655,838 Shares in Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) Purchased by Demars Financial Group LLC

Demars Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 655,838 shares of the CRM provider's stock, valued at approximately $219,266,000. Salesforce comprises about 0.7% of Demars Financial Group LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Demars Financial Group LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Salesforce at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new position in shares of Salesforce during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC raised its position 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 stake in Salesforce during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of Salesforce in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Salesforce during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 80.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Salesforce Stock Performance

Shares of CRM traded down $13.39 on Monday, reaching $233.87. 3,602,757 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,771,248. Salesforce, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.00 and a 52-week high of $369.00. The stock has a market cap of $224.75 billion, a PE ratio of 38.47, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.38. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $281.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $309.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

Salesforce Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 10th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. This is a boost from Salesforce's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 10th. Salesforce's payout ratio is presently 26.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "sell" rating and set a $247.00 price objective on shares of Salesforce in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Salesforce from $425.00 to $375.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Salesforce from $430.00 to $400.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Salesforce from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $380.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Salesforce in a report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and five have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Salesforce currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $358.97.

Insider Transactions at Salesforce

In related news, CFO Amy E. Weaver sold 897 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.28, for a total transaction of $298,055.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 46,750 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,534,090. This trade represents a 1.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Brian Millham sold 708 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.28, for a total transaction of $235,254.24. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 1,239 shares in the company, valued at $411,694.92. This trade represents a 36.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 47,654 shares of company stock worth $14,124,094 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.20% of the company's stock.

Salesforce Company Profile

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.