Software Stocks Plummet as AI Advances Threaten Major Players like Intuit and Adobe
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 20 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ADBE?
Source: CNBC
- Market Leadership Shaken: Major software companies like Intuit, ServiceNow, GoDaddy, AppLovin, and Adobe have become the worst performers in the S&P 500 this year, reflecting investor concerns that AI advancements may disrupt the enterprise software market.
- Pricing Model Risks: The rise of AI agents threatens traditional 'per-seat' subscription models, potentially undermining predictable revenue streams for software companies and diminishing investor confidence in these stocks.
- Cost Decline Expectations: Analysts predict that as coding costs approach zero, barriers to deploying enterprise software will be lowered, allowing AI to better understand context and driving the adoption of software solutions.
- Investor Sentiment Volatility: Despite the current sell-off in software stocks, analysts believe this trend may be short-lived, as further AI integration and revenue acceleration by software companies could improve market sentiment.
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Analyst Views on ADBE
Wall Street analysts forecast ADBE stock price to rise
26 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
11 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 241.370
Low
270.00
Averages
431.08
High
660.00
Current: 241.370
Low
270.00
Averages
431.08
High
660.00
About ADBE
Adobe Inc. is a global technology company. The Company's products, services and solutions are used around the world to imagine, create, manage, deliver, measure, optimize and engage with content across surfaces and fuel digital experiences. Its segments include Digital Media, Digital Experience, and Publishing and Advertising. The Digital Media segment is centered around Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud, which include Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Photoshop and other products, offering a variety of tools for creative professionals, communicators and other consumers. The Digital Experience segment provides an integrated platform and set of products, services and solutions through Adobe Experience Cloud. The Publishing and Advertising segment contains legacy products and services. In addition, its Adobe GenStudio solution allows businesses to simplify their content supply chain process with generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and intelligent automation.
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.
Figma Faces Competitive Pressure and Growth Challenges
- Growing Customer Base: Figma currently boasts over 15,000 paying customers and generated over $1 billion in revenue last year, reflecting a robust 41% growth, indicating strong potential in the digital prototyping and collaboration platform market.
- Intensifying Market Competition: While Figma's technology excels in visual user interface creation, the lack of a defensible moat exposes it to threats from competitors like Adobe XD and Microsoft, which could impact its market share.
- Rising Operating Costs: As revenue increases, Figma's operating costs, particularly in research and development and sales/marketing, are also rising, leading to escalating losses that suggest its growth may not be sustainable.
- Dismal Investment Return Outlook: Despite Figma's market capitalization reaching $10 billion, the expected return on its stock over the next few years may be limited, prompting investors to carefully assess its long-term investment value.
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Analysis of Software Stocks: Values or Traps?
- ServiceNow Stock Performance: ServiceNow's shares have dropped 34% over the past year and 32% year-to-date, although analysts have raised earnings estimates three times in the last 60 days for 2026, indicating a bullish outlook for the company.
- Salesforce Valuation Analysis: Salesforce's stock has decreased by 12% over the last five years and 29.5% year-to-date, with a forward P/E of 14.1, which is considered a value indicator, and earnings are expected to rise by 4.6% in fiscal 2027.
- Palantir Stock Dynamics: Palantir has surged 528% in the last five years but has seen a 17.7% decline year-to-date in 2026, with a forward P/E of 104.9 indicating it is still perceived as overvalued, despite expected earnings growth of 74.7% in 2026.
- Adobe Price Trends: Adobe's shares have fallen 49% over the past five years and 31% year-to-date, currently trading at a forward P/E of 10.3, with earnings expected to rise by 12.3% in 2026, highlighting its attractiveness in the current market environment.
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Microsoft Faces AI Growth Pressure as Stock Plummets
- Stock Plunge: Microsoft experienced a 23% drop in stock price during Q1, marking its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 financial crisis, significantly outpacing the Nasdaq's 7% decline, indicating investor concerns over its AI growth prospects that could impact future financing capabilities.
- AI Assistant Challenges: Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant has seen low user adoption, with only 3% of commercial Office customers holding licenses, forcing the company to allocate Azure cloud resources for improvements to maintain market share amid fierce competition.
- Executive Shake-up: Microsoft reassigned Copilot development head Mustafa Suleyman and appointed former Snap executive Jacob Andreou to lead the Copilot experience for consumers and commercial clients, raising market concerns about the company's strategic direction and potentially affecting team morale.
- Cloud Business Growth: Despite challenges, Microsoft's Azure cloud service achieved a 39% revenue growth in the December quarter, with commercial remaining performance obligations exceeding $625 billion, reflecting strong demand in the cloud infrastructure market that may support the company's future.
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- Disappointing Quarterly Performance: Microsoft experienced a staggering 23% drop in stock value during Q1 2023, marking its steepest decline since the 2008 financial crisis, reflecting investor concerns over its AI prospects and resulting in significant market capitalization loss.
- Concerns Over AI ROI: While Microsoft remains a leader in cloud computing and productivity software, its AI assistant Copilot has only achieved a 3% adoption rate among commercial Office customers, failing to meet market expectations and potentially hindering future revenue growth.
- Executive Shake-Up Impact: The recent reassignment of Copilot development head Mustafa Suleyman raises concerns about leadership effectiveness, especially as the new team faces intense competition from rivals like Google and OpenAI, which could affect the company's strategic direction.
- Strong Cloud Business Growth: Despite challenges, Microsoft's Azure cloud service reported a 39% revenue increase in the December quarter, with commercial remaining performance obligations exceeding $625 billion, indicating strong potential and demand in the AI sector.
See More
Software Stocks Plummet; Adobe Emerges as Top Pick
- ServiceNow Strong Growth: In Q4 2025, ServiceNow's subscription revenue surged 21% year-over-year to $3.47 billion, indicating robust business momentum; however, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 63, the market is pricing in high expectations for future growth, meaning any slowdown could lead to significant stock revaluation.
- Salesforce Cooling Core Business: Salesforce's total revenue for fiscal 2026 increased by 10% year-over-year to $41.5 billion, and while its AI initiatives contributed $2.9 billion in recurring revenue, the overall growth rate has notably slowed, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 24 suggesting a grounded valuation but lacking clear buy signals.
- Adobe's Strong Performance: Adobe's total revenue rose 12% year-over-year to $6.4 billion in Q1 2026, and despite a 31% drop in stock price year-to-date, its price-to-earnings ratio stands at just 14, reflecting a cheap valuation alongside a trailing free cash flow of $10.3 billion, indicating solid fundamentals.
- Market Concerns Over AI Impact: While Adobe's fundamentals remain strong, there are growing market concerns regarding how generative AI could disrupt creative workflows and diminish pricing power; nevertheless, the current valuation has already incorporated a significant amount of pessimism, making it a relatively attractive investment option.
See More
Software Company Earnings Analysis: Current Status and Outlook
- Current Performance: In Q4 2025, ServiceNow's subscription revenue surged 21% year-over-year to $3.47 billion, reflecting strong business momentum, yet its high P/E ratio of 63 indicates that the market expects continued robust growth.
- Sales Growth: Salesforce's total revenue increased 10% year-over-year to $41.5 billion in fiscal 2026, and while its growth rate is significantly slower than ServiceNow's, the company is pushing its Data 360 platform and Agentforce AI to rejuvenate its core business.
- Adobe Valuation: Adobe's total revenue rose 12% year-over-year to $6.4 billion in Q1 2026, and despite a 31% drop in stock price year-to-date, its P/E ratio of just 14 suggests a relatively cheap valuation that may attract investors.
- Market Risks: Although Adobe's fundamentals are strong, there are concerns about how generative AI could disrupt creative workflows, and if new tools reduce the need for its premium creative suites, the company's pricing power could be eroded.
See More
Figma Faces Competitive Pressure and Growth Challenges
- Growing Customer Base: Figma currently boasts over 15,000 paying customers and generated over $1 billion in revenue last year, reflecting a robust 41% growth, indicating strong potential in the digital prototyping and collaboration platform market.
- Intensifying Market Competition: While Figma's technology excels in visual user interface creation, the lack of a defensible moat exposes it to threats from competitors like Adobe XD and Microsoft, which could impact its market share.
- Rising Operating Costs: As revenue increases, Figma's operating costs, particularly in research and development and sales/marketing, are also rising, leading to escalating losses that suggest its growth may not be sustainable.
- Dismal Investment Return Outlook: Despite Figma's market capitalization reaching $10 billion, the expected return on its stock over the next few years may be limited, prompting investors to carefully assess its long-term investment value.
See More
Analysis of Software Stocks: Values or Traps?
- ServiceNow Stock Performance: ServiceNow's shares have dropped 34% over the past year and 32% year-to-date, although analysts have raised earnings estimates three times in the last 60 days for 2026, indicating a bullish outlook for the company.
- Salesforce Valuation Analysis: Salesforce's stock has decreased by 12% over the last five years and 29.5% year-to-date, with a forward P/E of 14.1, which is considered a value indicator, and earnings are expected to rise by 4.6% in fiscal 2027.
- Palantir Stock Dynamics: Palantir has surged 528% in the last five years but has seen a 17.7% decline year-to-date in 2026, with a forward P/E of 104.9 indicating it is still perceived as overvalued, despite expected earnings growth of 74.7% in 2026.
- Adobe Price Trends: Adobe's shares have fallen 49% over the past five years and 31% year-to-date, currently trading at a forward P/E of 10.3, with earnings expected to rise by 12.3% in 2026, highlighting its attractiveness in the current market environment.
See More
Microsoft Faces AI Growth Pressure as Stock Plummets
- Stock Plunge: Microsoft experienced a 23% drop in stock price during Q1, marking its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 financial crisis, significantly outpacing the Nasdaq's 7% decline, indicating investor concerns over its AI growth prospects that could impact future financing capabilities.
- AI Assistant Challenges: Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant has seen low user adoption, with only 3% of commercial Office customers holding licenses, forcing the company to allocate Azure cloud resources for improvements to maintain market share amid fierce competition.
- Executive Shake-up: Microsoft reassigned Copilot development head Mustafa Suleyman and appointed former Snap executive Jacob Andreou to lead the Copilot experience for consumers and commercial clients, raising market concerns about the company's strategic direction and potentially affecting team morale.
- Cloud Business Growth: Despite challenges, Microsoft's Azure cloud service achieved a 39% revenue growth in the December quarter, with commercial remaining performance obligations exceeding $625 billion, reflecting strong demand in the cloud infrastructure market that may support the company's future.
See More
Microsoft Faces Challenges as Stock Plummets 23% in Q1
- Disappointing Quarterly Performance: Microsoft experienced a staggering 23% drop in stock value during Q1 2023, marking its steepest decline since the 2008 financial crisis, reflecting investor concerns over its AI prospects and resulting in significant market capitalization loss.
- Concerns Over AI ROI: While Microsoft remains a leader in cloud computing and productivity software, its AI assistant Copilot has only achieved a 3% adoption rate among commercial Office customers, failing to meet market expectations and potentially hindering future revenue growth.
- Executive Shake-Up Impact: The recent reassignment of Copilot development head Mustafa Suleyman raises concerns about leadership effectiveness, especially as the new team faces intense competition from rivals like Google and OpenAI, which could affect the company's strategic direction.
- Strong Cloud Business Growth: Despite challenges, Microsoft's Azure cloud service reported a 39% revenue increase in the December quarter, with commercial remaining performance obligations exceeding $625 billion, indicating strong potential and demand in the AI sector.
See More
Software Stocks Plummet; Adobe Emerges as Top Pick
- ServiceNow Strong Growth: In Q4 2025, ServiceNow's subscription revenue surged 21% year-over-year to $3.47 billion, indicating robust business momentum; however, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 63, the market is pricing in high expectations for future growth, meaning any slowdown could lead to significant stock revaluation.
- Salesforce Cooling Core Business: Salesforce's total revenue for fiscal 2026 increased by 10% year-over-year to $41.5 billion, and while its AI initiatives contributed $2.9 billion in recurring revenue, the overall growth rate has notably slowed, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 24 suggesting a grounded valuation but lacking clear buy signals.
- Adobe's Strong Performance: Adobe's total revenue rose 12% year-over-year to $6.4 billion in Q1 2026, and despite a 31% drop in stock price year-to-date, its price-to-earnings ratio stands at just 14, reflecting a cheap valuation alongside a trailing free cash flow of $10.3 billion, indicating solid fundamentals.
- Market Concerns Over AI Impact: While Adobe's fundamentals remain strong, there are growing market concerns regarding how generative AI could disrupt creative workflows and diminish pricing power; nevertheless, the current valuation has already incorporated a significant amount of pessimism, making it a relatively attractive investment option.
See More
Software Company Earnings Analysis: Current Status and Outlook
- Current Performance: In Q4 2025, ServiceNow's subscription revenue surged 21% year-over-year to $3.47 billion, reflecting strong business momentum, yet its high P/E ratio of 63 indicates that the market expects continued robust growth.
- Sales Growth: Salesforce's total revenue increased 10% year-over-year to $41.5 billion in fiscal 2026, and while its growth rate is significantly slower than ServiceNow's, the company is pushing its Data 360 platform and Agentforce AI to rejuvenate its core business.
- Adobe Valuation: Adobe's total revenue rose 12% year-over-year to $6.4 billion in Q1 2026, and despite a 31% drop in stock price year-to-date, its P/E ratio of just 14 suggests a relatively cheap valuation that may attract investors.
- Market Risks: Although Adobe's fundamentals are strong, there are concerns about how generative AI could disrupt creative workflows, and if new tools reduce the need for its premium creative suites, the company's pricing power could be eroded.
See More
