Tag: Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)

Unraveling MSFT's Market Dominance: Investor Strategies Amid Record Valuation

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) achieved an exceptional milestone when it ended last week with a market capitalization of $3.125 trillion, becoming the world’s most valuable publicly traded company ever.

The tech company surpassed the previous record set by Apple Inc. (AAPL) when it reached a market cap of $3.09 trillion in July, as per Dow Jones Market Data. The iPhone marker ended Friday with a $2.916 trillion market cap.

MSFT’s stock has surged more than 28% over the past six months and nearly 52% over the past year, thanks to immense enthusiasm around its AI potential.

Microsoft Market Cap Milestone: Implications and Opportunities

MSFT’s historic market capitalization milestone holds significant implications for the technology sector, investors, and the global economy. To begin with, it underscores the rising dominance of large tech companies within the stock market and the broader economy.

As Microsoft becomes one of the world’s most valuable companies, it solidifies the technology sector’s influence and sheds light on the importance of innovation and digital transformation across several industries. The company’s growing investments in AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable technologies further contribute to global competitiveness and economic growth.

For investors, MSFT’s recent milestone signals opportunities for potential growth and value creation. It offers investors exposure to a diverse range of high-growth segments, such as AI, cloud computing, gaming, and productivity software. This broad business portfolio allows investors to benefit from Microsoft’s continued innovation, market leadership, and resilience in different economic conditions.

Moreover, the tech giant’s solid financial position and cash flow generation provide stability and potential for dividend growth, making it extremely attractive to income-focused investors seeking stable returns. In addition, MSFT’s strategic partnerships and acquisitions may create opportunities for investors to capitalize on synergies, expansion into new markets, and completive advantages.

In October 2023, Microsoft completed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a well-known video game publisher. This deal provides MSFT with a hefty portfolio of video game franchises, including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, StarCraft, and Warcraft. This acquisition aligns with the company’s strategic focus on gaming and positions it for long-term growth and leadership in the gaming industry.

Talking about the ripple effects of Microsoft’s milestone, competitors may intensify their efforts to innovate, compete, or collaborate with the company in response to its market dominance and strategic moves. Consumers may benefit considerably from increased competition and enhanced accessibility of innovative tech products and services, boosting further tech adoption in daily life.

Also, policymakers may scrutinize large tech firms’ market power, data privacy practices, and potential antitrust concerns, shaping regulatory frameworks and industry dynamics.

Now, let’s discuss several factors that could impact MSFT’s performance in the near term:

Continued Progress In AI

“We’ve moved from talking about AI to applying AI at scale,” Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said in the last earnings release. “By infusing AI across every layer of our tech stack, we’re winning new customers and helping drive new benefits and productivity gains across every sector.”

Over the past year, Microsoft has made significant advancements in integrating AI into its products and tools.

In January 2023, Microsoft announced a multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. The deal marked the third phase of the partnership between the two companies after MSFT’s previous investments in 2019 and 2021. The renewed partnership would accelerate breakthroughs in AI and help the companies commercialize advanced technologies in the future.

“We formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance cutting-edge AI research and democratize AI as a new technology platform,” said CEO Satya Nadella.

In February, MSFT launched an AI-powered Bing search engine and Edge browser with built-in support for OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help people get more from search and the web. The new Bing search version could deliver better searches, more accurate answers, a new chat experience, and the ability to generate content.

In March, the company further announced the addition of AI tools to its Office productivity applications and introduced a feature called Microsoft 365 Copilot. The Copilot feature uses next-gen AI to automate and simplify tasks and offer suggestions. Starting September 26, Copilot begins to roll out its early form as part of its free update to Windows 11.

Beginning November 1, Microsoft 365 Copilot is generally available for enterprise customers, along with Microsoft 365 Chat. Also, this AI-powered Copilot is added to the company’s cybersecurity offerings and GitHub service for software developers.

On November 8, Microsoft-owned GitHub introduced a Copilot assistant that can assist developers in working with their employers’ internal code, priced at $39 per person a month. This new launch might help the company boost profitability in its cloud business unit by taking advantage of its partner OpenAI’s technology.

On November 15, the tech giant debuted its first custom AI chip. At its Ignite conference, MSFT said the chip, Maia 100, is the first in its planned Azure Maia AI accelerator series. In addition to the Maia 100, the company introduced its first custom Arm-based Azure Cobalt, a cloud-native chip optimized for performance, power efficiency and cost-effectiveness for general-purpose workloads.

The chip will be used for cloud-based training and inferencing for AI models. With these chips, Microsoft is on par with rivals Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), which have also developed their custom chips to run competing cloud platforms. MSFT added that it partnered with ChatGPT developer OpenAI to test its Maia 100 accelerator and will use those lessons to build future chips.

On January 11, 2024, Microsoft announced new generative AI and data solutions and capabilities for retailers. The company offers personalized shopping experiences through copilot templates on Azure OpenAI Service, retail data solutions in Microsoft Fabric, copilot features in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, and the Retail Media Creative Studio.

Robust Last Reported Financials

For the fiscal 2024 second quarter that ended December 31, 2023, MSFT reported total revenue of $62.02 billion, surpassing the analysts’ estimate of $61.13 billion. That was up 17.6% from the previous year’s quarter.

Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud segment generated $25.88 billion in revenue, an increase of 20.3% year-over-year. The division comprises Azure, public cloud, SQL Server, Nuance, Windows Server, GitHub, and enterprise services. Within the segment, revenue from Azure and other cloud services rose 30%.

Six points of the Azure and other cloud services growth were tied to AI, Amy Hood, MSFT’s finance chief, said on a conference call with analysts.

Also, MSFT’s Productivity and Business Processes segment posted revenue of $18.59 billion, up 13.2% year-over-year. This business unit includes Microsoft 365 productivity app subscriptions, LinkedIn, and Dynamics enterprise software. The More Personal Computing segment contributed $16.89 billion in revenue, an increase of 18.6%.

The software company’s gross margin rose 20.2% from the year-ago value to $42.40 billion. Its operating income increased 32.5% year-over-year to $27.03 billion. Its net income grew 33.2% from the prior year’s period to $21.87 billion. Microsoft posted earnings per share of $2.93, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20, and up 33.2% year-over-year.

Furthermore, cash inflows from operations came in at $18.85 billion for the second quarter, an increase of 68.7% year-over-year. As of December 31, 2023, MSFT’s total assets amounted to $470.56 billion, compared to $411.98 billion as of June 30, 2023.

For the fiscal 2024 third quarter, Microsoft expects revenue between $60 billion and $61 billion. The company sees lower-than-expected revenue and operating expenses during the quarter.

Impressive Historical Growth

Over the past three years, MSFT’s revenue grew at a CAGR of 14.1%. Its EBITDA and net income improved at respective CAGRs of 18.1% and 17.2% over the same period. In addition, the company’s EPS increased at a CAGR of 18.1% over the same timeframe, and its levered free cash flow improved at 18.9% CAGR.

Furthermore, the company’s total assets increased at a CAGR of 15.7% over the same period.

Attractive Dividend

On November 28, 2023, MSFT’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.75 per share on the company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on March 14, 2024, to shareholders of record on February 15, 2024. The company pays an annual dividend of $3, translating to a yield of 0.71% at the current share price.

Moreover, MSFT’s dividend payouts have increased at a CAGR of 10.2% over the past five years. Microsoft has raised its dividends for 19 consecutive years.

Optimistic Analyst Estimates

Analysts expect MSFT’s revenue for the third quarter (ending March 2024) to increase 15.2% year-over-year to $60.87 billion. The consensus EPS estimate of $2.83 for the current quarter indicates an improvement of 15.5% year-over-year. Moreover, the company has topped consensus revenue and EPS estimates in all the trailing four quarters, which is remarkable.

For the fiscal year ending June 2024, Street expects Microsoft’s revenue and EPS to grow 15.3% and 19.2% year-over-year to $244.23 billion and $11.69, respectively. Also, the software maker’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year 2025 are expected to increase 14.2% and 13.7% from the previous year to $278.98 billion and $13.29, respectively.

Solid Profitability

MSFT’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 69.81% is 43.2% higher than the 48.76% industry average. Likewise, the stock’s trailing-12-month EBIT margin and net income margin of 44.59% and 36.27% are considerably higher than the industry averages of 4.74% and 2.23%, respectively.

Moreover, the stock’s trailing-12-month ROCE, ROTC, and ROTA of 39.17%, 20.77% and 17.54% favorably compared to the respective industry averages of 1.99%, 2.44%, and 0.80%. Also, its trailing-12-month levered FCF margin of 25.78% is 183.4% higher than the industry average of 9.10%.

Analysts Raised Their Microsoft Price Targets

Several Wall Street analysts have raised their price targets on MSFT’s stock. D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria added $85 to his Microsoft price target, taking it to a Wall Street high of $500 per share. He seems impressed by the company’s near-term guidance, which highlighted “increasing demand for Microsoft Cloud as well as positive margin expansion even with increasing capital expenditures related to the build-out of their AI infrastructure.”

“Microsoft has continued to show they are a strong share gainer in this new AI landscape, which is largely driven by the company's ability to build compelling generative AI applications throughout their product suite as well as capture new AI-related workloads on Azure,” said Luria.

Meanwhile, CFRA analyst Angel Zino increased the MSFT price target by $35 to $455 a share, citing in part the value created for the company’s Office 365 division with the addition of AI assistant Copilot.

Wolfe Research analyst Alex Zukin reiterated a Buy rating on MSFT on January 30 and set a price target of $510. Alex Zubin has given Microsoft a Buy rating due to several factors, including its strong financial performance and promising growth in key areas.

Further, Jefferies analyst Brent Thill maintained their bullish stance on MSFT stock, giving it a Buy rating on January 26. Thill points to the tech giant’s expected year-over-year constant currency growth, which is projected to grow from 12% to 15%, suggesting that it is poised to achieve these targets with the aid of Activision Blizzard’s contributions.

Additionally, Thill believes that Microsoft is well-poised to benefit from the rising emphasis on AI, which is coupled with favorable cloud trends, underpinning the stock’s upside potential.

Bottom Line

MSFT beat on the top and bottom lines in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, driven by growth in intelligent cloud business. Microsoft has led groundbreaking advances such as partnership with OpenAI and the integration of ChatGPT capabilities into products and tools used to search, collaborate, work, and learn.

Further, as MSFT accelerates into AI, it is rethinking cloud infrastructure to ensure optimization across every layer of the hardware and software stack. The company’s commitment to innovations across various segments like AI, edge computing, and mixed reality positions it for long-term growth and market leadership.

Gartner forecasts worldwide software spending to reach $1.03 trillion in 2024, an increase of 12.7% year-over-year. Robust spending on software among individuals and enterprises will be a primary tailwind for Microsoft. The company’s focus on providing solutions for digital transformation, including AI, cloud-based, cybersecurity, and collaboration tools, aligns with the evolving needs of businesses seeking to modernize their operations.

Moreover, the software maker’s solid financial position, including consistent revenue growth and strong cash flow generation, provides it with enhanced flexibility for strategic investments, acquisitions, and returning value to shareholders via dividends and share buybacks.

Driven by optimism surrounding its AI potential, MSFT’s shares have surged more than 50% over the past 12 months.

Microsoft dethroned Apple as the world’s most valuable company ever, ending last week with a market cap of $3.125. Amid MSFT’s record valuation, investors may adopt different strategies to navigate the market dynamics and capitalize on potential opportunities. Long-term investors may choose to maintain their positions in MSFT, leveraging its solid fundamentals and growth prospects.

In addition, income-focused investors may find Microsoft appealing for its attractive dividend payouts and potential for dividend growth. Tactical traders can also take advantage of short-term trading opportunities in this stock, capitalizing on market sentiment, technical indicators, or macroeconomic trends.

Salesforce (CRM) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): AI's Role in Tech Layoffs Unveiled

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, GenAI has been reshaping the future of work. From automating routine tasks to transforming entire job roles, generative AI is making a significant impact across multiple industries. A rapid acceleration of task automation could assist organizations in driving labor cost savings and boosting productivity.

If generative AI delivers on its promised capabilities, the labor market could face considerable disruption. Using data on occupational tasks in the U.S. and Europe, Godman Sachs Global Investment Research finds that about two-thirds of today’s jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation. And this technology could substitute up to one-fourth of current work.

Goldman Sachs estimates that GenAI will eventually automate nearly 300 million of today’s full-time jobs globally.

AI’s Role in Latest Tech Layoffs

With just a month into the new year, tech layoffs are starting to pile up; however, analysts consider this a new normal for Silicon Valley in a considerable pivot to AI. The job cuts are not on the same scale as in late 2022 and early 2023 when tech companies got rid of thousands of employees, a blowback from the frenzied hiring that took place during the pandemic when everyday life turned digital.

According to layoffs.fyi, a California-based website that tracks the tech sector, the industry lost around 160,000 jobs last year. So far this year, tech layoffs are at nearly 24,584, the site showed, from 93 companies.

Layoffs.fyi estimates that approximately 20% of job cuts are brought on by AI and restructuring associated with it. Moreover, Silicon Valley jobs are on the front line, with some coding tasks primarily carried out by generative AI.

Cloud-based software provider Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) announced that it will be laying off about 700 employees, roughly 1% of its global workforce, adding to a brutal string of tech layoffs at the start of 2024. This move comes amid ongoing cost-cutting pressures from investors, including activist shareholders like Elliott Management, to boost its profit margins.

A year ago, CRM lowered its headcount by 10% as a part of its rebalancing efforts after a pandemic-era hiring boom.

Despite the recent cuts, Salesforce is still reportedly hiring for 1,000 open roles across the company, indicating that these layoffs could be a part of an adjustment in its workforce. The company’s focus is directing spending toward growth.

An unnamed source cited in the Wall Street Journal report that the latest round of layoffs could be more of a routine adjustment to the company’s headcount rather than a reactive measure to ongoing economic challenges.

Earlier this month, another tech company, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), laid off hundreds of employees across the company as it continues to push for efficiency and focus on its biggest product priorities and significant opportunities ahead.

According to the company, the job cuts will impact employees within Google’s hardware, voice assistance, and central engineering teams. Also, other parts of the tech company were affected.

This layoff announcement marks the latest cost-cutting effort at Google as it continues to work to rein in the drastic headcount growth that took place during the pandemic. In January last year, Google cut its workforce by 12,000 employees or nearly 6% of its employee count. Later in the year, the company made other cuts to its recruiting and news divisions.

Moreover, Google shifted its focus to prioritize developments in AI, launching products such as chatbot Bard and the large language model (LLM) Gemini as it aims to keep up with rivals, including Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN).

This season’s tech layoffs are being framed more as restructuring rather than cutting down from prior over-hiring efforts; suggesting that even if employees lose their jobs, there could be some security within the industry more broadly. So, investors shouldn’t worry much about the recent job cuts.

Shares of CRM have gained nearly 27% over the past six months and more than 74% over the past year. Meanwhile, GOOGL’s stock has surged more than 14% over the past six months and approximately 55% over the past year.

Now, let’s review the fundamentals of CRM and GOOGL in detail:

Latest Developments

On January 14, 2024, CRM, at NRF 2024, announced new data and AI-powered tools for retail to help businesses drive efficiency and deliver connected shopping experiences. The Einstein 1 Platform will power these new retail innovations.

With generative AI built into Commerce Cloud and Marketing Cloud, retail merchandisers and marketers can tap into these generative tools with a real-time understanding of customer behavior and preferences to optimize every customer interaction — enhancing loyalty, boosting revenue, and driving employee productivity.

Also, on December 14, 2023, Salesforce unveiled major updates to its Einstein 1 Platform, adding the Data Cloud Vector Database and Einstein Copilot Search. Data Cloud Vector Database will unify all business data, including unstructured data like PDFs, emails, and transcripts, with CRM data to allow the grounding of AI prompts and Einstein Copilot.

Einstein Copilot Search will offer AI search capabilities to deliver accurate answers from Data Cloud instantly in a conversational AI experience, thereby driving productivity for all business users.

For GOOGL, 2023 was a remarkable year of significant advances in AI and computing. On December 6, Google launched its largest and ‘most capable’ AI model, Gemini, which will be in three different sizes: Ultra, Pro, and Nano.

Enterprises could use Gemini for advanced customer service engagement through chatbots and product recommendations and identifying trends for companies looking to advertise their products. Also, it could be used for content creation.

In November, Google further announced a new DeepMind model, Lyria, in partnership with YouTube. Lyria is an advanced AI music generative model that will create vocals, lyrics, and background tracks mimicking the style of famous artists. This model is available on YouTube through two distinct AI experiments – DreamTrack for Shorts and Music AI tools.

Last Reported Quarterly Results

CRM’s total revenues increased 11.3% year-over-year to $8.72 billion for the fiscal third quarter that ended on October 31, 2023. Its gross profit was $6.57 billion, up 14.2% from the year-ago value. Its income from operations rose 226.3% from the prior year’s quarter to $1.50 billion. The company’s free cash flow came in at $1.37 billion, an increase of 1,088% year-over-year.

In addition, Salesforce’s non-GAAP net income grew 47.9% from the previous year’s period to $2.09 billion. Its non-GAAP EPS came in at $2.11, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.06 and up 50.7% year-over-year.

For the third quarter that ended September 30, 2023, GOOGL reported revenue of $76.69 billion, compared to analysts’ estimate of $75.73 billion and up 11% year-over-year. Its income from operations grew 24.6% from the prior year’s quarter to $21.34 billion. Its income before income taxes rose 30.6% year-over-year to $21.20 billion.

Google parent Alphabet’s net income increased 41.5% year-over-year to $19.69 billion. It posted net income per share of $1.55, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.45, and an increase of 46.2% year-over-year. Further, as of September 30, 2023, the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at $30.70 billion, compared to $21.88 billion as of December 31, 2022.

Past And Expected Financial Performance

Over the past three years, CRM’s revenue has increased at a CAGR of 18.7%, and its EBITDA has grown at a 43.4% CAGR. The company’s normalized net income has increased at a CAGR of 188.3% over the same time frame, and its levered free cash flow and total assets have improved at CAGRs of 24.8% and 15.5%, respectively.

Analysts expect CRM’s revenue for the current year (ending January 2024) to increase 11% and 56.5% year-over-year to $34.79 billion and $8.20, respectively. For the fiscal year ending January 2025, the company’s revenue and EPS are expected to grow 10.9% and 16.5% year-over-year to $38.57 million and $9.55, respectively.

GOOGL’s revenue and EBITDA have grown at CAGRs of 20.1% and 26% over the past three years, respectively. Its net income and EPS have improved at respective CAGRs of 23.2% and 26.3% over the same timeframe. Also, the company’s levered free cash flow has increased at a CAGR of 36% over the same period.

For the fiscal year ending December 2024, GOOGL’s revenue and EPS are estimated to increase 10.8% and 15.4% year-over-year to $340.50 billion and $6.69, respectively. Likewise, Street expects the company’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year 2025 to grow 10.5% and 15.6% from the prior year to $376.34 billion and $7.73, respectively. 

Profitability

In terms of the trailing-12-month EBIT margin, CRM’s 15.87% is 243.7% higher than the industry average of 4.62%. Its trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 74.99% is 54.8% higher than the 48.43% industry average. Moreover, the stock’s trailing-12-month net income margin of 7.63% is significantly higher than the 2.04% industry average.

GOOGL’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 56.12% is 15% higher than the 48.81% industry average. Its trailing-12-month EBIT margin of 27.42% is 226.8% higher than the 18.39% industry average. Likewise, the stock’s trailing-12-month net income margin of 22.46% is 541.4% higher than the industry average of 3.50%.

Bottom Line

The tech industry remains focused on trimming costs via job cuts. More than 20,000 tech employees have been laid off so far in 2024. CRM is the latest tech company to announce about 700 layoffs. However, the company still has plenty of job openings, roughly 1000, suggesting that these cuts might not be a drastic strategy shift but a routine labor force adjustment.

Similarly, tech giant Google signaled layoffs this month. Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned employees of more job cuts this year as the company continues to shift investments toward areas like AI. In a memo titled “2024 priorities and the year ahead,” Pichai stated that the company has ambitious goals and will be investing in its big priorities in 2024.

“The reality is that to create the capacity for this investment, we have to make tough choices,” Pichai said. For some teams, that means eliminating roles, which includes “removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity,” he added.

Many fear that these job cuts could be related to Google’s rollout of AI across its advertisement department, effectively witnessing the technology replace humans. Also, given Salesforce’s heavy investments in AI, people can’t help but wonder if the technology could be threatening its workforce.

In today’s digital era, AI undoubtedly stands out as one of the most influential forces shaping the future of work. AI technology is making its dramatic impact felt, especially across the tech industry, from automating business operations to transforming entire job roles.

While some tasks/jobs are being automated, replacing humans, new roles are emerging with AI integration. Tech companies’ increased focus on AI is leading to a hiring surge in this area while other sectors face layoffs.

This season’s job cuts in the tech industry are viewed more as restructuring efforts rather than navigating economic challenges or cutting down from previous over-hiring during the pandemic. So, the latest tech layoffs should be the least of investors’ worries, and they can continue to hold CRM and GOOGL shares. 

Will Google's UPI Expansion Make GOOGL a Must-Have Tech Stock?

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) has decided to help globalize India’s home-grown payments service, Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This instant real-time payment system was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 and allows individuals to use a single app to make peer-to-peer payments to or from multiple bank accounts.

Third parties can include UPI in their payment systems or apps, with payments flowing smoothly between all participants. The interface has more than 300 million active users and manages around 10 billion transactions per month. The traffic is not far behind Mastercard Inc. (MA) and nearly half the volume that Visa Inc. (V) handles.

UPI is ubiquitous in India and is one of the largest retail payment systems in terms of transaction value and volume. The payment service has already been made available in other nations, partly to assist Indian tourists as they travel and to facilitate cross-border transactions.

Now, Google has decided to spread these use cases around the globe. On January 18, 2024, Google Pay India and NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NPCI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to broaden the transformative impact of UPI to nations beyond India.

The MoU has three key objectives. Firstly, it seeks to expand the use of UPI payments for travelers out of India, allowing them to make transactions abroad seamlessly and conveniently. Secondly, it will help establish UPI-like digital payment systems in other countries, offering a model for seamless financial transactions.

Lastly, the MoU intends to ease the process of remittances between countries by utilizing the UPI infrastructure, thereby simplifying cross-border financial exchanges. These listed objectives are expected to accelerate UPI’s global acceptance, providing foreign merchants easy access to Indian customers who will no longer have to depend only on foreign currency and credit or forex cards to make payments.

“We are delighted to support NIPL towards expanding the reach of UPI to international markets. Google Pay has been a proud and willing collaborator to NPCI and the financial ecosystem, under the regulator’s guidance, and this collaboration is another step towards our commitment to making payments simple, safe and convenient,” said Deeksha Kaushal, Director, Partnerships, Google Pay India.

With this strategic collaboration, Google will not only create new digital finance opportunities for itself but also support the Indian government’s initiative to take UPI global.

India’s Digital Diplomacy Strategy

The recently signed MoU aligns with NPCI’s endeavor to boost India’s position in the global digital payment landscape. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been vocal on the government’s ambitions to take UPI global. At the BRICS summit in August last year, Modi noted that UPI had expanded to other nations, including the UAE, Singapore, and France.

“There are many possibilities of working on this with BRICS countries as well,” he stated.

Further, in an exclusive interview with Business Today, Modi highlighted the fact that 46% of global digital payment transactions today are in India, which he described as “one shining example of the success of our policies,” adding that “the world today sees India as the incubator of innovation.”

Last year, India also topped the global remittance charts. According to a recent report, the World Bank noted that India’s remittance inflows totaled $125 billion in 2023, the highest in the world and well ahead of Mexico ($67 billion) and China ($50 billion). Annual growth was a brisk 12.4%.

GOOGL’s stock has advanced more than 19% over the past six months and nearly 57% over the past year.

Here are other factors that could impact GOOGL’s performance in the near term:

Google’s Remarkable AI Progress

2023 has been a year of significant progress for GOOGL in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and its practical applications. With generative AI, the company is reimagining its products and services. In February 2023, Google launched Bard, its conversational AI service powered by LaMDA. This tool can generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and more.

In May, the tech giant reviewed the results of months and years of its foundational and applied work announced on stage at Google I/O. This included its next-generation large language model (LLM), PaLM 2, which is built on advanced compute-optimal scaling, scaled instruction-fine tuning, and enhanced dataset mixture.

By fine-tuning and instruction-tuning PaLM 2 for multiple purposes, the company was able to integrate it into more than 25 Google products and features, including an update to Bard, which enabled multilingual capabilities.

In addition, Search Generative Experience (SDE) uses LLMs to reimagine how to organize information and help people navigate through, creating a more fluid, conversational interaction model for its core Search product, MakerSuite, an easy-to-use prototyping environment for the PaLM API powered by PaLM 2, and many more developments.

The company also introduced DuetAI, its AI-powered collaborator that offers users assistance when they use Google Workspace and Google Cloud.

In June, Google unveiled Imagen Editor, which offers the ability to use region masks and natural language prompts to edit generative images. Later last year, Imagen 2 was released, which improved outputs through a specialized image aesthetics model based on human preferences for qualities like lighting, exposure, and framing.

Further, on November 22, in collaboration with YouTube, the company announced a new DeepMind model, Lyria. It is the most advanced AI music generative model to date that will create vocals, lyrics, and background tracks mimicking the style of popular artists. This model is available on YouTube through two distinct AI experiments – DreamTrack for Shorts and Music AI tools.

Then, in December, GOOGL launched Gemini. Gemini will include a suite of three different sizes: Gemini Ultra, its largest, most capable category; Gemini Pro, which scales across a wide range of tasks; and Gemini Nano, which will be used for specific tasks and mobile devices.

Robust Last Reported Financials

For the third quarter that ended September 30, 2023, Google parent Alphabet’s revenue came in at $76.69 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of $75.73 billion. This compared to revenue of $69.09 billion in the same quarter of 2022.

The company’s Google advertising revenues were $59.65 billion, an increase of 9.5% year-over-year, and its Google Cloud revenues grew 22.5% from the year-ago value to $8.41 billion. Its income from operations came in at $21.34 billion, up 24.6% from the prior year’s quarter.

GOOGL’s income before income taxes rose 30.6% year-over-year to $21.20 billion. The company’s net income rose 41.5% year-over-year to $19.69 billion. It posted net income per share of Class A, Class B, and Class C stock of $1.55, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.45, and up 46.2% year-over-year.

Furthermore, as of September 30, 2023, the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at $30.70 billion, compared to $21.88 billion as of December 31, 2022. Its current assets were $176.31 billion versus $164.80 billion as of December 31, 2022.

Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s CEO, said, “I’m pleased with our financial results and our product momentum this quarter, with AIdriven innovations across Search, YouTube, Cloud, our Pixel devices and more. We’re continuing to focus on making AI more helpful for everyone; there’s exciting progress and lots more to come.”

Solid Historical Growth

GOOGL’s revenue grew at a 20.1% CAGR over the past three years. Over the same period, the company’s EBITDA and operation income (EBIT) improved at CAGRs of 26% and 32.7%, respectively. Further, its net income and EPS grew at respective CAGRs of 23.2% and 26.3% over the same timeframe.

Additionally, the company’s total assets grew at a CAGR of 9.9% over the past three years, and its levered free cash flow improved at a 36% CAGR.

Optimistic Analyst Estimates

Analysts expect GOOGL’s revenue for the fourth quarter (ended December 2023) to increase 12% year-over-year to $85.20 billion. The consensus EPS estimate of $1.60 for the current quarter indicates a 52.21% year-over-year improvement. Moreover, the company surpassed consensus revenue and EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, which is impressive.

In addition, Street expects GOOGL’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year (ended December 2023) to increase 8.1% and 26% year-over-year to $305.77 billion and $5.74, respectively. For the fiscal year 2024, the company’s revenue and EPS are expected to grow 11.3% and 15.9% year-over-year to $340.26 billion and $6.66, respectively.

High Profitability

GOOGL’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 56.12% is 14.1% higher than the 49.18% industry average. Also, the stock’s trailing-12-month EBIT margin and net income margin of 27.42% and 22.46% are considerably higher than the industry averages of 8.56% and 3.27%, respectively.

Moreover, the stock’s trailing-12-month ROCE, ROTC, and ROTA of 25.33%, 17.36%, and 16.82% are favorably compared to the respective industry averages of 3.53%, 3.48%, and 1.38%. Its trailing-12-month levered FCF margin of 23.81% is 200.2% higher than the industry average of 7.93%.

Bottom Line

Alphabet’s shares climbed nearly 58% last year as tech stocks rallied after a disastrous 2022, driven partly by excitement about AI. The company reported an impressive revenue growth of 11%, returning to double digits for the first time in more than a year alongside a recovery in the digital ad market. Sales and profit both surpassed analysts’ expectations.

Moreover, for GOOGL, 2023 was a remarkable year of groundbreaking advances in AI and computing. Last week, in a memo titled “2024 priorities and the year ahead” that staffers received, Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the company has ambitious goals and will be investing in its big priorities this year. This includes AI and spans Google’s consumer to enterprise platforms.

Analysts at JP Morgan named GOOGL as one of their top picks for 2024, with AI primarily assisting in the stock’s significant growth.

GOOGL's partnership with the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) is geared toward extending India's UPI's reach globally, which is expected to yield advantages for the company.

This partnership seems like a suitable strategic move that would support a vital policy objective of the Indian government to broaden the digital payments landscape and provide Google Pay with new growth opportunities.

Considering these factors, GOOGL seems to be a must-have stock for any investment portfolio.

Analyzing Microsoft’s (MSFT) Soaring Success – What’s Next?

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Shares of Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) have been performing exceptionally well lately, with the stock surging more than 12% over the past month. Moreover, it hit a new 52-week high of $376.35 in the previous session. The stock has gained more than 20% over the past six months and nearly 55% over the past year.

The rally in the stock kicked off a couple of days after Microsoft reported upbeat fiscal 2024 first-quarter results. Since then, the stock has added more than $350 billion to its market capitalization. MSFT is the second-largest component in the S&P 500 with a market cap of $2.796 trillion, behind only Apple Inc. (AAPL) at $2.951 trillion.

Market research firm Bespoke Investment said that MSFT has joined AAPL as the second individual company with a larger market cap than the companies that comprise the Russel 2000 index.

Now, let’s discuss the factors that could impact MSFT’s performance in the upcoming months:

Solid Financial Performance in the Last Reported Quarter

For the fiscal 2024 first quarter that ended September 30, 2023, MSFT reported revenue of $56.52 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of $54.55 billion. This compared to the revenue of $50.12 billion in the same quarter of 2022.

Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud segment, which comprises Azure, public cloud, SQL Server, Visual Studio, Nuance, Windows Server, GitHub, and enterprise services, was up 19.4% year-over-year.

MSFT’s Productivity and Business Processes segment posted $18.59 billion, up 13% from the previous year’s period. This business unit comprises Microsoft 365 productivity app subscriptions, LinkedIn, and Dynamics enterprise software. The software company’s gross margin grew 16% year-over-year to $40.22 billion.

In addition, the software maker’s operating income came in at $26.90 billion, an increase of 25% year-over-year. Its net income rose 27% year-over-year to $22.29 billion. MSFT posted an EPS of $2.99 versus the consensus estimate of $2.65. This was up 27.2% from the same period last year.

As of September 30, 2023, the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at $80.45 billion, compared to $34.70 billion as of June 30, 2023. Its total current assets totaled $207.59 billion, compared to $184.26 billion as of June 30, 2023.

For the fiscal 2024 second quarter, Amy Hood, MSFT’s finance chief, expects the company’s revenue to come in the range of $60.40 billion to $61.40 billion, which implies approximately 15% year-over-year growth.

Robust Historical Growth

Over the past three years, MSFT’s revenue grew at a CAGR of 14.1%. Its EBITDA and net income improved at CAGRs of 16.7% and 17.5%, respectively, over the past three years. Also, the company’s EPS increased at a CAGR of 18.5%. Its levered free cash flow improved at 15.9% CAGR over the same timeframe.

Further, the company’s tangible book value and total assets increased at CAGRs of 25.7% and 14% over the same period, respectively.

Rebound In Cloud Spending

Revenue from Microsoft’s Azure cloud business surged 29% year-over-year during the September quarter, compared with 26% growth in the fourth quarter. Moreover, Microsoft is pulling ahead of its major competitors, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) and Google parent Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), in the race to recover from a two-year slowdown in cloud spending.

When multi-decade inflation hit last year, the Fed hiked interest rates, and companies responded by lowering their tech spending as a part of their cost-reduction measures. The inflation has fallen sharply from its peak of 9.1% hit in June last year. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most widely used measure of inflation, further showed signs of easing in October.

The core CPI, excluding volatile food and energy prices, increased 0.2% for the month and 4% year-over-year, lower than the estimates of 0.3% and 4.1%, respectively. Also, the annual level was the lowest in nearly two years and down from 4.1% in September. With declining inflationary pressures, organizations’ cost-cutting efforts have begun to wane, which should bode well for MSFT.

According to the latest forecast from Gartner, worldwide end-user spending on public cloud is projected to grow by 20.4% to a total of $678.80 billion in 2024, up from $563.60 billion in 2023. Growing business needs and emerging technologies like GenAI drive cloud model innovation.

MSFT is “still helping customers use the Microsoft Cloud to get the most value out of their digital spend, and driving operating leverage,” CEO Satya Nadella said in the latest earnings release.

Significant Advancements in AI

MSFT has been making several initiatives to infuse generative AI into its software and services.

In January this year, Microsoft announced a multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. The agreement marked the third phase of the partnership between the two companies after MSFT’s prior investments in 2019 and 2021. The company is providing its Azure cloud computing infrastructure for OpenAI.

Also, Microsoft is adding OpenAI models to its consumer and enterprise software products.

In February, the company launched a new, AI-powered Bing search engine and Edge browser with built-in support for OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The new Bing search version could deliver better search, more accurate answers, a new chat experience, and the ability to generate content.

Further, on March 16, the software maker announced the addition of AI tools to its Office productivity applications and introduced a feature called Microsoft 365 Copilot. The Copilot feature uses next-gen AI to automate and simplify tasks and offer suggestions. MSFT announced that Microsoft 365 Copilot in Windows will be available on September 26.

Starting November 1, Microsoft 365 Copilot will be generally available for enterprise customers. In addition, this AI-powered Copilot is added to the company’s cybersecurity offerings and GitHub service for software developers.

On November 8, MSFT-owned GitHub introduced a Copilot assistant that can assist developers in working with their employers’ internal code, priced at $39 per person a month. The new launch might help the company boost revenue in its cloud business unit by taking enhanced advantage of partner OpenAI’s technology.

Recovery in the PC Market

MSFT reported a 4% growth in sales of Windows operating system licenses to device makers in the last reported quarter, putting an end to a streak of five quarters of year-over-year declines. Amy Hood stated that the PC market has started to stabilize.

As per the estimates from Gartner, worldwide PC shipments totaled 64.3 million units during the third quarter of 2023, a decline of 9% from the third quarter of 2022. A 9% decrease in the third quarter compared to a 30% decline in the first quarter.

After eight straight quarters of decline, the PC market is expected to begin recovery in the fourth quarter of this year. For 2024, Gartner projects the global PC market to witness 4.9% growth, driven by both the business and consumer segments.

“The good news for PC vendors is that the worst could be over by the end of 2023,” said Mikako Kitagawa, Director Analyst at Gartner. “The business PC market is ready for the next replacement cycle, driven by the Windows 11 upgrades. Consumer PC demand should also begin to recover as PCs purchased during the pandemic are entering the early stages of a refresh cycle.”

In September, MSFT introduced new Surface computers and revealed details about the release of this year’s version of Windows 11. The company unveiled the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the Surface Laptop Go 3; both computers will have Microsoft’s revamped Windows 11 OS, which includes its Copilot software. The company could capitalize on the PC market’s expected recovery with these new launches.

Favorable Analyst Estimates

Analysts expect MSFT’s revenue for the second quarter (ending December 2023) to grow 15.6% year-over-year to $60.96 billion. The consensus EPS estimate of $2.75 for the ongoing quarter indicates an 18.7% year-over-year rise. Moreover, the company has topped the consensus revenue in three of the trailing four quarters and EPS estimates in all the trailing four quarters.

Additionally, for the fiscal year (ending June 2024), Street expects MSFT’s revenue and EPS to increase 14.5% and 14.1% year-over-year to $242.69 billion and $11.19, respectively. Also, the software company’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year 2025 are expected to increase 13.8% and 15.1% from the previous year to $276.22 billion and $12.88, respectively.

Bottom Line

Microsoft’s revenue and earnings beat analysts’ expectations in the last reported quarter, fueled by its cloud business strength, with Microsoft Cloud revenue up a staggering 24% year-over-year. Further, the software giant continues to make numerous advancements in AI, helping it regain tech leadership.

"With copilots, we are making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere," said Satya Nadella. “We are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role and business process to drive productivity gains for our customers,” he added.

According to Brent Thill, Jefferies analyst, the tailwinds of AI have begun to kick in for MSFT.

MSFT’s stock notched a new 52-week high in the previous trading session. The software maker’s early dominance in the realm of AI has been the primary driver of the stock’s impressive gains so far this year, and the stock is expected to surge higher in the upcoming months.

According to Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) research, the generative AI market could grow at a CAGR of 42% to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032.

Given MSFT’s solid financials, high profitability, and optimistic growth outlook, it could be wise to invest in this software stock now.

Wall Street Giants Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), and Microsoft (MSFT) Report Earnings this Week – Here’s the Game Plan

Posted on by The INO.com Team

U.S. tech giants could indicate an end to the approximately year-long slowdown in their cloud businesses as recent signs of economic resilience encourage consumers to boost their tech spending. Also, a surge in digital ads would drive profits.

Wall Street’s leading tech companies, Google-parent Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), are scheduled to report earnings this week, which will be a test to their elevated valuations and the broader market rally these tech giants have driven, thanks to optimism over artificial intelligence’s (AI) growth potential.

The Overall Consensus Estimates of Each Stock.

Analysts expect GOOGL’s revenue for the second quarter (ended June 2023) to come in at $72.80 billion, indicating an increase of 4.5% year-over-year. The consensus EPS estimate of $1.34 for the to-be-reported quarter reflects a 10.7% year-over-year improvement.

Furthermore, analysts expect GOOGL’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year (ending December 2023) to increase 6.2% and 16.9% from the previous year to $300.31 billion and $5.33, respectively.

In the case of META, analysts expect revenue to increase 8% year-over-year to $31.12 billion for the second quarter that ended June 2023. The tech company’s EPS for the to-be-reported quarter is expected to rise 18.3% year-over-year to $2.91.

Additionally, META’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year (ending December 2023) are expected to grow 8.9% and 37.5% year-over-year to $126.96 billion and $11.81, respectively.
For the fourth quarter that ended June 2023, analysts expect MSFT’s revenue to increase 7% year-over-year to $55.47 billion. The company’s EPS for the same quarter is expected to rise 14.4% year-over-year to $2.55. Moreover, it has topped the consensus EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, which is impressive.

For the fiscal year 2023, the consensus revenue and EPS estimates of $211.34 billion and $9.67 indicate increases of 6.6% and 5% year-over-year, respectively. In addition, the company’s revenue and EPS for the next fiscal year 2024 are expected to grow 11.7% and 14.1% from the prior year to $236.10 billion and $11.03, respectively.

How Should Investors Approach These Stocks?

While the search engine is GOOGL’s flagship product, the company operates in key areas such as hardware, cloud computing, advertising, and software.

The tech giant, scheduled to report second-quarter 2023 results on July 25, surpassed analysts’ earnings estimates in the first quarter. GOOGL’s revenue of $69.78 billion beat analyst expectations of $68.90 billion, according to Refinitiv. Also, the company reported earnings of $1.17 per share versus $1.07 per share expected, according to Refinitiv.

In addition, GOOGL’s YouTube advertising revenue was $6.69 billion, compared to $6.60 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. The beat on the top and bottom lines breaks a string of four consecutive quarters in which the company missed the consensus estimates.

The company finally generated profit in its cloud-computing business during the first quarter. Its Google Cloud revenue grew 28.1% from the year-ago value to $7.45 billion. The unit reported an operating income of $191 million, following a $706 million loss in the same quarter of 2022.

“We are pleased with our business performance in the first quarter, with Search performing well and momentum in Cloud. We introduced important product updates anchored in deep computer science and AI. Our North Star is providing the most helpful answers for our users, and we see huge opportunities ahead, continuing our long track record of innovation,” commented Sundar Pichai, GOOGL’s CEO.

Due to intense pressure from the popularity of the AI-based chatbot ChatGPT, launched in November last year by Microsoft-backed Open AI, GOOGL launched its own AI chatbot called Bard during the first quarter of 2023.

GOOGL is making numerous efforts to incorporate “generative AI” into its products. On June 8, the company introduced the Secure AI Framework (SAIF), a conceptual framework for secure AI systems. SAIF is designed to help mitigate risks specific to AI systems, such as stealing the model, data positioning of training data, extracting confidential information in the training data, and injecting malicious inputs.

On May 25, GOOGL announced Search Labs, a new generative AI-powered program that enables users to access early experiments like SGE, Code Tips, and Add to Sheets. In the same month, the company unveiled the private preview of Duet AI for Google Cloud, an always-on AI collaborator to provide help to developers.

Furthermore, on May 18, GOOGL unveiled the private preview of Duet AI for Google Cloud, an always-on AI collaborator powered by generative AI. It offers real-time code suggestions, chat assistance, and customizable features designed for enterprise requirements.

Alphabet’s second-quarter results are expected to reflect profits from its strengthening cloud service offerings. The company’s growing investments in infrastructure, data management, analytics, security, and AI are the primary catalysts. While the Google Cloud segment would turn into a profit in the second quarter, the growth could slow down.

According to analysts polled by Refinitiv, GOOGL will likely report its lowest-ever growth for the cloud computing business at 24.4%. On the other hand, the recovery in the digital ad market would aid GOOGL significantly.

META is another tech giant set to report second-quarter earnings on July 26 after market close. With a $754.11 billion market cap, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., develops innovative products that allow people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile phones, PCs, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and wearables globally.

Meta’s products and services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Quest 2.

Tech conglomerate reported better-than-expected revenue and earnings for the first quarter of 2023. META’s sales increased by 3% year-over-year during the first quarter, reversing a trend of three consecutive quarters of revenue declines and topping analysts’ estimates of $27.65 billion, according to Refinitiv.

Also, the tech company reported earnings of $2.20 per share, compared to the $2.03 per share expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.

In addition, META’s user growth was relatively strong compared to previous quarters. META’s family daily active people (DAP) were 3.02 billion on average, up 5% year-over-year. Similarly, its family monthly active people (MAP) rose 5% from the prior-year quarter to 3.81 billion. Also, Facebook's daily active users (DAUs) were 2.04 billion as of March 31, 2023, up 4% year-over-year.

In the last quarterly release, Meta’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, commented, “Our AI work is driving good results across our apps and business. We’re also becoming more efficient so we can build better products faster and put ourselves in a stronger position to deliver our long-term vision.”
Further, the company stands to benefit from its upcoming product launches, including Meta Quest 3, a cutting-edge virtual and mixed reality headset featuring higher resolution, improved performance, breakthrough Meta Reality technology, and enhanced comfort.

Also, on July 18, META introduced the availability of Llama 2, an open-source large language model, with Microsoft as its preferred partner. The companies believe that an open approach is the right one for developing today’s AI models, especially those in the generative space where the technology is advancing rapidly.

This month, Facebook owner Meta announced Threads, an app built by the Instagram team for sharing via text. Threads provide a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. Creators and influencers are increasingly exploring this new app to bolster their online presence and help them reach bigger audiences.

Threads became the fastest-growing social media platform to hit 100 million users, a serious threat to the dominant microblogging Twitter app. This resulted in several analysts upgrading the META stock. If the application manages to retain users, Threads could achieve $5 billion in annual ad revenue, Bernstein said in a note on July 18.

On July 11, Morningstar analysts stated that Threads could add between $2 billion and $3 billion to META’s revenue annually between 2024 and 2024.

As a result of continued technological breakthroughs and innovative product launches, META issued a relatively bullish forecast for the second quarter of fiscal 2023, projecting total revenue of between $29.50 billion and $32 billion, exceeding analysts’ sales estimate of $29.50 billion, according to Refinitiv.

For META, revenue in the fiscal 2023 second quarter is projected to grow at its fastest pace in six quarters, driven by a significant pickup in the digital ad market as consumer spending remains robust.
Along with GOOGL, leading tech company MSFT is set to release its fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2023 earnings report on July 25. The company reported better-than-expected results for the first quarter of fiscal 2023.

During the third quarter, MSFT beat Wall Street’s revenue and earnings estimates, driven by growth in its cloud computing and Office productivity software businesses, and the software giant added that AI products were stimulating its sales.

MSFT’s revenue in the third quarter increased 7% year-over-year to $52.90 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $51.02 billion, according to data from Refinitiv. The company reported earnings of $2.45 per share, beating analyst estimates of $2.23, according to Refinitiv.

During the quarter, the company’s growth at its cloud business Azure was 27%, exceeding analyst expectations for 26.6% growth, according to the consensus of 23 analysts polled by Visible Alpha.

Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, told investors on a conference call that the company will continue to focus on three priorities. First is assisting customers in using the depth of the Microsoft Cloud to get the most value out of their digital spend; second, investing to take the lead in the new AI wave across its solution areas. And third is driving operating leverage, aligning its cost structure with its revenue growth.

Satya Nadella added that the company has the most powerful AI infrastructure, which is being used by its partner Open AI and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), and other leading AI startups, including Adept and Inflection, to train large models. MSFT’s Azure OpenAI bright together advanced models like ChatGPT and GPT-4 with the enterprise capabilities of Azure.

The company has more than 2,500 Azure-Open AI service customers, and AI is integrated into a wide range of products, MSFT’s CEO said.

On July 18, MSFT announced that the company’s new corporate AI tools that work with Office software, Microsoft 365 Copilot, would cost $30 per user per month in addition to what most business customers already pay.

The pricing, announced at MSFT’s partners' conference, reflects solid demand for corporate AI products and the cost of running them. According to Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood, its new AI products might become the tech company’s fastest business to hit $10 billion.

While the company will likely surpass analysts’ earnings estimates in the to-be-reported fourth quarter, as it did in the first three quarters of 2023, however, Microsoft Intelligent Cloud, home to Azure, is estimated to grow at 13.7%, the slowest rate since 2017. Enterprises are optimizing their IT spending due to lingering macro challenges, thus impacting Azure and other cloud providers.

Meanwhile, last Friday, Goldman Sachs analyst Kash Rangan reiterated a Buy rating on MSFT and increased the price target to $400 from $350 after the company announced pricing and other details related to its Microsoft 265 Copilot offering.

Bottom Line

These tech giants have been at the forefront of cutting-edge research and developments in AI, Cloud, among others, integrating these powerful technologies into their products and services. With these companies flexing their muscles in Cloud and AI, they are well-posied for significant long-term growth.