The short version: Salesforce shares are up 20% today, heading for the second-best session in the company's history. Two things drove it: a second-quarter earnings beat, which means reported results came in above what analysts had forecast, and a newly expanded AI partnership with Anthropic.
Salesforce led a broader rally across software stocks. A sector rally means other companies in the category also moved higher, carried by momentum from Salesforce's results and announcement.
The earnings beat is a recorded result. The Anthropic partnership expansion is an announcement of a changed business relationship. They are different kinds of facts. Together, they account for the 20% gain, which Salesforce has only exceeded once in its publicly traded history.