We recently published a list of 10 Best SaaS Stocks to Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) stands against other best SaaS stocks to invest in.
Mobile devices are now running more sophisticated and complicated software applications, which supports improving demand for SaaS solutions that can be accessed only with the help of an internet connection. As of now, continuous innovation has been helping businesses in running their operations globally. It continues to improve scalability and flexibility in data storage. Experts opine that the SaaS domain has been aiding in major decision-making and strategy-building as dynamic technologies such as AI and ML have been intersecting with it.
SaaS Growth Drivers for 2025
As per Fortune Business Insights, the global Software as a Service (SaaS) market size was pegged at US$273.55 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow from US$317.55 billion in 2024 to US$1,228.87 billion by 2032. The US SaaS market is expected to grow significantly, reaching an estimated value of US$236.69 billion by 2032, courtesy of the adoption of public and hybrid cloud-based tools by enterprises. Overall, the SaaS market growth is expected to be fueled by numerous factors such as an increase in the adoption of public & hybrid cloud-based solutions, integration with other tools, and centralized data-driven analytics.
As per Straits Research, increased demand for smart devices and their applications has been aiding the broader market. Notably, end-user demand for intelligent devices is supported by the expansion of email, instant messaging applications, and video calls. This is expected to contribute to the expansion of the SaaS market. Also, higher spending on cloud-based solutions by end-use businesses can accelerate the expansion of the broader SaaS industry over the upcoming years.
READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In.
Key Trends Likely to Help SaaS in 2025
With continuous advancements in technology, changing market demands, and increased dependence on cloud-based solutions, SaaS trends have been redefining the future of digital transformation for companies. Fortune Business Insights believes integrating AI and ML with SaaS Solutions will fuel broad-based market growth. This means that the adoption of AI/ML is expected to change the SaaS industry in many ways, mainly by improving the critical features of several software solutions. Notably, customizing & automating solutions, augmenting security, and improving human capacity are possible by incorporating SaaS solutions and AI/ML abilities.
Furthermore, SaaS has been continuously evolving and transforming services among cloud computing technologies. As per Fortune Business Insights, the key trending factors of SaaS are expected to continue to evolve and outline the future of cloud technologies, innovation, efficiency, and business values.
Our Methodology
To list the 10 Best SaaS Stocks to Invest In, we used a screener and scanned through several online rankings. Next, we chose the companies that were popular among hedge funds. Finally, the companies were arranged in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiments, as of Q3 2024.
At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A customer service team in an office setting using the company’s Customer 360 platform to communicate with customers.
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 116
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is in the SaaS industry as it provides cloud-based software solutions that are hosted and delivered over the internet. Bradley Sills, an analyst from Bank of America Securities, reiterated a “Buy” rating on the company’s shares with the same price target of $440.00. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is well-placed for a revenue growth acceleration to 12% – 13% YoY by H2 2026, says Sills. This growth is expected to be aided by an improved spending environment and the introduction of Agentforce.
SaaS adoption has been growing across industries because of its scalability, cost-efficiency, and accessibility. These increased demand trends for SaaS solutions align directly with Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)’s offerings, mainly its Customer 360 platform and CRM software. Furthermore, a rise of AI and ML in SaaS products offers Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) an avenue to strengthen its position via platforms such as Einstein AI.
The company’s established market position and vast customer base offer significant advantages as the broader CRM landscape evolves. Montaka Global Investments, an investment management company, released its Q4 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:
“There are multiple structural trends in the enterprise software space, including (i) the ongoing cloud migrations and digital transformations of enterprises, and (ii) the infusion of AI into software applications.
While the former remains in its early innings (80-85% of enterprise workloads still reside ‘on-premise’ – many of which will ultimately move to public clouds), the latter remains in its infancy.
Given all the hype of late, it’s hard to fathom that large-scale deployments of AI-based enterprise applications have barely even started. It’s all still to come. And we believe 2025 will be the first year that we really start to see meaningful deployments and adoption of these kinds of applications.
Consider another of our top 10 holdings, Salesforce, for example. Its revenue growth is at a cyclical low. Indeed, at just +8% per annum, as reported in the company’s most recent quarter, its rate of revenue growth has never been lower.
But in 2025, not only will price increases that were announced two years ago boost Salesforce, Inc.’s (NYSE:CRM) revenue growth, but the year will also mark the early stages of adoption of the company’s new ‘Agentforce’ (released only weeks ago). This is a new platform that lets businesses build and deploy their own custom AI agents to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experiences…” (Click here to read the full text)
Overall, CRM ranks 1st on our list of best SaaS stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of CRM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than CRM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
