Spain’s credit rating upgraded to ’A+’ by S&P on strong growth
Investing.com - Evercore ISI has reiterated an Outperform rating on Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) with a price target of $625.00, despite the stock’s recent 7% decline since reporting strong fiscal fourth-quarter results. According to InvestingPro data, analyst consensus remains highly bullish with a 1.25 recommendation score, while price targets range from $483 to $700.
The research firm noted that Microsoft shares have fallen while the S&P 500 gained 2% over the same period, but emphasized this should be viewed in context of Microsoft’s 61% rally from April lows and its 19% year-to-date gain.
Evercore ISI stated it found no "material fundamental concerns on the horizon" after discussions with Microsoft’s investor relations team and investors, with Azure growth trends supported by ChatGPT inferencing and solid enterprise demand.
The firm believes Azure delivering mid-30% growth for fiscal year 2026 is a "reasonable expectation" and sees potential for estimates to increase, given Microsoft’s guidance for flat operating margins in FY26.
Microsoft currently trades at 31 times next twelve months earnings versus the S&P 500 at 22 times, which Evercore ISI notes puts the premium below its 5-year average, while the firm maintains it doesn’t "see a lot of cracks in the fundamental bull narrative."
In other recent news, Microsoft has announced a significant partnership with the US General Services Administration (GSA) to enhance AI adoption across federal agencies. This collaboration will provide cloud and AI services, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, at no cost for up to 12 months to millions of existing users, potentially saving $3 billion in the first year. Additionally, Microsoft AI has introduced two new models, MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview, aimed at improving speech generation and storytelling capabilities. In terms of cybersecurity, Microsoft has restricted Chinese firms’ access to early notifications about vulnerabilities following concerns over potential leaks related to its SharePoint software. This move affects countries where companies are required to report vulnerabilities to their governments, such as China.
Furthermore, Truist Securities has reiterated its Buy rating on Microsoft stock, maintaining a price target of $675. This decision comes after discussions at the Truist Securities Technology Symposium, focusing on AI transformation. These developments reflect Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to expand its AI capabilities and secure its technology infrastructure.
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