Let’s dig into the relative performance of Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q4 sales and marketing software earnings season.

The Internet and the exploding amount of data have transformed how businesses interact with, market to, and transact with their customers. Personalization of offerings, e-commerce, targeted advertising and data-empowered sales teams are now table stakes for modern businesses, and sales and marketing software providers are becoming the tools of evolving customer interaction.

The 19 sales and marketing software stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 2.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE)

With its technology powering interactions with 6.2 billion monthly active users across the digital landscape, Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE) provides a platform that helps brands build and maintain direct relationships with their customers through personalized, cross-channel messaging and engagement.

Braze reported revenues of $205.2 million, up 27.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ billings estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 25.8% since reporting and currently trades at $22.67.

Is now the time to buy Braze? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM)

Powering billions of daily ad impressions across the open internet, PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM) operates a technology platform that helps publishers maximize revenue from their digital advertising inventory while giving advertisers more control and transparency.

PubMatic reported revenues of $80.05 million, down 6.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.2%. The business had an exceptional quarter with EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

PubMatic pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 37.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $9.75.

Is now the time to buy PubMatic? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Upland Software (NASDAQ: UPLD)

Operating under the mantra "land and expand," Upland Software (NASDAQ: UPLD) provides cloud-based applications that help organizations manage projects, workflows, and digital transformation across various business functions.

Upland Software reported revenues of $49.31 million, down 27.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue and EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

Upland Software delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 23.8% since the results and currently trades at $0.67.

Read our full analysis of Upland Software’s results here.

Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT)

Born from the recognition that businesses needed a centralized way to handle their growing social media presence, Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT) provides a comprehensive software platform that helps businesses manage, analyze, and optimize their presence across various social media networks.

Sprout Social reported revenues of $120.9 million, up 12.9% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but full-year guidance of slowing revenue growth.

The company lost 5,953 enterprise customers paying more than $10,000 annually and ended up with a total of 3,803. The stock is down 14.9% since reporting and currently trades at $6.05.

Read our full, actionable report on Sprout Social here, it’s free.

AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP)

Sitting at the crossroads of the mobile advertising ecosystem with over 200 free-to-play games in its portfolio, AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) provides software solutions that help mobile app developers market, monetize, and grow their apps through AI-powered advertising and analytics tools.

AppLovin reported revenues of $1.66 billion, up 65.9% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.2%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also produced EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

AppLovin pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 4.3% since reporting and currently trades at $476.58.

Read our full, actionable report on AppLovin here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.