Salesforce Stock Analysis: Stifel Maintains $275 Target as AI Strategy Gains Traction

• Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), a leader in customer relationship management software, had a market capitalization of approximately $203 billion at the time of writing.
• Stifel Nicolaus maintained its Buy rating and $275 price target for Salesforce, implying potential upside of approximately 10.88% from the reference price.
• Strong quarterly results and the company’s expanded AI partnership with Anthropic have eased some concerns about the potential disruption of traditional software by artificial intelligence.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) is a leading provider of cloud-based customer relationship management software. Its platform helps companies manage sales, customer service, marketing, e-commerce, analytics, and other business processes. With a market capitalization of approximately $203 billion, Salesforce remains one of the largest companies in the enterprise software industry.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst J. Parker Lane maintained a Buy rating and a $275 price target for Salesforce. Based on the reference price of $248.02, the target represents potential upside of approximately 10.88%.

Stifel cited Salesforce’s accelerating revenue growth and improving investor sentiment toward the company. The firm noted that Salesforce’s second-quarter results showed net new annual order value growth reaching its highest level in four years, supporting expectations for stronger subscription and support revenue growth during the second half of the fiscal year.

Salesforce shares jumped nearly 23% in a single trading session on August 27, 2026, following the release of its fiscal second-quarter results and higher full-year guidance. The stock subsequently traded at around $248, within a 52-week range of $146.32 to $269.11. Despite the rally, the shares remained below their 52-week high.

Earlier in 2026, Salesforce shares came under pressure because of concerns that advances in artificial intelligence could weaken demand for traditional software platforms. The company’s recent results and AI-product adoption have eased some of those concerns, although competitive and execution risks remain.

Salesforce is responding by expanding its AI products and partnerships. Its Claudeforce initiative with Anthropic combines Claude’s AI capabilities with Salesforce’s customer data, workflows, and governance systems. One component, Salesforce in Claude, allows users to access CRM information, review sales pipelines, update records, and perform other Salesforce tasks directly through Claude.

The partnership goes beyond a general employee-productivity tool. Salesforce is using Claude in several internal and customer-facing applications, while Anthropic has selected Salesforce as its preferred CRM and Slack as a primary collaboration platform. Along with continued adoption of Agentforce and Data 360, the partnership supports Salesforce’s effort to position itself as a beneficiary of enterprise AI growth rather than solely as a company threatened by it.