ServiceNow Shares Drop 12% Despite Q4 Beat; Organic Growth Slows to 19%

NOWNOW

ServiceNow's stock plunged 12% after it reported Q4 revenue of $3.57 billion (21% YoY) and EPS of $0.92. Investors cited slowing 19% organic growth, AI competition risks, and $10.6 billion in recent acquisitions (Moveworks $2.85 billion; Armis $7.75 billion) trading at 33x earnings.

1. Prolonged Share Decline Raises Investor Alarm

ServiceNow’s stock has tumbled 37% over the roughly three-month period from late October through January, driven in large part by investor worries about AI disruption in the enterprise software market and a more cautious forward outlook. This steep pullback has overshadowed the company’s steady revenue growth, prompting questions about whether the recent correction represents a structural threat or a temporary valuation reset.

2. Q4 Performance Highlights Solid Fundamentals

In its fourth quarter, ServiceNow reported $3.57 billion in revenue, marking 21% year-over-year growth, and delivered $0.92 in earnings per share, comfortably above consensus estimates. Excluding its recently acquired businesses, organic revenue growth was 19%, just shy of the 20% threshold that many growth investors target. The company also reiterated its commitment to returning capital to shareholders through an active share repurchase program.

3. Valuation Compression and Acquisition Strategy Under Scrutiny

Shares currently trade at roughly 33 times trailing earnings, a multiple that ‘Mad Money’ host Jim Cramer has described as being under pressure from a broader reassessment of price-to-earnings ratios in the software sector. Investor unease has been amplified by ServiceNow’s aggressive acquisitions, including its $2.85 billion Moveworks purchase and the $7.75 billion Armis deal, raising questions about integration risk and the impact on long-term margin expansion. Management’s cautious guidance for fiscal 2026 has done little to reassure markets, even as high-quality growth names in the sector attract renewed buying interest.

Sources

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