Salesforce, Inc.
CRM Technology · Software - ApplicationDeep value.
Salesforce's cash cushion is shrinking as Informatica, buybacks, and restructuring absorb cash.
The four readings.
What the filing actually says.
The Altman Z-Score variant reported here is 2.64, which the label places in the safe zone (2.60 or above). That is a statistical screen of balance-sheet structure, not a forecast, and it applies here because Salesforce is not a bank. Operating cash flow divided by net income is 2.11: fiscal 2025 operating cash flow was $13.09 billion against net income of $6.2 billion. A ratio this high is common when depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation are large, and Salesforce's cash flow statement shows all three, so readers may want to look at those adjustments and at how much of operating cash came from collecting receivables. Accounts receivable fell from $11.945 billion to $5.474 billion between January and October 2025, while unearned revenue fell from $20.743 billion to $14.996 billion, which reflects the seasonal billing cycle rather than a change in demand. Treasury stock rose from $19.507 billion to $28.255 billion, and total equity fell from $61.173 billion to $60.021 billion. Senior notes principal totals $8.5 billion, and the revolving credit facility was undrawn. A 100 basis point rate move would change the value of the fixed-income portfolio by about $34 million. The Beneish M-Score, Piotroski F-Score, and Fog Index are not on file for this filing, so no values are given for them.
Catalyst.Revenue is growing steadily. Fiscal 2025 revenue of $37.9 billion was 8.7% above fiscal 2024's $34.86 billion. For the nine months ended October 31, 2025, total revenues reached $30.324 billion versus $27.902 billion a year earlier, and income from operations rose to $6.462 billion from $5.385 billion. Management points to continued investment in enterprise cloud capacity and to the November 2025 acquisition of Informatica, an AI-powered data management platform, for approximately $9.6 billion. Foreign currency added roughly one percent to third-quarter revenue.
Hidden risk.Cash is being deployed faster than it is building. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $11.3 billion at October 31, 2025, down from $14.0 billion at January 31, 2025. The Informatica deal was funded with $6.0 billion of Informatica Credit Agreements plus cash, and it closed after the balance sheet date, so the October figures do not yet reflect it. Nine-month share repurchases of $8.659 billion plus dividends of $1.196 billion exceeded operating cash flow of $9.532 billion. Restructuring charges rose to $260 million in the third quarter from $56 million a year earlier, with $160 million to $180 million of further payments expected.
What traders are betting.
The metric
Shares that traders have borrowed and sold, betting the price will fall, and not yet bought back. Brokers report the total to FINRA twice a month. Days to cover divides it by the shares that change hands on a typical day.
- Shares sold short
- 32.9M
- Change since Aug 31
- +12.6%
- Days to cover
- 2.5
What it tells us
Few traders are betting against CRM. Levels this low are common for large, widely held companies.
Short sellers added to their bets: shares sold short grew 12.6% since the Aug 31 report.
At normal trading volume, short sellers would need about 2.5 days to buy back every borrowed share.
How investors use it
- Squeeze watching. Some aggressive traders seek out heavily shorted stocks, betting that good news will force short sellers to buy back shares and push the price higher.
- Hedging. Funds short one company to offset risk in another, often owning a stronger business and shorting a weaker one in the same industry.
- Timing. Chart-based traders pair rising short interest with price patterns, such as a break below a level where buyers used to step in, to decide when to enter or exit.
- Warning sign. Some owners treat a sharp rise in short interest as a red flag and respond by tightening stop-loss orders or holding smaller positions.
Quarterly reports
The quarterly reports (10-Q) and current reports (8-K) Salesforce filed in the last 12 months, each linked to the original document on SEC EDGAR.
- Sep 16, 20268-KCurrent reportItem 7.01: Regulation FD disclosure (investor materials)0EDGAR →
- Sep 4, 20268-KCurrent reportItem 5.02: Departure/appointment of officers or directorsEDGAR →★ Curriculum-relevant
- Aug 26, 202610-QQuarterly report0EDGAR →
- Aug 26, 20268-KCurrent reportItem 2.02: Results of operations (earnings)0EDGAR →
- Aug 5, 20268-KCurrent reportItem 5.02: Departure/appointment of officers or directorsEDGAR →★ Curriculum-relevant
- Mar 16, 20268-KCurrent report (2026-03-16)Item 7.01: Regulation FD disclosure (investor materials)0EDGAR →
- Mar 13, 20268-KCurrent report (2026-03-13)Item 1.01: Signed a material agreement; Item 2.03: New debt or other financial obligation0EDGAR →
- Mar 12, 20268-KCurrent report (2026-03-11)Item 1.01: Signed a material agreement; Item 2.03: New debt or other financial obligation0EDGAR →
- Dec 4, 202510-QQuarterly report (2025-10-31)Period: 2025-10-310EDGAR →
- Dec 3, 20258-KCurrent report (2025-12-03)Item 2.02: Results of operations (earnings)0EDGAR →
- Nov 18, 20258-KCurrent report (2025-11-18)Item 2.03: New debt or other financial obligation; Item 1.01: Signed a material agreement; Item 7.01: Regulation FD disclosure (investor materials)0EDGAR →
- Oct 16, 20258-KCurrent report (2025-10-15)Item 7.01: Regulation FD disclosure (investor materials)0EDGAR →
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