Software Stocks Hit Historic Low Valuations Amid AI Concerns
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 17 2026
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Should l Buy NOW?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Declining Software Valuations: Software stocks have seen their forward P/E ratios drop to historic lows due to investor concerns over the long-term impact of generative AI, reflecting uncertainty about future profitability and widening discounts relative to the overall market.
- Salesforce Growth Potential: Salesforce's AI products achieved a 169% revenue growth over the past year, and despite a slowdown in overall revenue growth, management expects acceleration in the second half, forecasting $46 billion in revenue by 2027, indicating strong growth prospects.
- AI-Driven ServiceNow: ServiceNow's AI solutions reached an annual contract value of $600 million, exceeding management's $500 million goal, with expectations to hit $1 billion by 2026, showcasing its robust growth potential in the AI sector.
- Market Reaction and Investment Opportunities: Despite the uncertainties posed by generative AI, analysts believe the current low valuations present a favorable risk-reward opportunity for investors, particularly in companies like Salesforce and ServiceNow that demonstrate strong long-term growth potential.
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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: 90.500
Low
172.00
Averages
222.81
High
263.00
Current: 90.500
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.
- Revenue Growth: ServiceNow achieved a 19% year-over-year increase in subscription revenue in Q1, and despite concerns about future growth leading to a stock sell-off, management slightly raised its full-year guidance, indicating confidence in future performance.
- Acquisition Impact: The company drove revenue growth through acquisitions of MoveWorks, Veza, and Pyramid in Q1, with MoveWorks making a significant contribution throughout the quarter, demonstrating the effectiveness of its acquisition strategy despite limited impact from the latter two.
- Performance Obligation Growth: Remaining performance obligations grew by 25% year-over-year in Q1, reaching $27.7 billion, with $12.6 billion expected to be realized in the next 12 months, reflecting strong market demand and customer trust.
- Long-Term Strategic Planning: Management outlined a goal of reaching $30 billion in subscription revenue by 2026, with AI solution Now Assist expected to drive this growth, while also planning to reduce stock-based compensation and increase share repurchases to enhance earnings per share.
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- Significant Investment: Trump purchased between $247,008 and $630,000 worth of Palantir stock in Q1 2026, indicating strong confidence in the company's potential, particularly in the AI sector.
- Frequent Transactions: In March alone, Trump executed at least seven trades totaling up to $530,000 in Palantir shares, suggesting an active strategy to capitalize on short-term price fluctuations amid market volatility.
- Market Reaction: Trump's praise for Palantir coincided with the stock's worst week in over a year, reflecting investor concerns about its future prospects; his endorsement may help bolster investor confidence in the company.
- Diversified Investments: In addition to Palantir, Trump also invested in Nvidia, ServiceNow, and other tech firms during the same period, demonstrating a broad interest in AI and software, potentially aiming to mitigate risks and seize growth opportunities across the sector.
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- Investment Activity: In the first quarter of 2026, Trump purchased between $247,008 and $630,000 worth of Palantir shares, making at least seven transactions in March totaling up to $530,000, indicating strong confidence in the company.
- Market Reaction: Trump's public praise for Palantir on Truth Social coincided with the stock experiencing its worst week in over a year, reflecting market concerns about its future performance, particularly amid the backdrop of the Iran war.
- Transaction Transparency: Trump's investments are managed independently by third-party financial institutions, with all trades executed automatically, indicating he has no direct involvement in specific investment decisions, aimed at eliminating potential conflicts of interest.
- Technological Support: Palantir's applications in defense technology have garnered Trump's favor, especially regarding modernization military needs, highlighting its strategic importance in government contracts and the defense market.
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- High Volume of Transactions: Trump's financial disclosures for Q1 2026 reveal over 3,700 transactions valued between $220 million and $750 million, indicating his active engagement in financial markets and preference for tech stocks.
- Focus on Tech Stocks: The majority of Trump's purchases and sales were concentrated in the tech sector, including companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, reflecting his strategic investment approach and confidence in technology.
- Timing of Transactions: Some of Trump's trades coincided with significant news from the companies involved, such as his Nvidia stock purchase preceding a major chip deal announcement with Meta, suggesting a keen awareness of market movements.
- Trust Management of Assets: A White House spokesperson stated that Trump's assets are managed by a trust overseen by his children, asserting no conflicts of interest, although presidents are permitted to hold and trade stocks while in office, they must report such transactions.
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- Investor Confidence Boosted: Jim Cramer emphasizes that Microsoft's strong balance sheet enables it to pursue revolutionary innovations, and despite a nearly 12% recent stock price drop, he views this as a reasonable buying opportunity, reflecting confidence in Microsoft's future.
- Hedge Fund Accumulation: Following Bill Ackman's Pershing Square disclosure of its stake in Microsoft, shares rose approximately 4%, indicating market approval of this investment decision, while around 95% of analysts maintain a buy-equivalent rating on the stock, showcasing widespread optimism.
- Focus on R&D Investment: Ackman highlights Microsoft's commitment to R&D in Copilot and M365, believing these efforts will enhance product velocity and customer adoption, despite market concerns about AI-driven layoffs; he argues that Microsoft's long-term potential is underestimated.
- Market Dynamics Analysis: Cramer opposes the trend of investors flocking to enterprise software stocks lacking meaningful catalysts, asserting that Microsoft's growth is more reliant on cloud computing than traditional software, underscoring its unique position in the current market landscape.
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- Massive Transaction Volume: Trump's financial disclosures for Q1 2026 reveal over 3,700 transactions valued between $220 million and $750 million, indicating his significant activity and influence in the financial markets.
- Focus on Tech Stocks: The transactions predominantly involve tech giants like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, reflecting Trump's strategic emphasis on the technology sector and investment approach.
- Timing Coincidences: Some trades coincided with major news from the companies involved, such as purchasing Nvidia stock a week before a significant chip deal with Meta, suggesting Trump's potential sensitivity to market dynamics.
- Trust Management Transparency: The White House stated that Trump's assets are held in a trust managed by his children, asserting that
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