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On Thursday, Raymond (NSE:RYMD) James increased the price target on Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) stock to $490 from $480, while retaining an Outperform rating. The tech giant, currently valued at $2.94 trillion, has demonstrated impressive revenue growth of 15% over the last twelve months, reaching $261.8 billion. The firm’s analyst, Andrew Marok, highlighted the robust performance of Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing service, noting that the AI segment’s contribution has accelerated, adding 16 percentage points. This strength was bolstered by growth in cloud migrations and data/analytics workloads across the non-AI business.
Marok addressed concerns about AI demand that emerged following reports of data center lease cancellations, stating that AI demand continues to be strong. He further mentioned that the timeline for capacity and demand to reach a breakeven point has been extended into early fiscal year 2026, despite the anticipated growth in capacity. This outlook suggests that AI demand is outpacing the company’s ability to add capacity. According to InvestingPro data, Microsoft maintains a GREAT financial health score, with a robust gross profit margin of 69.4% and strong cash flows to cover its moderate debt levels.
The commentary on capital expenditures (capex) was largely unchanged from the previous quarter. Marok indicated that the points raised provide reassurance, especially considering that the last quarter’s results, which were seen as disappointing by some, might represent an outlier rather than a new trend.
In addition to Azure’s success, Microsoft has also seen significant positive contributions from other sectors of its business, including Gaming and Advertising. These areas helped to round off a quarter that, according to Marok, will be viewed favorably by optimistic investors and supporters of the company. The upward revision of the price target reflects confidence in Microsoft’s ongoing growth and the overall strength of its diverse business portfolio.
In other recent news, Microsoft reported its fiscal Q1 2025 earnings, surpassing analysts’ expectations with an earnings per share of $3.46, above the projected $3.23. The company achieved a revenue of $70.1 billion, exceeding the anticipated $68.53 billion, highlighting strong demand for its cloud and AI services. DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria responded by raising Microsoft’s stock price target to $500 from $450, maintaining a Buy rating due to the company’s impressive growth across all business segments. Microsoft’s cloud revenue grew by 20-22% in constant currency, with Microsoft Cloud alone generating $42.4 billion. The firm also introduced innovations such as the Majorana One quantum computing initiative, reflecting its strategic investments in technology. Microsoft’s management has projected continued growth in cloud and AI services, with specific guidance for the next quarter indicating a 21% year-over-year increase in Intelligent Cloud revenue and a 21% decline in More Personal Computing revenue. Analysts noted the company’s robust performance in non-AI cloud services as a significant contributor to its success this quarter.
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