ServiceNow Stock Plummets 18.3%, Dragging Market Down
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 day ago
0mins
Should l Buy NOW?
Source: Fool
- Stock Plunge: ServiceNow's stock fell 18.3% during Thursday's trading, significantly dragging down the broader market, with the S&P 500 down 0.7% at the same time.
- Earnings Report: Despite reporting Q1 earnings of $0.97 per share and revenue of $3.77 billion, both in line with analyst expectations, the stock faced an unprecedented sell-off, marking the largest single-day loss in its history.
- Revenue Growth and Outlook: The company achieved a 22% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1; however, concerns over lower-than-expected gross margin guidance and deal delays due to the Iran war have heightened market anxieties about future performance.
- Market Overreaction: Although ServiceNow's subscription revenue growth guidance is between 21% and 21.5%, and its gross margin target of 81.5% fell short of Wall Street's 82.1% estimate, the market's reaction may be overly pessimistic given the overall solid performance.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy NOW?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on NOW
Wall Street analysts forecast NOW stock price to rise
32 Analyst Rating
30 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 84.780
Low
172.00
Averages
222.81
High
263.00
Current: 84.780
Low
172.00
Averages
222.81
High
263.00
About NOW
ServiceNow, Inc. provides an artificial intelligence (AI) platform for business transformation. The Company’s AI platform connects people, processes, data, and devices to increase productivity and maximize business outcomes. Its intelligent platform, the Now Platform, is a cloud-based solution that helps enterprises and organizations across public and private sectors digitize workflows. The workflow applications built on the Now Platform are organized into four primary areas: Technology, CRM and Industry, Core Business and Creator. Its products include IT Service Management, IT Operations Management, HR Service Delivery, ServiceNow AI Agents, AI Experience, Build Agent, ServiceNow AI Control Tower, AI Agent Fabric, RaptorDB, Workflow Data Fabric, Workplace Service Delivery, ServiceNow Platform Encryption, Telecommunications Service Operations Management, and others. The Company also offers identity security, helping organizations secure access across the enterprise.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Pricing Model Shift: CFO Gina Mastantuono revealed that over 50% of new business for ServiceNow now comes from non-seat-based pricing models, indicating a strategic pivot as enterprises increasingly adopt AI tools, despite pressures on traditional seat-based pricing.
- Strong Revenue Growth: The company reported a 22.1% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1, with projections indicating that its AI annual contract value (ACV) will exceed $1.5 billion by 2026, a 50% increase from the previous $1 billion target, showcasing robust market demand.
- Stock Price Volatility: Despite solid fundamentals, ServiceNow's stock experienced a historic 19% drop on April 23, attributed to a slight decline in gross margin outlook and delays in large deals in the Middle East, leading to a short-term market reaction.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: Investment firms like BTIG, Needham, and Stifel maintain their Buy ratings, anticipating that as acquisitions are finalized and AI integration progresses, ServiceNow's performance will continue to improve in the coming months.
See More
- Significant Price Surge: Poet Technologies' stock surged 28.8% on Friday, reflecting strong investor confidence amidst a broader market rally, particularly after a pullback the previous day, indicating a resurgence of optimism in tech stocks.
- Impressive Weekly Gain: Over the past week, Poet's stock has climbed 120.5%, showcasing the company's potential in the fiber optics sector and attracting increased investor interest, which further fueled the stock's rise.
- Positive Order Confirmation: CFO confirmed an order with Marvell, projecting approximately $5 million in orders this year, which bolsters market confidence in Poet's long-term prospects and suggests potential for contract amounts to exceed initial expectations.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Following ServiceNow's quarterly results, the market's cautious stance on tech stocks quickly reversed, with investors resuming purchases in AI and other tech sectors, exemplified by Poet's strong performance as part of this trend.
See More
- Significant Price Surge: Poet Technologies stock surged 28.8% in Friday's trading, rebounding strongly after a pullback the previous day, indicating a restoration of investor confidence in the company.
- Weekly Performance Highlights: Over the past week, Poet's stock price has increased by 120.5%, outperforming the S&P 500's 0.8% and the Nasdaq Composite's 1.6% gains, showcasing its robust performance within the tech sector.
- Partnership with Marvell: Poet confirmed securing an order with Marvell, projecting approximately $5 million in orders this year, which significantly boosts market optimism regarding its long-term prospects and may lead to further increases in contract values.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Following ServiceNow's quarterly results, the market exhibited a brief cautious stance towards tech stocks, but investors quickly resumed buying interest in AI and other tech stocks, reflecting strong demand for companies like Poet.
See More
- S&P 500 Hits Record High: The S&P 500 index rose by 0.80%, closing at an all-time high, reflecting market optimism about economic recovery, particularly driven by technology stocks, which further solidifies investor confidence.
- Intel's Strong Performance: Intel's stock surged over 23% after forecasting Q2 revenue between $13.8 billion and $14.8 billion, significantly exceeding the $13.04 billion expectation, indicating strong confidence in the semiconductor industry's potential driven by artificial intelligence, which may spark increased investment in the sector.
- Consumer Confidence Rebounds: The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index was revised upward to 49.8, surpassing the expected 48.5, suggesting an increase in consumer confidence regarding economic prospects, which could drive consumer spending and economic growth.
- International Dynamics Affecting Markets: Progress in US-Iran negotiations has boosted market sentiment; despite tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, optimism about future talks may alleviate energy price pressures and promote stock market gains.
See More
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices reached new all-time highs in April, rising over 8% and 13% respectively, indicating robust market resilience despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and AI disruption concerns, reflecting investor confidence in tech stocks.
- Earnings Pressure on Tech Giants: Next week, five of the 'Magnificent Seven' companies will report earnings, with market expectations for them to demonstrate sufficient revenue growth to justify their high AI expenditures; Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have all seen stock price increases of over 10% this month, highlighting the market's keen interest in their performance.
- Federal Reserve Meeting Impact: This is expected to be Jerome Powell's last meeting as chair, with the market widely anticipating that the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged, although rising oil prices could complicate future monetary policy, necessitating close attention to how this dynamic may affect the market.
- Cautious Investor Sentiment: As the traditional market adage 'Sell in May' approaches, investors remain wary of potential downside risks, particularly in light of poor software stock performance and rising oil prices, which could further dampen market sentiment.
See More
- Comcast Downgrade: Comcast's stock fell nearly 8% after Deutsche Bank downgraded its rating from Buy to Hold, with analysts indicating that while there is visibility into sustainable revenue and EBITDA growth, they do not expect multiple expansion, highlighting challenges in a stable but non-growing business environment.
- HCA Healthcare Decline: HCA Healthcare's stock dropped over 7% due to a milder flu season resulting in fewer patient admissions, and although the company narrowly beat analyst profit estimates, investors are concerned about declining patient demand as Affordable Care Act subsidies phase out.
- Organon Surge: Organon's stock spiked 22% following a report from The Economic Times that Sun Pharma plans to submit a $13 billion offer for the U.S.-based company, which could significantly enhance Organon's market value and investor confidence.
- Intel Earnings Beat: Intel reported first-quarter earnings of 29 cents per share on revenue of $13.58 billion, both exceeding Wall Street expectations, leading to a stock rally of over 23%, indicating a strong recovery momentum in the semiconductor market that may boost overall industry investment enthusiasm.
See More











