(Bloomberg/Ryan Gould and Brody Ford) — Salesforce Inc.’s agreement to buy Informatica Inc. for $8 billion came a year after initial talks collapsed and the acquisition target lost a third of its market value, lowering the price it was willing to accept for a deal.

The result, according to Salesforce executives and other people close to the negotiations, is evidence of the software giant’s more-disciplined approach to dealmaking after working several years to reduce costs and improve profitability. That patience was imposed by major shareholders who helped scuttle a purchase of Informatica in early 2024.

“We were very close to doing this deal a year ago, but the price was not right,” Salesforce Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff said in an interview. He then stayed in contact with Info

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