New York, Feb 10, 2026, 11:45 EST — Regular session
- Salesforce shares climbed roughly 1% in late morning trading, following news of new job cuts.
- Business Insider reported the company trimmed under 1,000 jobs. Salesforce hasn’t made any public statement.
- All eyes now shift to Feb. 25, with investors scanning the results for fresh signals on growth, expense control, and any news on the Agentforce AI initiative.
Salesforce (CRM) climbed roughly 1% to $196.02 Tuesday, rebounding after dipping earlier in the session. Shares had slipped out of the gate following news that the cloud software company trimmed staff earlier this month. The price bounced around, trading mostly between $187 and $199.
Investor pressure on major software players to rein in expenses is intensifying, especially as they ramp up spending on fresh AI offerings. Salesforce, set to release its quarterly numbers later this month, could move swiftly on headcount—a cost lever that’s often among the first to get pulled.
Salesforce is betting heavily on Agentforce, its AI agent designed to automate everyday tasks that once needed a person. The company is working to convince both clients and investors that it can boost sales with this tech, rather than ramp up hiring as in years past.
Salesforce laid off under 1,000 workers earlier this month, according to Business Insider, which cited a source familiar with the situation. The cuts landed on teams in marketing, product management, data analytics, and the Agentforce AI group. Reuters wasn’t able to verify the report right away, and Salesforce didn’t reply to a request for comment. On a podcast last year, CEO Marc Benioff said the firm had already eliminated 4,000 customer support jobs because it needed “less heads.” Back in December, Salesforce lifted its outlook for fiscal 2026 revenue and adjusted profit, betting on stronger demand for its AI agent platform. Reuters
Business Insider is reporting that Salesforce brought on or elevated six execs to take over for five notable leaders who’ve exited since December — among them, a chief security officer coming in from Google, and a fresh chief marketing officer. Adam Evans, who led Agentforce, posted on LinkedIn about his exit, saying he was moving on to “start my next chapter outside Salesforce,” according to the report. Business Insider
Software stocks moved higher on Tuesday. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF added roughly 1.5%. ServiceNow climbed about 3%, Oracle also tacked on 3%. The rest of the market barely budged—SPY and QQQ traded close to unchanged.
To some traders, headcount reductions signal a move to protect margins when revenue’s volatile. Salesforce faces a clear bind. Cut too deep in product, and AI plans hit the brakes. Let costs balloon, and margins take the hit.
Still, just how extensive and targeted these cuts might be isn’t clear. Salesforce hasn’t offered confirmation about layoffs, leaving investors guessing—there’s no way to know if this is the usual belt-tightening or something bigger, maybe sparked by shifting demand, internal churn in crucial groups, or some mix of both.
Mark Feb. 25: Salesforce will post its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results after the bell. On the call, investors want updates—revenue growth outlook, expense strategy, and specifics on workforce or executive shifts.
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