Salesforce closes down 3.8% as AI tool launches hit software stocks

Salesforce shares closed down 3.8% on February 23, 2026, as investors reacted to an Anthropic product for code security and a widely read AI-scenario essay. The software sector fell with it, and the iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) finished down 4.8%. The move shows that the market was pricing AI as a threat to seat-based software revenue, not only as a growth driver.

• Salesforce closed down 3.8% on the day
• IGV, the software ETF, finished down 4.8%
• Causes cited: Anthropic's Claude Code Security product and a Citrini Research essay on AI in 2028
• Two analysts cut price targets but kept buy ratings