Which has the lower trailing P/E, CRM or IBM?

IBM has the lower trailing P/E: CRM trades at 23.00 and IBM at 21.13. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CRM or IBM?

Over the past five years, CRM grew revenue faster — CRM at a 13.30% CAGR versus IBM at 1.13%.

Does CRM or IBM pay a bigger dividend?

CRM yields 0.68% and IBM yields 2.82% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CRM or IBM more profitable?

CRM runs the higher net margin — CRM at 21.99% versus IBM at 15.52%.

How have CRM and IBM total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CRM delivered 12.35% and IBM delivered 9.13% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) vs International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

A side-by-side comparison of Salesforce, Inc. and International Business Machines Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CRM

Salesforce, Inc.

$209.66B

$256.00TechnologyDelayed quote: Aug 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

IBM

International Business Machines Corporation

$221.96B

$235.59TechnologyDelayed quote: Aug 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CRM vs IBM

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CRM +241.5% (+13.1%/yr)IBM +139.1% (+9.1%/yr)CRM compounded faster over this window

CRM IBM

CRM vs IBM: by the numbers

•IBM is the larger company ($221.96B vs $209.66B market cap).
•IBM trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (21.13 vs 23.00 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CRM converts more revenue to profit (21.99% vs 15.52% net margin).
•CRM grew revenue faster over the past five years (13.30% vs 1.13% CAGR).
•IBM pays the higher dividend yield (2.82% vs 0.68%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CRM	IBM
P/E ratio	23.00	21.13
Forward P/E	21.40	19.40
P/S ratio	4.71	3.29
P/B ratio	5.39	6.60
EV / EBITDA	18.05	16.28
FCF yield	7.32%	5.99%

Profitability

Metric	CRM	IBM
Gross margin	77.28%	58.43%
Operating margin	21.39%	17.86%
Net margin	21.99%	15.52%
ROE	25.18%	31.13%
ROIC	8.78%	10.12%

Dividends

Metric	CRM	IBM
Dividend yield	0.68%	2.82%
Payout ratio	21.81%	59.33%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CRM	IBM
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	13.30%	1.13%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	11.87%	12.59%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	22.61%	-1.28%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-0.77%	16.79%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CRM or IBM?: IBM has the lower trailing P/E: CRM trades at 23.00 and IBM at 21.13. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CRM or IBM?: Over the past five years, CRM grew revenue faster — CRM at a 13.30% CAGR versus IBM at 1.13%.
Does CRM or IBM pay a bigger dividend?: CRM yields 0.68% and IBM yields 2.82% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CRM or IBM more profitable?: CRM runs the higher net margin — CRM at 21.99% versus IBM at 15.52%.
How have CRM and IBM total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CRM delivered 12.35% and IBM delivered 9.13% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CRM analysis Full IBM analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Salesforce P/E ratio International Business Machines P/E ratio Salesforce dividend yield International Business Machines dividend yield Salesforce ROE International Business Machines ROE Salesforce operating margin International Business Machines operating margin Salesforce revenue growth International Business Machines revenue growth Salesforce free cash flow International Business Machines free cash flow

Salesforce & International Business Machines appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks 25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 28, 2026.