
Morgan Stanley sees 'a compelling catalyst' for Salesforce stock rally
The firm reiterated its Overweight rating on Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) in a note Thursday, citing untapped upside potential in the company's subscription revenue trajectory through fiscal 2028.
'Pricing & Packaging (NYSE:PKG) remains a compelling catalyst for growth acceleration to re-rate shares,' Morgan Stanley wrote in a note, following meetings with Salesforce management.
The firm said it walked away with 'a clearer view of the prospect for topline re-acceleration,' driven in large part by strategic price increases and bundled offerings.
While list price increases on the Enterprise and Unlimited tiers of Sales and Service Cloud are expected to contribute 'modest tailwinds' of 60 basis points and 50 basis points to fiscal 2027 and 2028 subscription revenue growth, Morgan Stanley sees a bigger opportunity in customer upgrades.
'The increased list prices going into effect in August 2025 represent a strategic effort, meant to push adoption of Premium tiers given incremental bundled value,' the analysts noted.
Using Sales Cloud as a benchmark, the bank estimates that customers can achieve ~70% cost savings when adopting Unlimited Edition bundles versus standalone features, and over 100% cost savings with the Agentforce 1 tier versus Unlimited on a like-for-like basis.
Morgan Stanley believes these price moves will incentivize large customers to migrate to higher-tier plans, particularly as those bundles include high-value tools like Data Cloud and Agentforce.
'Valuation remains undemanding,' the analysts added, with Salesforce trading at ~17x EV/2026 FCF versus a ~33x average for large-cap peers. They concluded: 'Innovative Pricing/Packaging strategies driving upgrade activity should prove a compelling catalyst for inflecting growth higher.'
Related articles
Morgan Stanley sees 'a compelling catalyst' for Salesforce stock rally
Growth funds favor Makemytrip and SK Hynix: BofA
BofA sees improving ad market boosting Roku's outlook as it lifts target
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CAVA Group Stock Tumbles as Chain's Same-Restaurant Sales Come Up Short
Key Takeaways CAVA Group's same-restaurant sales came in well short of estimates as diners pulled back on spending. The Mediterranean-themed fast-casual chain also missed revenue forecasts and slashed its same-restaurant sales growth outlook. CAVA Group blamed the shortfall on a fluid macroeconomic environment causing a "fog" for of CAVA Group (CAVA) sank nearly 25% in premarket trading Wednesday, a day after the fast-casual restaurant chain posted weaker-than-expected results and cut its outlook on slowing sales. The operator of its namesake Mediterranean-themed eateries reported second-quarter same-restaurant sales increased 2.1% year-over-year, while analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for a gain of 6.25%. Revenue rose 20% to $280.6 million, also short of forecasts. Adjusted earnings per share of $0.16 was above estimates. CFO Tricia Tolivar told analysts during the earnings call that the industry was facing "a fluid macroeconomic environment and it's one that sort of creates a fog for consumers where things are changing constantly and it's hard to see the clear. And during those times, they tend to step off of the gas," according to an AlphaSense transcript. Tolivar added that while CAVA entered the quarter with momentum, "as we moved through June, we saw a deceleration in same-restaurant sales, driven in part by the timing of our steak launch last year." The company now sees full-year same-restaurant sales growth to be 4.0% to 6.0%, versus its earlier outlook of 6.0% to 8.0%. Even before today's trading, CAVA Group shares had lost about a quarter of their value in 2025. Read the original article on Investopedia Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is it a Wise Move to Invest in Walmart Inc. (WMT)?
Parnassus Investments, an investment management firm that focuses on owning a concentrated portfolio of U.S. large cap stocks, released its Parnassus Value Equity Fund second-quarter 2025 investor letter. The full letter is available for download here. For the second quarter of 2025, the fund reported a net return of 7.24%, outperforming its benchmark, the Russell 1000 Value Index, which returned 3.79% for the same period. The fund's top 5 holdings are also listed in the letter, showing the firm's main investment positions heading into 2025. One of the companies mentioned in the letter is Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT). Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) engages in the operation of retail and wholesale stores and clubs, eCommerce websites, and mobile applications. Over the past month, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) rose by 8.90%, and its shares gained 50.92% of their value over the last 12 months. On August 12, 2025, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) shares closed at $103.62, with a market capitalization of $826.93 billion. Here is what they have to say about Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) in their investor letter: "In addition to being a leading traditional brick-and-mortar retailer, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is an omnichannel/e-commerce leader, driven by significant digital investments that unlocked alternative business streams such as advertising, membership, fulfillment, data and marketplace services that help to fortify and grow margins in the longer term. The company's market share has grown and is expected to continue rising as it maintains competitive pricing and increases e-commerce penetration. Despite exposure to tariff and macroeconomic risks, Walmart's unparalleled scale provides significant leverage in price negotiations with vendors and suppliers, thereby reinforcing its value proposition." Is it a Wise Move to Invest in Walmart Inc. (WMT)? Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is not included in our list of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds. According to our data, 100 hedge fund portfolios held positions in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) at the end of the first quarter of 2025, down from 116 in the previous quarter. WMT surpassed earnings expectations, posting an EPS of $0.61 compared to the forecast of $0.575. While we acknowledge the potential of WMT as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. In another article, we covered Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and Jim Cramer's views on the company. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Business Wire
4 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Deluxe Merchant Services Wins National Call Center Award of Distinction for 13th Consecutive Year
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a trusted Payments and Data company, has received the 2025 Association of TeleServices International (ATSI) Call Center Award of Distinction, recognizing the exceptional performance of the Deluxe Merchant Services customer care team. This marks the 13th consecutive year Deluxe has earned this national honor. Presented at ATSI's 2025 Annual Conference in Phoenix, AZ, the Award of Distinction is used to evaluate professional call center agents across North America and the UK over a six-month period, with independent judges scoring teams on real-world call scenarios that require complex problem-solving and high-quality customer care. 'Being recognized 13 years in a row by ATSI underscores the extraordinary work of our customer service professionals, who bring skill, patience, and a deep commitment to our clients every day,' said Brian Mahony, President of Merchant Services at Deluxe. 'Customer support is not just a function—it's a strategic advantage that helps drive success for the thousands of businesses we serve.' Deluxe Merchant Services is a complete payment processing solution that supports a wide range of payment methods, simplifies PCI compliance, and ensures a seamless checkout experience. Its U.S.-based support team operates 24/7 via phone, email, and chat, maintaining an industry-leading average tenure of 36 months among front-line agents. On average, the team fields approximately 15,000 calls per month and continues to improve service benchmarks year over year. ATSI's judging panel evaluates call centers on key criteria, including: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Capabilities Courtesy to Caller Overall Professionalism Use of Proper Call Techniques Response Times Accuracy of Call 'The ATSI Award of Distinction was created to celebrate the agents who handle the most complex and high-stakes calls—those requiring advanced customer care, patience, and problem-solving,' said ATSI President Brianna Burke. 'It's more than a recognition—it's a statement that your team leads with quality, even when the call gets tough.' Now in its 24th year, the ATSI Award of Distinction continues to elevate the standards of the call center industry by measuring sophisticated call-handling practices and rewarding organizations that lead with empathy, skill, and professionalism. About Deluxe Corporation Deluxe, a trusted Payments and Data company, champions business so communities thrive. Our solutions help businesses pay, get paid, and grow. For more than 100 years, Deluxe customers have relied on our solutions and platforms at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity. Our powerful scale supports millions of small businesses, thousands of vital financial institutions and hundreds of the world's largest consumer brands, while processing more than $2 trillion in annual payment volume. Our reach, scale and distribution channels position Deluxe to be our customers' most trusted business partner. To learn how we can help your business, visit us at