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Q4: 2026-02-26 Earnings Summary

EPS of $0.48 misses by $0.18

 | Revenue of $373.55M (-2.82% Y/Y) misses by $1.44M

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Salesforce’s quarterly results cleared expectations, with revenue growing 12%.

This fiscal year, the company expects its top line to rise by about 10%, in line with last year.

Chief Executive Marc Benioff said he wasn’t fazed by the recent selloff in software stocks. “This is not our first SaaS-pocalypse,” he said, referring to software-as-a-service.

Shares (CRM) closed 4% higher. Through Thursday, the stock had lost about one-quarter of its value in 2026.

China’s viral app “Are You Dead?” explores the complexities of solo living and evolving social connections, addressing deeper societal challenges in modern relationships and individual experiences.

Key Points

• App Concept: “Are You Dead?” is a viral Chinese app that uses interactive questions to prompt users to reflect on mortality, relationships, and social connections.
• Solo Living Trend: It highlights the rise of solo living in urban China, especially among younger generations, driven by urbanization, mobility, and shifting cultural norms.
• Social Bonds: The app underscores challenges in maintaining meaningful relationships, encouraging users to confront loneliness and isolation.

China’s viral app, “Are You Dead?”, serves as a poignant reflection of contemporary societal dynamics, particularly the intricacies of solo living and the evolving nature of social connections. The app has gained popularity for its unique premise, which invites users to reflect on their mortality and relationships through a series of engaging interactive questions. This framework not only entertains but also illuminates deeper existential queries that modern individuals face.

The rise of solo living in urban China, particularly among younger generations, underscores a broader trend of shifting social ties. Many individuals find themselves navigating life independently, leading to both opportunities for personal growth and challenges in maintaining meaningful connections. The app encapsulates these dualities by prompting users to contemplate their social circles, fostering introspection about the quality of their relationships. This phenomenon reveals a societal challenge where traditional interpersonal connections are strained or transformed, often due to rapid urbanization, increased mobility, and evolving cultural norms.

As users engage with “Are You Dead?”, they are encouraged to confront uncomfortable truths about their social isolation, prompting important discussions about loneliness and community. This interaction serves a therapeutic function, allowing individuals to process their feelings and potentially reconnect with estranged friends or family. By framing death within the context of social connectivity, the app stimulates dialogue around precarious modern relationships, reinforcing the significance of maintaining connections in an increasingly individualistic society.

Moreover, the app highlights the paradox of technology in social interaction. While it provides a platform for engagement and reflection, it can also exacerbate feelings of isolation if users become overly reliant on digital solutions for social fulfillment. This duality invites a critical examination of how technology shapes human relationships and personal identities. Ultimately, “Are You Dead?” is more than just a viral trend; it encapsulates the contemporary struggle with solitude and the quest for meaningful connections in a rapidly changing world.

Read the original article : Are You Dead? China’s viral app reveals a complex reality of solo living and changing social ties

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Rodney Benson, a media professor at New York University, called the deal “concerning”, would leave America’s largest media companies further concentrated in the hands of conservatives. Many of those owners, including the Ellison family, have separate, non news-related business interests that depend on government contracts or regulation and are therefore particularly vulnerable to pressure, he adds.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, met his Indian counterpart in New Delhi Thursday. The meeting comes less than a week after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs.

India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal hailed the talks as “very fruitful,” posting a picture of the three officials smiling together. The meeting signaled renewed momentum, even though India had been among the first Asian nations to react to the court’s decision. 

Just days earlier, New Delhi had postponed talks with Washington aimed at finalizing a trade framework. Still, uncertainty lingers as the deal hangs in the balance. In a press statement, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, “We are studying all these developments for their implications.”

In the aftermath of the court’s ruling, the Trump administration introduced a temporary 10% baseline tariff as several countries began to reassess their positions. 

TRUMP RIPS SUPREME COURT TARIFF RULING IN SOTU, VOWS NEW LEGAL FIGHT AFTER 6-3 BLOW

“The Supreme Court verdict has created a trilemma for U.S. trade partners, including India,” Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative, told FOX Business. “Everyone is waiting for more clarity.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. announced a trade framework easing reciprocal duties, bringing relief to Indian markets. Under that arrangement, U.S. tariffs on Indian goods were set to fall to 18%, higher than the current 10% baseline. India had also agreed to purchase $500 billion worth of U.S. goods over five years. 

The deal was expected to take effect in April. But with the tariff landscape now changed, the South Asian giant could stand to benefit, and experts say it may have gained leverage.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick talks about the Trump Gold Card as President Donald Trump looks on during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Fox News/Pool / Fox News)

“The new tariff is lower than the negotiated rate, and the uniform levy erases the competitive advantage concessions were meant to secure,” Srivastava said. “There is little rationale for offering tariff cuts, investment pledges or procurement commitments to Washington, especially when identical access to the U.S. market is available even without a deal.” 

TRUMP TRIMS SOME TARIFFS AFTER SUPREME COURT LOSS BUT KEEPS TRADE FIGHT ALIVE

India’s purchases of Russian oil have also remained a sticking point. In the original trade discussions, President Trump said New Delhi had “committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” though Indian officials made no public mention of such a pledge. 

India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, is expected to see its purchases of Russian crude fall to a two-year low this month. Still, against the backdrop of the court’s ruling, analysts say India will likely continue to buy Russian oil.

President Donald Trump speaks with the press as he meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2025.  (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

President Trump has remained defiant through it all, insisting his deals are secure. In a Truth Social post following the Supreme Court’s decision, he said, “Any Country that wants to ‘play games’ with the ridiculous Supreme Court decision, especially those that have ‘Ripped Off’ the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to. BUYER BEWARE!!!”

The White House still has several legal tools at its disposal to pursue its economic agenda, including alternative trade authorities and reopening new trade investigations.

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In the latest escalation with India, the administration imposed a 126% solar import duty, suggesting that its “America First” policy remains a priority. The levies follow allegations that Indian companies unfairly benefited from government subsidies and undercut American manufacturers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau trade data, solar imports from the country surged to nearly $793 million in 2024, a roughly ninefold jump from 2022.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, total U.S.-India trade in goods and services reached approximately $212 billion in 2024, underscoring the scale of their economic relationship. 

Goods trade alone accounted for about $129 billion, with the U.S. running a $45.8 billion goods trade deficit with India, a gap that continues to shape tariff negotiations between the two countries.

The layoffs are the most visible signs of how the industry is navigating the ‌impact of ⁠AI, with ⁠Block’s CEO, tech billionaire Jack Dorsey, warning that most companies were “late” to realize the emerging technology’s potential.

“At its core, it’s about how some companies may ​be run going forward – not just doomsday headcount reductions, but also enabling higher ROI investments in growth and FCF,” analysts at Evercore ​ISI wrote, referring to free cash ⁠flow.

Accelerating AI ‌adoption is helping companies to cut jobs in divisions most exposed to automation. Economists at Goldman Sachs have estimated ⁠that AI was responsible for job losses amounting to a 5,000 to 10,000 hit to average monthly job growth in the industries most exposed to it in 2025.

Block was one of the companies that aggressively hired during the pandemic as the use of digital payments and online commerce spiked.

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“In Block’s case, this looks like a mix ‌of AI efficiency gains and an overdue clean-up of corporate bloat,” said Matt Britzman, an analyst at Hargreaves ​Lansdown.
The company’s ​workforce jumped from ⁠about 3,800 employees in 2019 to more than 10,000 in 2025 as it battled increasing pressures from rising competition in its payments and buy-now-pay-later ​segments.

“While the RIF (reduction in force) is large, it does bring Block’s headcount back toward pandemic-era levels, making it a standout in gross profit per employee, well ahead of its peers including Visa,” J.P. Morgan analysts said.