Is Salesforce Inc. (CRM) the Best Stock for 10 Years?

We recently compiled a list of the Long-Term Stock Portfolio: Best Stocks for 10 Years. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) stands against the other long-term stocks.

To select stocks with long-term growth potential, investors should focus on fundamental analysis, evaluating financial health through earnings history, revenue growth, and profit margins. Companies that consistently demonstrate earnings growth and possess a strong competitive advantage are more likely to thrive over time. Investing in dividend-paying stocks is also beneficial, as those that regularly increase dividends indicate financial stability. Identifying stocks in growing industries, such as technology, renewable energy, and healthcare, can further guide investment choices. Diversification across various sectors reduces risk, ensuring that underperformance in one area can be balanced by gains in another. By combining such strategies, investors can improve their chances of finding promising stocks that align with long-term financial goals.

On December 26, Drew Pettit, Director at Citi Research, discussed his long-term investment strategy on CNBC as he looks ahead to 2025, emphasizing a “barbell” approach that balances high-growth stocks with lower valuation names. This is relevant for investors considering a long-term stock portfolio over the next decade. Pettit advocates for pairing mega-cap growth stocks with cyclical and defensive sectors, where fundamentals are expected to improve. He believes that adopting this barbell strategy can enhance portfolio resilience and capitalize on diverse market opportunities.

In the realm of AI, Pettit noted a growing enthusiasm among investors. He highlighted a shift in perception, moving beyond backend applications to include companies that are more customer-facing within the AI value chain. When it comes to specific investments within AI, Pettit expressed a preference for semiconductors over software at this time. He pointed to Marvell Technology as a standout choice, projecting that its custom AI chip business could experience remarkable growth, projected at 200% next year, followed by an additional 60% growth in the subsequent year.

Pettit also discussed his strategy for 2025 and outlined plans to reduce exposure to consumer stocks while focusing on attractive areas within the sector that are less sensitive to interest rates. He highlighted the potential of fintech and payment companies and said that they are well-positioned for long-term growth amid deregulation. Pettit emphasized that his firm’s focus is not on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin but on traditional payment networks. He expressed concerns about consumer data trends and interest rate changes, advocating for a balanced approach by seeking high-quality stocks less affected by rate fluctuations and recommending key positions such Big Tech for long-term investment.

Methodology

We first sifted through ETFs, online rankings, and internet lists to compile a list of the top blue-chip stocks with a 10-year revenue compound annual growth rate of over 10%. We then selected the 10 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q3 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.

Why are we interested in 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).

Macquarie Issues Neutral Rating on Salesforce (CRM) with $370 Target, Citing Agentforce 2.0 Progress

A customer service team in an office setting using the company’s Customer 360 platform to communicate with customers.

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM)

10-Year Revenue CAGR: 22.04%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 116

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) provides customer relationship management (CRM) technology that empowers businesses to manage customer interactions. In October, the company introduced Agentforce, an AI-powered platform for digital labor, which utilizes autonomous AI agents to augment human capabilities.

Its primary growth engine is now Agentforce. In FQ3 2025, the company secured over 200 Agentforce deals. Leading organizations such as FedEx, Adecco, Accenture, ACE Hardware, IBM, and RBC Wealth Management are constructing their digital labor forces on the Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) platform utilizing Agentforce.

The company anticipates Agentforce to divert between 25% and 50% of its annual case volume, with the potential for higher deflection rates in favorable scenarios. It’s expanding its global sales team by recruiting 1,400 Account Executives in FQ4. The Agentforce ecosystem has 80,000+ system integrators trained on the platform and 100s of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and technology partners developing and distributing AI agents. Consequently, Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) prioritizes responsible AI development and positions itself as the frontrunner in the enterprise AI platform market.

Parnassus Growth Equity Fund stated the following regarding Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) in its Q2 2024 investor letter, expressing confidence in the company’s ability to capitalize on AI opportunities:

“Salesforce, Inc.’s (NYSE:CRM) growth continues to moderate, and investors question its prospect as it relates to AI. We remain confident that the company, which developed the original salesforce automation product and pioneered the SaaS (software as a service) delivery model, is well positioned to capitalize on emerging AI opportunities.”

Overall CRM ranks 4th on our list of the best stocks for 10 years. While we acknowledge the growth potential of CRM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an 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.

READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.