Salesforce likely to overcome the low Q1 bar – Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer maintained an Outperform rating and a $225 price target on Salesforce (NYSE:) in a note previewing the company’s first-quarter results.

Analysts told investors there were mixed trends during the quarter, but the company will likely overcome a low bar.

“Our research mosaic and field checks point to mixed trends for Salesforce,” said the analysts. “We found some degradation to the business environment during the quarter, and we expect the bookings results to show moderating growth in F1Q.”

“Positively, there has been a greater level of focus on the sales organization from tighter monitoring of deal closure by sales management, heavy discounting, and a willingness to compete more frequently with the channel partners.”

Overall, Oppenheimer expects CRM’s first quarter results to be ahead of the low bar set after a challenging FY2023 for Salesforce’s execution. The analysts also believe there is evidence supporting an upward bias to the consensus operating margin trajectory.