuanced view of the company's financial health and market position. With a robust gross profit margin of 76.35% in the last twelve months as of Q2 2025, Salesforce demonstrates its ability to maintain profitability in its operations. This aligns with the company's strategy to enhance its Data Cloud capabilities and may provide confidence in its ability to integrate new acquisitions effectively.

InvestingPro Tips reveal that Salesforce has a perfect Piotroski Score of 9, indicating strong financial health, and that management has been actively buying back shares, reflecting confidence in the company's value. Moreover, 23 analysts have revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period, suggesting a positive outlook on Salesforce's financial future. For investors seeking more detailed analysis, there are over 10 additional InvestingPro Tips available, offering a comprehensive understanding of Salesforce's market potential and investment profile.

In terms of valuation, Salesforce's P/E ratio stands at 46.27, which, when adjusted for the last twelve months as of Q2 2025, shows a slight decrease to 42.91. This may suggest a more favorable valuation in the near term relative to its earnings growth. The company's market capitalization of $258.43 billion underscores its significant presence in the software industry, reinforcing its status as a prominent player, as highlighted by an InvestingPro Tip.

For those interested in a deeper dive into Salesforce's financial metrics and strategic position, further insights and tips are available on InvestingPro at: https://www.investing.com/pro/CRM

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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