Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) Stock Holdings Lifted by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM - Free Report) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 46,335 shares of the CRM provider's stock after buying an additional 1,921 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Salesforce were worth $15,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of CRM. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in Salesforce in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Salesforce in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC raised its holdings in shares of Salesforce by 85.1% during the fourth quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 87 shares of the CRM provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of Salesforce during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new position in Salesforce in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.43% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CRM. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on Salesforce from $415.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Salesforce in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of Salesforce in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set an "overweight" rating and a $210.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Salesforce from $425.00 to $375.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Macquarie reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 target price on shares of Salesforce in a report on Thursday, March 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, thirty-two have issued a buy rating and five have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Salesforce currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $350.56.

Salesforce Price Performance

NYSE CRM opened at $275.21 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $264.58 billion, a PE ratio of 45.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.42. Salesforce, Inc. has a 12-month low of $212.00 and a 12-month high of $369.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $269.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $307.82.

Salesforce Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 10th were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Salesforce's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Salesforce's payout ratio is presently 26.10%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider R David Schmaier sold 6,959 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.31, for a total value of $1,762,784.29. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 36,090 shares in the company, valued at $9,141,957.90. This trade represents a 16.17 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Amy E. Weaver sold 6,221 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.18, for a total transaction of $2,041,607.78. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 46,750 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,342,415. This trade represents a 11.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 45,330 shares of company stock valued at $12,769,861 over the last three months. 3.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale.

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