Upland Software, monday.com, BlackLine, and Zeta Global Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know

Barchart·05/18/2026 15:18:33

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after investor confidence rebounded as markets softened their view on the existential threat AI poses to traditional software companies. 

After a period of significant underperformance, dubbed the "SaaS Rout of 2026," where software stocks traded at a discount to the S&P 500, the prevailing fear that AI would completely disrupt and replace traditional Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies began to subside. 

Experts noted that these companies possess significant advantages, including established enterprise relationships, vast amounts of proprietary data, and deep integration into customer workflows, which AI is unlikely to erase overnight. This changing perspective suggests a potential re-rating for the sector as investors realize these companies may be well-positioned to integrate and leverage AI rather than be replaced by it.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Marketing Software company Upland Software (NASDAQ:UPLD) jumped 7%. Is now the time to buy Upland Software? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Project Management Software company monday.com (NASDAQ:MNDY) jumped 7.8%. Is now the time to buy monday.com? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Tax Software company BlackLine (NASDAQ:BL) jumped 10.4%. Is now the time to buy BlackLine? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Advertising Software company Zeta Global (NYSE:ZETA) jumped 10.9%. Is now the time to buy Zeta Global? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On Zeta Global (ZETA)

Zeta Global’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 44 moves greater than 5% over the last year. But moves this big are rare even for Zeta Global and indicate this news significantly impacted the market’s perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 3 days ago when the stock gained 4.5% on the news that President Trump's state visit to Beijing lifted market sentiment across tech, with the S&P hitting a record high above 7,500. 

While the Trump-Xi summit produced fewer concrete deals than investors had hoped for, the general mood around US-China trade relations shifted from confrontational to cautiously constructive and for a sector as globally exposed as software, that reduction in uncertainty was enough to drive buyers back in. 

Adding to the positive sentiment, Figma posted 46% revenue growth with early AI monetisation showing genuine traction, and ServiceNow announced a multi-year AI partnership with Experian. Each print reinforced the same thesis: that enterprise software companies are successfully embedding AI into their products and charging for it, rather than being disrupted by it a concern that had weighed heavily on the sector earlier in the year.

Zeta Global is down 3.8% since the beginning of the year, and at $19.15 per share, it is trading 21.5% below its 52-week high of $24.40 from January 2026. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Zeta Global’s shares at the IPO in June 2021 would now be looking at an investment worth $2,154.

ALSO WORTH WATCHING: Nvidia’s Quiet Partner. Nvidia’s chips cost a hundred grand. The connectors that make them work cost even more. One company makes them all.

Every AI server needs specialized infrastructure the chip companies don’t make. High-speed cables. Power connectors. Thermal sensors. This 90-year-old company built a monopoly on it. The AI boom just started. This stock is still flying under the radar. Claim The Stock Ticker Here for FREE.

This article contains syndicated content. We have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content, and may receive compensation for placement of the content on this site. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.