Salesforce earnings beat in first full quarter with Slack, but forecast slaps stock

Analysts on average expected adjusted earnings of 92 cents a share on sales of $6.8 billion, according to FactSet.

For the fiscal fourth quarter, Salesforce projected adjusted earnings of 72 cents to 73 cents a share on sales of $7.22 billion to $7.23 billion. Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 82 cents a share on sales of $7.24 billion, according to FactSet.

Salesforce raised its full-year expectations, just as it did in its first-quarter and second-quarter reports; management now expects full-year revenue of $26.39 billion to $26.4 billion and adjusted earnings of $4.68 to $4.69 a share, after projecting earnings of $4.36 to $4.38 a share on sales of $26.25 billion to $26.35 billion three months prior.

Salesforce shares fell more than 5% in after-hours trading immediately following release of the results, after closing with a 3.9% decline at $285.25.

Salesforce closed on its big-money acquisition of workplace-communications software Slack in late July, just before the third quarter began in August. The customer-relationship-management software company then made Slack the focus at its annual Dreamforce conference in September, showing off how it plans to integrate Slack with other large acquisitions, such as MuleSoft and Tableau, as well as its different verticals focused on specific industries.

For more: Salesforce’s deal for Slack creates a bigger threat to Microsoft

“Salesforce foresees a significant land-and-expand runway ahead for Slack, while the young platform now has the added benefit of an ‘army’ at its disposal to sell the product,” Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. analyst Brian J. White wrote in an earnings preview, while maintaining a buy rating and $328 price target.

Salesforce did not break out Slack’s quarterly performance in Tuesday’s release, but Chief Financial Officer Amy Weaver said, “Slack saw another strong quarter, and we are pleased with Slack’s representation in our largest deals.”

Salesforce executive Bret Taylor was heavily involved in the acquisition of Slack, and Salesforce separately announced Tuesday that he has been promoted to co-chief executive of the company, sharing the position with founder Marc Benioff. Taylor was previously president and chief operating officer of the company, and was announced as the new board chairman of Twitter Inc.
TWTR,
-4.02%
on Monday, part of the departure of that company’s CEO, Jack Dorsey.

“I’m grateful that Marc and our Board have put their faith in me to help lead Salesforce through our next chapter,” said Taylor, who will also service as vice chair of the Salesforce board, in a statement.

Salesforce previously promoted former Oracle Corp.
ORCL,
-2.37%
executive Keith Block to the co-CEO position with Benioff, but he left the company less than two years later.

Salesforce also announced that Williams-Sonoma Inc.
WSM,
-5.42%
CEO Laura Alber and former United Airlines Holdings Inc.
UAL,
-0.66%
CEO Oscar Munoz will join the company’s board. Alber’s appointment took effect immediately, while Munoz is expected to take his seat at the beginning of 2022.

Salesforce shares received a boost around Dreamforce time, but have fallen back in recent weeks after hitting record highs in early November. The stock suffered a six-session losing streak — its longest in nearly two years — that pulled prices down 7.7% before breaking that run Monday.

See also: For Salesforce investors, Slack must start supercharging growth — and the stock price

Overall, Salesforce shares have gained 28.4% so far this year, while the S&P 500 index
SPX,
-1.90%
has increased 23.9%.