NEW YORK, Jan 16, 2026, 17:58 EST — After-hours
- Salesforce slipped roughly 2.8% to close at $227.11, before nudging higher in after-hours trading.
- A U.S. filing revealed director Neelie Kroes offloaded 3,893 shares this week.
- Traders are bracing for a holiday-shortened week, keeping a close eye on Davos and the evolving race to monetize AI.
Salesforce shares slipped roughly 2.8%, ending Friday at $227.11. After-hours, they inched up slightly, trading at $227.20. During the session, the stock fluctuated between $226.76 and $235.05, with about 13.8 million shares changing hands. 1
The shift comes as investors grow cautious of lofty tech valuations and question how fast AI investments will translate into earnings. “There is a lot of hope that this is going to be the year where we are going to see some true broadening of leadership,” said Angelo Kourkafas, senior global investment strategist at Edward Jones. 2
Salesforce is pushing hard on AI agents—software that handles tasks on behalf of users—and is showcasing that effort at Davos. The company revealed a World Economic Forum concierge app named “EVA,” built on its Agentforce 360 platform specifically for the Jan. 19–23 event. CEO Marc Benioff insisted it’s “far more than a chatbot,” while WEF head Børge Brende said the tool is helping “unlock the full depth” of the organization’s institutional knowledge for attendees. 3
Salesforce director Neelie Kroes offloaded 3,893 shares on Jan. 14, according to a Form 4 filing. The shares went for a weighted average of $238.7043 each, trimming her stake to 7,299 shares. The filing flagged the sale as part of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, meaning the transaction was pre-arranged. 4
The broader market offered scant support. U.S. stocks closed almost unchanged before the long weekend: the S&P 500 slipped 0.06%, the Nasdaq dipped 0.06%, and the Dow shed 0.17%. Healthcare stocks dragged, while chipmakers pushed higher, according to a Reuters market report. 5
Software stocks showed a split picture. ServiceNow dipped 2.94%, but Oracle nudged up 0.65%. The day’s moves highlighted the patchy sentiment in enterprise tech. 6
Salesforce is pinning its next major move on upcoming earnings and guidance. The last significant update was back in early December, when it bumped its fiscal 2026 revenue target to a range between $41.45 billion and $41.55 billion. At the same time, it also raised its adjusted profit forecast, per a Reuters report from that period. 7
But here’s the catch: flashy Davos demos and slick press releases don’t guarantee actual contracts. Insider sales, even if planned, can drag sentiment down further when a stock is already slipping.
U.S. markets shut Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, kicking back into gear Tuesday. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering is underway Jan. 19–23 in Davos-Klosters. Traders will zero in on client feedback and any solid news about Agentforce adoption as the week unfolds. 8
