Salesforce, Inc. - CRM STOCK NEWS

Schwab Asset Management, the asset management arm of The Charles Schwab , announced the launch of the Schwab Core Bond ETF (NYSE Arca: SCCR). This is the firm's second actively managed fixed income ETF, following the August 2024 launch of the Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF (NYSE Arca: SCUS). Trading for SCCR is expected to begin on or about February 5. The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.16%, significantly lower than the industry average of 0.40%.

The fund aims to provide total returns while generating income by investing in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities, including corporate bonds, taxable municipal bonds, mortgage pass-through securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, U.S. Treasuries, and other government-related bonds. The investment strategy is based on the Wasmer Schroeder Core Bond Separately Managed Account (SMA) strategy, which started in January 2008.

Managed by portfolio managers John Majoros and Brian Luedtke, the ETF will use qualitative and quantitative methods to manage a diversified bond portfolio across multiple sectors. Schwab Asset Management emphasizes the fund's potential to offer attractive risk-adjusted returns and a healthy level of income in today's rate environment, leveraging the expertise of its experienced credit research team.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) has announced two major AI-powered retail innovations: Agentforce for Retail and Retail Cloud with Modern POS. Agentforce for Retail features pre-built agent skills for automating tasks like order management and appointment scheduling, while Retail Cloud introduces a cloud-based point-of-sale system that unifies online and offline shopping data.

The new platform includes Commerce Skills for order management and guided shopping, Field Service Skills for appointment scheduling, and Marketing Skills for loyalty promotion creation. The Modern POS system offers features like clienteling, inventory management, endless aisle, and mixed cart fulfillment options.

According to Salesforce research, 81% of retail executives report inefficient processes affecting productivity, with associates using over 16 different applications daily. The new solutions will be generally available between February and April 2025, with SharkNinja and Saks already implementing these technologies to enhance their retail operations.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) has released data indicating a record $1.2 trillion in global online holiday sales, with $282 billion in the U.S. Despite this, high return rates, totaling $122 billion, could impact profit margins. The holiday season saw significant use of AI and agents, influencing $229 billion (19%) of online orders.

Key insights include:

• A 3% YoY increase in global online sales and a 4% increase in the U.S.
• A 28% rise in return rates compared to last year.
• AI and agents' influence on sales grew by 6% from 2023.
• Social commerce contributed to 20% of global sales and 14% of traffic to ecommerce sites.
• Mobile orders accounted for nearly 70% of purchases, peaking at 79% on Christmas Day.
• Average discount rates were 23% in the U.S. and 22% globally.

Retailers using Salesforce's platforms saw substantial engagement: Commerce Cloud powered 220 million orders, Marketing Cloud sent 378 billion messages, and Service Cloud handled 33.3 billion case interactions. Data Cloud processed 1.4 quadrillion records, and Einstein provided 368 billion AI-powered recommendations.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) announced Agentforce 2.0, an enhanced digital labor platform enabling enterprises to augment teams with autonomous AI agents. The new version introduces a library of pre-built skills, Slack integration, and improved reasoning capabilities through the Atlas Reasoning Engine.

Key features include CRM skills for sales teams, MuleSoft integration for cross-system workflows, Tableau analytics integration, and Slack deployment options. The platform will be generally available in February 2025, with specific features rolling out starting today. Pricing for Sales Development and Sales Coaching skills starts at $2 per conversation.

Major companies including Accenture, The Adecco Group, Finnair, and IBM are already implementing Agentforce to streamline operations. Early results show promising outcomes, with Salesforce's own implementation solving 83% of customer queries without human intervention.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) announced an expanded partnership with the Adecco Group to transform their recruitment processes using AI technology. The collaboration centers on implementing Agentforce, Salesforce's AI system, and Data Cloud to handle Adecco's massive volume of 300 million annual resumes more efficiently.

The integration will enable 24/7 candidate engagement, automated resume reviewing, and intelligent job matching, allowing human recruiters to focus on relationship building and personalized interactions. Data Cloud will unify information from Adecco's 40+ systems, while potential Slack integration is being explored to deploy Agentforce in the workflow. The initiative aims to improve fill rates, reduce time-to-fill metrics, and enhance overall customer experience.

Vivint, an NRG company and leading provider of smart home and security solutions, announced it is leveraging Salesforce's Agentforce to enhance its customer service. Agentforce will provide 24/7 autonomous support, handling routine requests like troubleshooting common device errors, allowing human agents to focus on complex issues. Vivint, a long-time Salesforce customer, serves over two million customers with an average of 14 smart home devices per household. The integration aims to improve customer experience by offering more efficient and relevant support. If Agentforce cannot resolve an issue within a predefined number of steps, it will transfer the case to a human agent. David Porter, COO of Vivint, stated that Agentforce has made an immediate positive impact on their customer service. Adam Evans, EVP & GM of Salesforce AI, highlighted that AI agents enhance customer experiences and drive business growth. Vivint has received over 400 patents for its smart home products and features.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) has announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per share. The dividend will be distributed to shareholders who are registered as stockholders of record by December 18, 2024, with the payment scheduled for January 9, 2025.

Salesforce reported record-breaking Cyber Week 2024 (Nov. 26 - Dec. 2) results, with global online sales reaching $314.9 billion, up 6% year-over-year, while U.S. sales hit $76 billion, up 7%. Black Friday emerged as the strongest shopping day, generating $74.4 billion globally.

Key highlights include: AI and agents influenced $60 billion in sales through personalized recommendations and support; mobile devices drove 70% of orders, accounting for $220 billion globally; and retailers using AI saw a 2% higher conversion rate. Average discount rates were 26% globally and 28% in the U.S., both slightly down from last year. Social commerce generated 19% of Cyber Week sales through platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram.

Salesforce (CRM) reported strong Q3 FY25 results with revenue reaching $9.44 billion, up 8% year-over-year. The company achieved a GAAP operating margin of 20.0% and non-GAAP operating margin of 33.1%. Third quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share was $1.58, while non-GAAP EPS reached $2.41.

Notable financial metrics include operating cash flow of $1.98 billion (up 29% Y/Y) and free cash flow of $1.78 billion (up 30% Y/Y). The company returned $1.6 billion to stockholders through share repurchases and dividends. Looking ahead, Salesforce raised its FY25 revenue guidance to $37.8-$38.0 billion, representing 8-9% growth, and increased its operating cash flow growth guidance to 24-26% Y/Y.