New York, Jan 22, 2026, 18:57 ET — After-hours
- After-hours trading saw ServiceNow shares climb roughly 2.6%, reaching $128.56
- The stock ended a six-day slide but still trailed behind several major software rivals
- Investors await Jan. 28 results for sharper insight into demand and AI monetization
ServiceNow shares climbed Thursday, finishing near their peak. After hours, they were last up $3.23, or roughly 2.6%, trading at $128.56.
The rebound ended a six-day slide for high-multiple software stocks, despite the broader U.S. market closing higher. ServiceNow lagged behind some large-cap rivals like Salesforce and Oracle, according to data from MarketWatch. 1
Trading volume surged, with roughly 12.9 million shares exchanging hands during the session—well above the recent daily average, according to StockAnalysis. 2
ServiceNow revealed a major multi-year partnership with OpenAI on Jan. 20, aiming to push “agentic AI” further—software agents capable of handling tasks across business systems with minimal human oversight. “Deploying AI that takes end-to-end action in complex enterprise environments,” said ServiceNow President and COO Amit Zavery. 3
OpenAI called its models a “preferred intelligence capability” within ServiceNow’s platform, targeting greater automation in everyday corporate tasks. OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap emphasized their aim to integrate agentic AI into workflows that are “secure, scalable” enough to meet the demands of large enterprises. 4
Analysts are dialing back their forecasts. Citigroup lowered its price target for ServiceNow to $235 from $250.60 but held onto its buy rating. Meanwhile, Mizuho cut its target to $190 from $210 and kept its outperform rating, MT Newswires reported. 5
On Jan. 20, UBS cut its target price to $170 from $200 but maintained a buy rating, pointing to the recent sector selloff, according to Investing.com. 6
BMO Capital lowered its price target to $175 from $230 but maintained an outperform rating, citing a challenging early-2026 outlook for software and raising concerns about ServiceNow’s recent dealmaking activity, Investing.com reported. 7
ServiceNow will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings on Jan. 28, the company announced earlier this month. 8
Competition is heating up over AI capabilities in enterprise software, as Salesforce, SAP, and Workday ramp up their own agent products and partnerships, The Wall Street Journal noted this week. 9
The OpenAI partnership remains in its infancy, leaving investors without clear info on pricing, rollout pace, or how fast customers might pay premiums for these autonomous tools. Skepticism ahead of next week’s updates could push the stock down toward its recent lows.
Traders are focused on Jan. 28 for clues on demand and a clear timeline for introducing OpenAI-backed agents into paid customer rollouts.
