Why does Salesforce's EPS beat look misleading?

Roughly $2.53 per share came from strategic investment gains, so the 80% beat over the $3.27 consensus is not purely operational.

What is Salesforce's 'Agentforce' and how is it performing?

Agentforce is Salesforce's AI agent product. Its ARR crossed $1.5 billion, up over 240% year over year, and customers drove 3.2 billion Agentic Work Units in Q2, up 97% quarter over quarter.

What are the main risks for Apple's stock?

Apple faces worsening supply constraints and memory costs that CEO Tim Cook called 'a 100-year flood.' Tariff refunds also boosted margins, masking the underlying beat.

AI Stocks & MarketsAI Business & IndustryYahoo Finance AIAug 31, 2026Sep 1, 2026, 04:01 JST

Salesforce vs. Apple: The Cheaper AI Bet

Send on LINE

3 Key Points

What happened
Salesforce reported revenue of $11.35 billion, up 10.83%, and non-GAAP EPS of $5.90, beating the $3.27 consensus, though $2.53 per share came from investment gains. Apple posted a record June quarter with revenue of $109.42 billion, up 16.36%.
Why it matters
The two companies represent different AI monetization strategies. Apple treats AI as a device feature, while Salesforce charges directly for agents. Salesforce's Agentforce ARR crossed $1.5 billion, up over 240% year over year, and AI ARR is about to cross $4 billion. Apple trades at 33 forward earnings versus Salesforce at 19.
What to watch
Salesforce faces a test with CloudForce, its Claude-integrated product, going generally available in September, plus Dreamforce and the close of Contentful and Fin. Apple guided to 9%–11% September quarter growth with supply constraints expected to worsen across iPhone, Mac, and iPad.

Not sure about something? Ask the AI

Questions and answers are published on this page.

Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.

Get news like this every morning, free

Context & Analysis

The article contrasts Apple's device-centric AI approach with Salesforce's direct monetization of AI agents. Apple's record quarter, driven by iPhone and Mac demand, shows strong growth but faces near-term headwinds. Salesforce's AI ARR growth and shrinking share count point to a potentially more asymmetric bet. The author's personal lean is toward Salesforce, citing cheaper valuation and faster AI monetization. However, the sustainability of Salesforce's AI ARR growth remains to be seen as pilots mature.

FAQ

Why does Salesforce's EPS beat look misleading?: Roughly $2.53 per share came from strategic investment gains, so the 80% beat over the $3.27 consensus is not purely operational.
What is Salesforce's 'Agentforce' and how is it performing?: Agentforce is Salesforce's AI agent product. Its ARR crossed $1.5 billion, up over 240% year over year, and customers drove 3.2 billion Agentic Work Units in Q2, up 97% quarter over quarter.
What are the main risks for Apple's stock?: Apple faces worsening supply constraints and memory costs that CEO Tim Cook called 'a 100-year flood.' Tariff refunds also boosted margins, masking the underlying beat.

Yahoo Finance AIRead Original Article

Send on LINE

AI news that matters for your work, delivered every morning.

Pick your industry and the AI tools you use, and get news related to your work every day.

Get it free

Free · 30 seconds with Google · unsubscribe anytimeWhat is AIToday? →

Ask AI

Ask AI anything about this article. The AI reads this article, earlier AIToday articles, and Wikipedia, and cites its sources. Q&As are published on this page for other readers too.