Why Stifel Turned More Cautious on ServiceNow (NOW) Despite Keeping a Buy Rating

ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is one of the worst performing agentic AI stocks to watch in 2026.

As of the April 2, 2026 close, ServiceNow shares were down 30.8% year to date, finishing at $102.00 versus $147.45 on January 2, 2026.

Stifel turned more cautious on April 2, even while keeping its bullish stance. Analyst Brad Reback maintained a Buy rating but cut his price target to $135 from $180. The firm said its system-integrator checks had “once again down-ticked modestly” from the prior quarter. Reback added that several checks pointed to a seasonal rebuilding of pipelines after an aggressive year-end push, while also describing the U.S. federal spending environment as “very weak.” Stifel’s overall read on first-quarter channel checks was “somewhat lackluster.”

Why Stifel Turned More Cautious on ServiceNow (NOW) Despite Keeping a Buy Rating

That softer near-term commentary stands in contrast to ServiceNow’s latest reported results. On January 28, the company said fourth-quarter 2025 subscription revenue rose 21% year over year to $3.466 billion, total revenue increased 20.5% to $3.568 billion, and current remaining performance obligations climbed 25% to $12.85 billion.

ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) provides cloud-based software that helps enterprises automate workflows across IT, customer service, HR, security, and other business functions.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of NOW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NOW and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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