Salesforce stock jumps on revenue beat, AI-fueled growth

Salesforce has reported strong quarterly revenue growth and shared promising developments in its artificial intelligence initiatives, particularly highlighting the early success of its Agentforce platform.

Financial performance overview: Salesforce exceeded revenue expectations while demonstrating continued strength in operating margins during its fiscal 2025 third quarter.

• Revenue grew 8% year over year to $9.44 billion, surpassing analyst estimates of $9.35 billion
• Adjusted earnings per share reached $2.41, showing 14% annual growth despite falling slightly short of analyst projections
• Adjusted operating margin expanded to 33.1%, while GAAP operating margin hit a historic 20%

AI transformation and growth prospects: The company’s new AI platform, Agentforce, is showing early signs of significant market traction.

• Over 200 Agentforce deals were closed in its first week of general availability
• Early adopters include major organizations like SharkNinja, Heathrow Airport, and Adecco
• The platform’s pipeline includes thousands of potential future transactions
• The number of contract wins worth more than $1 million featuring AI tools has more than tripled year over year

Multi-cloud strategy success: Salesforce’s approach to offering multiple integrated services is driving customer retention and revenue growth.

• Top 25 deals in the quarter averaged more than five cloud services each
• Multi-cloud customers demonstrate higher spending and lower attrition rates
• Data Cloud application is emerging as a key driver of AI-related contracts

Operational efficiency and capital management: The company continues to focus on profitability while maintaining strategic investments.

• Plans to hire 1,400 account executives globally in Q4 to support Agentforce demand
• Share repurchases of $1.2 billion in the quarter contributed to a 2% year-over-year reduction in diluted share count
• Approximately $10.6 billion remains in the company’s $30 billion buyback authorization

Forward guidance: Salesforce provided a mixed outlook for the upcoming quarter and revised full-year projections.

• Q4 revenue guidance of $9.9-$10.1 billion aligns with market expectations
• Current remaining performance obligation (cRPO) projected to grow 9% to $30 billion
• Company raised the low end of full-year revenue guidance and increased operating margin outlook

Market implications: Salesforce’s successful AI integration and strong execution could reshape the enterprise software landscape.

• The stock surged more than 10% in extended trading, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s AI strategy
• Early Agentforce success helps dispel concerns about AI potentially disrupting Salesforce’s business model
• The platform’s rapid adoption suggests potential for accelerated revenue growth above the key 10% threshold