IBM vs. CRM

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) and CRM (salesforce.com, inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Technology sector — IBM in Information Technology Services, CRM in Software - Application. Over the past 10 years, IBM returned 12.25%/yr vs 8.89%/yr for CRM. At a 0.38 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

IBM vs. CRM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and salesforce.com, inc. (CRM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IBM achieves a 4.53% return, which is significantly higher than CRM's -27.87% return. Over the past 10 years, IBM has outperformed CRM with an annualized return of 12.25%, while CRM has yielded a comparatively lower 8.89% annualized return.

IBM

• 1D: -7.17%
• 1M: 34.16%
• YTD: 4.53%
• 6M: 2.32%
• 1Y: 18.19%
• 3Y*: 36.49%
• 5Y*: 21.40%
• 10Y*: 12.25%

CRM

• 1D: -5.09%
• 1M: 2.77%
• YTD: -27.87%
• 6M: -19.82%
• 1Y: -27.39%
• 3Y*: -3.17%
• 5Y*: -4.02%
• 10Y*: 8.89%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

IBM vs. CRM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IBM International Business Machines Corporation	4.53%	38.23%	39.27%	21.85%	10.64%	16.65%	-1.16%	23.58%	-22.56%	-3.99%
CRM salesforce.com, inc.	-27.87%	-20.25%	27.76%	98.46%	-47.83%	14.20%	36.82%	18.74%	33.98%	49.33%

Correlation

The correlation between IBM and CRM is 0.36, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.36
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.33
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.31
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 24, 2004	0.38

Fundamentals

Market Cap IBM : $290.99B CRM : $166.02B
EPS IBM : $11.32 CRM : $8.59
PE Ratio IBM : 27.00 CRM : 22.18
PEG Ratio IBM : 0.32 CRM : 0.05
PS Ratio IBM : 4.21 CRM : 4.16
PB Ratio IBM : 8.82 CRM : 4.85
Total Revenue (TTM) IBM : $68.91B CRM : $42.83B
Gross Profit (TTM) IBM : $40.64B CRM : $33.25B
EBITDA (TTM) IBM : $15.71B CRM : $12.32B

Return for Risk

IBM vs. CRM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

IBM

IBM Risk / Return Rank: 53
IBM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
IBM Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
IBM Omega Ratio Rank: 53
IBM Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
IBM Martin Ratio Rank: 53

CRM

CRM Risk / Return Rank: 12
CRM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 10
CRM Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
CRM Omega Ratio Rank: 13
CRM Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
CRM Martin Ratio Rank: 9

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

IBM vs. CRM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and salesforce.com, inc. (CRM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	IBM	CRM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.47	-0.73	+1.19
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.91	-0.89	+1.79
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	0.89	+0.23
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.59	-0.70	+1.29
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.29	-1.36	+2.65
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IBM vs. CRM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IBM Sharpe Ratio is 0.47, which is higher than the CRM Sharpe Ratio of -0.73. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IBM and CRM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IBM	CRM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.47	-0.73	+1.19
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	-0.11	+0.91
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.46	0.25	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.30	0.46	-0.16

Drawdowns

IBM vs. CRM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IBM drawdown since its inception was -69.40%, roughly equal to the maximum CRM drawdown of -70.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IBM and CRM.

Drawdown Indicators

	IBM	CRM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-69.40%	-70.50%	+1.10%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-30.96%	-39.46%	+8.50%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-30.96%	-54.70%	+23.74%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-30.96%	-58.62%	+27.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-40.59%	-58.62%	+18.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.17%	-47.66%	+40.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.12%	-16.10%	-4.02%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	14.16%	20.18%	-6.02%

Volatility

IBM vs. CRM - Volatility Comparison

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has a higher volatility of 20.58% compared to salesforce.com, inc. (CRM) at 17.31%. This indicates that IBM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CRM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IBM	CRM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	20.58%	17.31%	+3.27%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	34.08%	31.96%	+2.12%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	38.99%	37.89%	+1.10%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.03%	37.02%	-9.99%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.51%	35.34%	-8.83%

Dividends

IBM vs. CRM - Dividend Comparison

IBM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.20%, more than CRM's 0.89% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CRM salesforce.com, inc.	0.89%	0.63%	0.48%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
IBM International Business Machines Corporation	2.20%	2.27%	3.03%	4.05%	4.68%	4.74%	5.17%	4.80%	5.46%	3.85%	3.31%	3.63%

Financials

IBM vs. CRM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between International Business Machines Corporation and salesforce.com, inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

IBM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, International Business Machines Corporation reported a gross profit of 8.95B and revenue of 15.92B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 56.2%.

CRM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, salesforce.com, inc. reported a gross profit of 8.56B and revenue of 11.13B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 76.9%.

IBM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, International Business Machines Corporation reported an operating income of 1.22B and revenue of 15.92B, resulting in an operating margin of 7.6%.

CRM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, salesforce.com, inc. reported an operating income of 2.35B and revenue of 11.13B, resulting in an operating margin of 21.1%.

IBM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, International Business Machines Corporation reported a net income of 1.22B and revenue of 15.92B, resulting in a net margin of 7.6%.

CRM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, salesforce.com, inc. reported a net income of 2.11B and revenue of 11.13B, resulting in a net margin of 18.9%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IBM and CRM in my portfolio?

IBM and CRM have a correlation of 0.36, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, IBM or CRM?

IBM has higher volatility (20.58%) compared to CRM (17.31%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IBM dropped -69.40% vs CRM's -70.50%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

IBM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.47 vs -0.73), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.