Salesforce.com Had a Cup and Handle. Is a Breakout Next?

Salesforce.com is a classic growth stock, with high multiples but also steady expansion of its products over time. It's exactly the kind of company cited by William O'Neil in How to Make Money in Stocks.

That classic trading book teaches readers about the "cup and handle" pattern that often occurs in secular-growth stocks. It's a high basing formation following a big rally. O'Neil's technique is to watch for smaller pullbacks to produce a tighter range, looking for a potential breakout to new highs.

CRM may have that potential setup now -- especially when you look at the October low (above $140) versus the August low (around $138). That was followed by another higher low at the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) around $156. A "golden cross" pattern occurred around the same time in early December.

CRM's fundamentals have been solid, with strong results the last two quarters and the potential for synergies after acquiring Tableau Software. CRM is also on pace for a bullish outside week (higher high and lower low), plus its highest weekly close ever.