I have a simple approach to investing – one that I’ve made hay with for better than 40 years. I find powerful storylines – and I find the companies best positioned to benefit. My strategy perfectly describes the opportunity we see right now with Salesforce Inc. (CRM), writes Bill Patalon, chief stock picker at Stock Picker’s Corner.
Salesforce is a bellwether for “AI Agents” – one of the next big growth windows of the Artificial Intelligence Era. AI Agents are super-sophisticated, high-tech “helpers.” They “sense” the environment they operate in, understand what needs to be done, and perform their tasks on their own – with no intervention at all.
AI Agents already excel in customer support (chatbots), coding assistance, data analysis, workflow automation/project management, threat detection in cybersecurity, and robot management in warehouses. And they’re already great at personalization (think product recommendations on Amazon or movie recommendations on Netflix).
It's not hyperbole to describe this opportunity as explosive. From about $8 billion in 2025 to $11.8 billion in 2026, the AI Agent market could “20x” to $252 billion by 2034 – a sizzling compound annual growth rate of 46.6%, says forecaster Forbes Business Insights.
But if AI Agents become a true consumer “product,” if self-improvement accelerates, and if security and regulatory questions get answered, more bullish forecasts see the market hitting $250 billion by 2030 and $500 billion or more by 2035. You’ll see the technology in every sector – finance, e-commerce, software, manufacturing, and even the military.
Which brings us back to Salesforce, whose “Agentforce” lineup has “branded” its AI Agents. Better yet, the company has been out of favor – gloomy – making it the kind of turnaround I like to find.
After years of 20% yearly sales growth, top-line growth decelerated into the mid-teens. That (and worries about CRM’s pace of transition to AI) saw the shares tumble as much as 40% from their 2025 peak at $367.
Aggressive cost cuts, a buyback plan, a faster AI pivot, and an upside earnings surprise (coupled with boosted guidance) the day before Thanksgiving rejuvenated the stock. More importantly, it started a sentiment shift, with investors now viewing this as a “turnaround play.” Consider using support levels as “accumulate” points for pullbacks. And watch AI Agents cook.
Recommended Action: Buy CRM.
