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SAP SE (US) (SAP)
NYSE:SAP

SAP AG (SAP) AI Stock Analysis

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SAP

SAP AG

(NYSE:SAP)

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Neutral 69 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$220.00
▲(11.98% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:01/31/26
The score is driven primarily by strong financial quality (high margins, improving profitability, conservative leverage, and solid free-cash-flow conversion) and a supportive earnings outlook (record backlog, margin expansion, and ~€10B 2026 free cash flow target plus a €10B buyback). These positives are meaningfully offset by weak technicals (price far below major moving averages with bearish momentum) and a relatively high P/E that limits valuation support.
Positive Factors
Large cloud backlog (multi-year visibility)
A EUR 77bn total cloud backlog with ~4-year average contracts provides durable multi-year revenue visibility and planning certainty. This backlog smooths top-line volatility, supports predictable subscription cash flows, and underpins multi-quarter investment and margin plans over the next 2–6 months.
Robust cloud revenue and ERP adoption
Sustained cloud growth (26%) and outsized cloud ERP adoption (+32%) shift SAP toward recurring, higher-retention revenue. Structural migration from on‑prem to cloud increases predictable subscription economics, reduces churn risk, and strengthens long‑term gross profit leverage versus one‑time license sales.
Strong cash generation and shareholder returns
High FCF generation and a committed €10bn buyback indicate robust cash conversion and capital allocation discipline. Reliable FCF supports reinvestment in cloud/AI, funds buybacks without stressing the balance sheet, and signals management confidence in sustaining investments and returns over coming quarters.
Negative Factors
Slowdown in current cloud backlog growth
A meaningful deceleration in current cloud backlog growth reduces near-term revenue recognition potential and weakens short‑term visibility into new subscription ramps. For a subscription-led model, slower backlog growth can delay recurring revenue expansion and compress expected cash flow improvements over the next several quarters.
Decline in software license revenue
A 27% drop in license revenue reflects the structural shift to cloud but also removes a historically higher‑margin, upfront cash stream. During the transition companies often face shortfalls in near-term revenue and margin mix changes, requiring sustained cloud monetization to fully offset legacy declines over time.
Large-deal mix lengthens ramps and recognition
A heavy skew to very large transformational deals creates back‑end loaded revenue and execution risk: initial deployments are small, ramps are protracted, and recognition lags. This increases near-term volatility in reported cloud revenue and requires strong implementation execution to realize forecasted multi‑year value.

SAP AG (SAP) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

SAP AG Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionSAP SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides applications, technology, and services worldwide. It offers SAP S/4HANA that provides software capabilities for finance, risk and project management, procurement, manufacturing, supply chain and asset management, and research and development; SAP SuccessFactors solutions for human resources, including HR and payroll, talent and employee experience management, and people and workforce analytics; and spend management solutions that covers direct and indirect spend, travel and expense, and external workforce management. The company also provides SAP customer experience solutions; SAP Business Technology platform that enables customers and partners to build, integrate, and automate applications; and SAP Business Network, a business-to-business collaboration platform that helps digitalize key business processes across the supply chain and enables communication between trading partners. In addition, it offers SAP Signavio to help customers to discover, analyze, and understand their business process operations; SAP's industry cloud solutions that provides modular solutions addressing industry-specific functions; Taulia solutions for working capital management to help enable customers mitigate the effects of inflation by providing visibility into working capital and access to liquidity; and sustainability solutions and services. SAP SE was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Walldorf, Germany.
How the Company Makes MoneySAP generates revenue primarily through software licenses, cloud subscriptions, and maintenance services. The company offers both on-premise and cloud solutions, with a significant shift towards subscription-based cloud services in recent years, which has become a key revenue stream. Additionally, SAP earns money from consulting and implementation services related to its software products, as well as training and education for clients. Strategic partnerships with technology companies, such as Microsoft and Accenture, enhance its market reach and contribute to revenue growth. The company's ongoing investment in research and development also supports its ability to innovate and remain competitive in the enterprise software market.

SAP AG Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Cloud Backlog
Cloud Backlog
Reflects the total value of future cloud service contracts, providing insight into anticipated revenue streams and the strength of customer demand for SAP's cloud offerings.
Chart InsightsSAP's cloud backlog has shown robust growth, nearly tripling since 2020, reflecting the company's strategic pivot to cloud solutions. The latest earnings call highlights a 27% increase in cloud revenue and strong market share gains, driven by AI integration and major contracts with companies like Alphabet and the U.S. Army. However, challenges such as delayed bookings and a decline in software licenses revenue underscore the ongoing transition to cloud services. SAP's focus on AI and cloud solutions positions it well for continued growth despite macroeconomic uncertainties.
Data provided by:The Fly

SAP AG Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jan 29, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 23, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
Overall the call communicated solid execution and financial strength: strong cloud revenue growth (26%), expanding cloud margins (75%), record-sized cloud backlog (EUR 77bn, +30%), improved profitability (non-IFRS operating profit EUR 10.4bn) and robust free cash flow (≈EUR 8.2bn) with an aggressive EUR 10bn buyback and a confident 2026 guidance (~EUR 10bn FCF). Headwinds include a more pronounced-than-expected moderation in current cloud backlog growth, a 27% decline in software license revenue, geopolitical/regulatory complexity prolonging deal cycles, and one-off charges (workforce transformation ≈EUR 100m; Teradata litigation ≈USD 200m). On balance the positive operational and financial momentum, backlog scale and AI/product progress outweigh the listed challenges.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Cloud Backlog and Strong Ordering
Total cloud backlog grew 30% to EUR 77 billion and current cloud backlog reached EUR 21 billion, up 25%, providing multi-year revenue visibility (average contract duration ~4 years). Q4 was the company's best bookings quarter and large deals (>EUR 5m) contributed a record 71% to cloud order entry in Q4.
Robust Cloud Revenue and Cloud ERP Growth
Cloud revenue grew 26% year-on-year in 2025. Cloud ERP suite revenue increased 32% (34% in USD terms), and now accounts for 86% of total cloud revenue, underscoring cloud ERP as a key engine of growth.
Meaningful Profitability and EPS Improvement
Non-IFRS operating profit for the full year rose to EUR 10.4 billion; IFRS operating profit for Q4 increased 27% to EUR 2.6 billion. Non-IFRS basic EPS increased 36% to EUR 6.15 for fiscal 2025.
Strong Cash Generation and Capital Returns
Free cash flow for 2025 was at the high end of the revised outlook at around EUR 8.2 billion. Management expects record free cash flow of ~EUR 10 billion in 2026 and announced a new EUR 10 billion, 2-year share repurchase program starting in February.
Improving Cloud Margins and Gross Profit
Non-IFRS cloud gross margin expanded by 1.6 percentage points to 75%, driving cloud gross profit up 29% year-on-year, reflecting improved unit economics in cloud services.
Business Data Cloud Early Commercial Success
Business Data Cloud (BDC) produced over EUR 2 billion of order entry since launch (first 12 months), highlighting early commercial traction for SAP's data/harmonization layer critical for AI use cases.
Product and AI Momentum with Strategic Wins
Notable customer wins (e.g., H&M and Fresenius/Avelios) showcased AI-embedded applications and industry-specific AI agents; management highlighted lower churn, stable discounts and the strategic role of AI, agent orchestration and extensibility in winning deals.
Negative Updates
Slowdown in Current Cloud Backlog Growth vs. Expectations
Current cloud backlog growth was 25%, which management described as a more pronounced slowdown than anticipated and slightly below some prior expectations (guidance implied modestly higher growth). Large, complex deals with longer ramp profiles weighed on near-term CCB recognition.
Software Licenses Revenue Decline
Software licenses revenue decreased 27% year-on-year in 2025, reflecting continued transition from perpetual licensing to cloud/subscription models and impacting legacy revenue lines.
Geopolitical and Sovereignty-Driven Complexity
Mounting geopolitical tensions and sovereign/regulatory requirements lengthened negotiation and deployment cycles (especially for state-owned/defense-related deals), increasing deal complexity and reducing near-term recognitions for some contracts.
One-Time Charges and Litigation Impact
Non-IFRS operating profit was negatively impacted by approximately EUR 100 million related to a 2025 workforce transformation; IFRS operating profit growth was further negatively impacted by around USD 200 million of Teradata litigation expenses.
Capital Market Skepticism and Share Price Volatility
The stock experienced a intra-day drop (~10% noted in Q&A) driven by investor questions about the future value of software in an AI era and skepticism about where value will accrue (infrastructure vs. SaaS/PaaS).
Deal Mix Leading to Back-end Loaded Ramps
A high proportion of very large transformation deals (71% of Q4 order entry >EUR 5m) often start with smaller initial deployments and have longer ramp-up, which reduces near-term CCB contribution and delays revenue recognition from those contracts.
Company Guidance
Management guided that CCB growth should moderate only slightly in 2026 (less than the deceleration seen in 2025) while total revenue growth is expected to accelerate, backed by a record total cloud backlog of €77 billion (up 30%, ~4‑year contract duration) and a current cloud backlog of €21 billion (up 25%); key 2025 metrics cited were cloud revenue +26% (cloud ERP +32%), total revenue ≈€37 billion (+11%), cloud gross margin 75% (+1.6pp) with cloud gross profit +29%, IFRS operating profit €9.8 billion (Q4 €2.6 billion), non‑IFRS operating profit €10.4 billion, non‑IFRS EPS €6.15 (+36%), and free cash flow ≈€8.2 billion (top of the revised range), while the 2026 outlook targets record free cash flow of ~€10 billion, a midterm non‑IFRS tax rate of 28–30%, sustained operating discipline to push the expense‑to‑revenue growth ratio toward the lower end of the 80–90% operating leverage objective, and a new €10 billion two‑year share repurchase program.

SAP AG Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong underlying profitability with very high gross margins (~71–73%) and a sharp improvement in net margin (~20% vs ~9% in 2024). Balance sheet leverage is conservative and improving (debt-to-equity ~0.18 in 2025), and free cash flow conversion is solid (~85–92% of net income) with strong 2025 FCF growth (~22%). Key offsets are the 2025 annual revenue decline (~-3.1%), some volatility in returns, and only moderate operating cash flow coverage of total debt (~50%).
Income Statement
78
Positive
Profitability is a clear strength: gross margin stayed very high (~71–73%) and the latest annual period shows a step-up in operating and net profitability (net margin ~20% vs ~9% in 2024). Revenue growth has been inconsistent, however—solid growth in 2022–2024, followed by a decline in 2025 (annual revenue growth about -3.1%), which temper the score despite strong margins.
Balance Sheet
82
Very Positive
Leverage looks conservative and improving: debt-to-equity is low (~0.18 in 2025 vs ~0.54 in 2020), supported by a sizable equity base. Returns to shareholders improved materially in 2025 (return on equity ~15.7% vs ~6.9% in 2024), though ROE has been somewhat volatile across the period, suggesting earnings consistency is not uniform year to year.
Cash Flow
76
Positive
Cash generation is solid and converting well to profits: free cash flow has generally tracked net income closely (free cash flow is ~85–92% of net income across years) and grew strongly in 2025 (free cash flow growth ~22.4%). The main weakness is that operating cash flow covers only about half of total debt in 2025 (and was lower in prior years), indicating debt paydown capacity is adequate but not exceptionally strong on this measure.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue35.35B34.18B31.21B29.52B26.95B
Gross Profit25.97B24.93B22.53B21.48B19.73B
EBITDA12.65B7.08B8.03B8.28B10.99B
Net Income7.04B3.12B6.14B2.28B5.26B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets70.33B74.12B68.33B72.16B71.17B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments9.77B11.24B11.28B9.86B11.66B
Total Debt8.07B10.65B8.79B13.09B15.15B
Total Liabilities25.11B28.31B24.93B29.31B29.65B
Stockholders Equity44.73B45.44B43.16B40.13B38.85B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow7.94B4.42B5.55B4.77B5.52B
Operating Cash Flow8.65B5.22B6.33B5.65B6.22B
Investing Cash Flow-1.33B-667.00M906.00M667.00M-3.06B
Financing Cash Flow-7.85B-3.40B-7.73B-6.34B-56.00M

SAP AG Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price196.46
Price Trends
50DMA
226.79
Negative
100DMA
242.20
Negative
200DMA
264.73
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-8.14
Negative
RSI
36.55
Neutral
STOCH
16.98
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SAP, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 196.46 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 205.62, below the 50-day MA of 226.79, and below the 200-day MA of 264.73, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -8.14 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 36.55 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 16.98 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for SAP.

SAP AG Risk Analysis

SAP AG disclosed 13 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. SAP AG reported the most risks in the "Tech & Innovation" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

SAP AG Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$107.20B61.3915.49%21.05%28.67%
71
Outperform
$99.82B24.6221.99%0.64%17.14%41.18%
69
Neutral
$222.42B27.7416.64%1.07%11.85%167.23%
68
Neutral
$173.74B23.7712.18%0.63%8.41%22.92%
66
Neutral
$34.25B54.687.34%13.35%-60.76%
61
Neutral
$37.18B12.37-10.20%1.83%8.50%-7.62%
52
Neutral
$55.11B-39.91-53.32%28.48%-19.12%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
SAP
SAP AG
196.46
-87.63
-30.84%
INTU
Intuit
358.71
-262.58
-42.26%
CRM
Salesforce
185.42
-119.92
-39.27%
WDAY
Workday
130.23
-140.86
-51.96%
NOW
ServiceNow
102.49
-85.90
-45.60%
SNOW
Snowflake
161.06
-5.13
-3.09%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jan 31, 2026