Why Salesforce's 'AI Problem' Is Actually Its Greatest Opportunity

Julian LinInvesting Group LeaderFollow5ShareSavePlay(9min)CommentsSummarySalesforce is aggressively countering AI-driven sector pessimism with a $25 billion debt-funded share repurchase and accelerated AI integration.CRM trades at just 15x forward earnings, reflecting deeply negative sentiment and skepticism over AI threats and core growth deceleration.Management remains committed to shareholder returns, returning 99% of free cash flow and leveraging a conservative balance sheet to fund buybacks.I maintain a "Strong Buy" rating, targeting long-term 40% net margins and significant upside if Agentforce proves an AI winner.Looking for a portfolio of ideas like this one? Members of Best Of Breed Growth Stocks get exclusive access to our subscriber-only portfolios. Learn More » Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News Salesforce (CRM) has taken matters into its own hands. Software investors may have felt that AI has taken control of the narrative, leaving software companies simply bracing for new AI product demonstrations. CRM has instead moved to accelerate Agentforce and, more significantly, undertake oneThis article was written byJulian Lin37.38K FollowersFollowJulian Lin is a financial analyst. He finds undervalued companies with secular growth that appreciate over time. His approach is to look for companies with strong balance sheets and management teams in sectors with long growth runways. Julian is the leader of the investing group Best Of Breed Growth Stocks where he only shares positions in stocks which have a large probability of delivering large alpha relative to the S&P 500. He also combines growth-oriented principles with strict valuation hurdles to add an additional layer to the conventional margin of safety. Features include: exclusive access to Julian's highest conviction picks, full stock research reports, real-time trade alerts, macro market analysis, individual industry reports, a filtered watchlist, and community chat with access to Julian 24/7. Learn more.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CRM, DDOG, SNOW either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.