Salesforce Is Down 16% This Year. Another AI Deal Didn't Help. — Barrons.com

What happened

Salesforce agreed to acquire AI call-center startup Cresta but did not disclose the price. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2028, which runs from February to April 2027. Salesforce shares are down 16% this year.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Buying another company without revealing the price gives investors little way to judge the cost. Salesforce has spent billions on AI and data deals, which may lift revenue but can worry shareholders who prefer profit and cash returned to them.

Analyst inference

Salesforce stock has dropped 16% this year while a software sector fund fell only 2.7%, so that gap points to company-specific worries about its deal strategy rather than broad industry weakness alone.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Cresta is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2028, which runs from February to April 2027, so investors will wait for disclosed price and deal terms. Confirmed
2. Watch whether past deals, Braze at about $5.7 billion, Informatica at about $8 billion and Fin at $3.6 billion, translate into revenue growth or add costs. Analyst inference
3. Watch for updates on revenue guidance from the fiscal second-quarter report, since the article says the sentence on expected revenue was cut off before any figure was given. Analyst inference

Evidence

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