ServiceNow stock today: NOW slips at year-end as CEO McDermott contract filing flags possible co-CEO role

ServiceNow stock today: NOW slips at year-end as CEO McDermott contract filing flags possible co-CEO role

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:26 ET — Market closed

  • ServiceNow shares closed down 0.7% at $153.19 on Dec. 31, the last trading day of 2025.
  • A recent SEC filing shows CEO Bill McDermott’s amended contract extends through at least 2030 and allows for a co-CEO or chairman role at the board’s discretion. SEC
  • Investors are heading into Friday’s reopen watching U.S. jobs and inflation data in early January, plus the Fed’s late-January meeting. Bureau of Labor Statistics+2Bureau of Labor Statistics+2

ServiceNow (NOW) shares ended 2025 slightly lower, closing down 0.7% at $153.19 on Wednesday. U.S. stock markets are closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day. Kiplinger

The latest focus for investors is a management and governance update that becomes effective on Jan. 1. In a Form 8-K — an SEC filing used to disclose significant corporate events — ServiceNow outlined an amended employment agreement for CEO Bill McDermott. SEC

The filing said McDermott will remain in service to the company through at least Dec. 31, 2030, and may serve as CEO, co-CEO, executive chairman or non-executive chairman at the board’s discretion and with mutual understanding. SEC

ServiceNow also said it amended its executive severance policy, including benefits tied to a “change in control,” a common term for a takeover or merger. The filing described enhanced payouts and accelerated vesting of certain stock awards under specified termination scenarios. SEC

A report by The Register drew attention this week to the co-CEO language, while citing a company statement that no leadership changes were being made. The Register

The stock’s price level reflects a mid-December 5-for-1 split, which increases share count while leaving the company’s overall value unchanged. Trading on a split-adjusted basis began in December, the company said. ServiceNow Newsroom

Management continuity is being watched closely after ServiceNow agreed last month to buy cybersecurity firm Armis for about $7.75 billion in cash, funding the deal with cash on hand and debt, with closing expected in the second half of 2026, subject to approvals. ServiceNow Investor Relations

In the Armis announcement, Amit Zavery, ServiceNow’s president and chief operating officer, said: “ServiceNow is building the security platform of tomorrow.” ServiceNow Investor Relations

The deal and the severance-policy update keep attention on capital allocation and execution risk — how quickly ServiceNow can integrate acquisitions while sustaining growth in its core workflow software as enterprise tech budgets remain sensitive to interest rates. SEC+1

Ahead of Friday’s reopening, traders will also have one eye on early-January U.S. data that can swing rate expectations. The Labor Department’s December employment report is scheduled for Jan. 9, and the December CPI inflation report is scheduled for Jan. 13, according to BLS calendars. Bureau of Labor Statistics+1

The Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27-28, with markets typically recalibrating growth-stock valuations when expectations for borrowing costs shift. Federal Reserve

For ServiceNow specifically, investors will watch for any follow-on disclosure about leadership structure and succession planning, updates on the Armis timetable and financing, and whether the stock holds recent levels. In the last session, the shares traded between $152.60 and $154.69 — levels that may act as near-term markers when trading resumes.

Stock Market Today

  • Leadership lag by top stocks not bearish for long-term investors, data show
    January 1, 2026, 4:08 PM EST. Powerful stock leadership persists even as the biggest names drift lower. The largest stocks - often called the Magnificent 7 (Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Tesla) - have outsized influence on returns from market-cap-weighted indices (which weight by company size) such as the S&P 500. When these leaders lag, history shows it does not automatically presage a broad market downturn for long-term investors. It is a recurring feature of an upward-trending market: weight shifts as giants pause while broader cycles push higher. Charts and data illustrate how breadth can recover and gains continue even as top names underperform. Investors should distinguish short-term dips from a bearish outlook by focusing on the overall trend and fundamentals.
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