Ashton Invests
Long-Term Equity Investor, Fundamental Stock Research
Microsoft is still one of the easiest long-term compounders to understand. Microsoft Cloud revenue grew from $19.5B in Q2 2021 to $54.5B in Q1 2026, a 24% CAGR that is remarkable at its size. Azure is the main engine and AI makes the cloud opportunity bigger, with enterprise software, cybersecurity, gaming, LinkedIn, Office, Windows and Copilot working alongside. The stock is not super cheap, but its quality keeps earning a premium valuation. x.comÂ
Microsoft is probably the highest-quality business around, and near the top of the list of companies able to monetize AI across a massive customer base. It has exposure to cloud, AI, cybersecurity, enterprise software, gaming and operating systems, but Azure is the core: last quarter revenue rose 18%, EPS 23% and Azure about 40%, remarkable at its size. The debate is valuation and AI capex, which must eventually turn into revenue, margins and cash flow. x.comÂ
Microsoft's AI spending is producing faster growth with better economics: Azure accelerated to 48% on a $100B+ base while capex was $39.4B, below expectations. Management then guided Azure to 49-50% and said demand still exceeds supply, ending the debate over whether AI investment is paying off. Overweight, $625 target. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Microsoft's salesforce and governed platform unlock AI spending at conservative firms. Faster enterprise than consumer AI adoption makes it effectively the only pure play. M365 Commercial may top 20% growth next quarter, sooner than expected on tonight's guide; GitHub resegmentation helps, but it should do so this year anyway. Azure and M365, two-thirds of revenue, should grow above 50% and 20% and may accelerate. $24-25 CY27 EPS remains achievable, implying under 22x forward earnings. x.com … Show more
Microsoft is a great business but still an expensive bet at $385, because heavy AI capex is eroding free cash flow. Capex was revised to $190B for the year, $43B above expectations, and free cash flow fell to $15.8B. Revenue grew 18% to $82.9B, operating income 20%, Azure 40% and AI run rate reached $37B, with a 47% operating margin. The average analyst target of $560 implies 45% upside only if the AI spending converts on schedule. x.comÂ
Microsoft's faster Azure growth on less capital spending than feared is the mix investors wanted from Big Tech. Azure brought in $33.2 billion last quarter, up 48%, its third consecutive quarter of accelerating growth; capex was $45.2 billion versus $50.8 billion expected. x.comÂ
Microsoft's hold on enterprise software and the cloud running AI makes it one of tech's best positions to own. Fiscal Q1 revenue rose 19% on Azure and the AI stack, while operating income rose 21% and net income 32%. Grade: A. x.comÂ
Microsoft's Azure has little chance against Google Cloud and AWS because the AI infrastructure race is becoming a hardware race. Amazon has Trainium and Google has TPUs, while Microsoft is still supply-constrained, so rivals can scale faster and cheaper. @DJ1P2 counters that enterprise integration, hybrid distribution and software lock-in keep Azure a dominant AI powerhouse, still growing 40%. x.com x.comÂ
Azure's accelerating growth and better returns per capex dollar leave further upside on the table for Microsoft, the favored hyperscaler. Azure grew 48% versus 44-45% guidance, its fifth straight beat. The stock is holding eight-week EMA support, with the blue candle still intact. x.comÂ
Microsoft's 50% Azure growth and prospect of positive cash flow in 2027 make the stock look bulletproof. Headcount cuts, lower Anthropic spend, a better Copilot routed to cheaper tokens, and coming proprietary chips and model usage add to the case. It should get Apple's multiple plus recognition for cybersecurity. x.com x.comÂ
Microsoft and software stocks broadly still look expensive, because AI will get exponentially better over the next two years and the market may reset software valuations much lower. Software valuations have always been ludicrous, and heavy stock-based compensation behind many software revenues is widely ignored. Winners will emerge, but picking them is not worth trying. x.com x.comÂ
Microsoft is showing real ROI on AI spending, with Azure growth accelerating to 43% and the business now over $100B a year. RPO reached $678B, up 84%, with about 30% converting to revenue within 12 months, and Microsoft delivered without the aggressive capex step-up the market feared. x.com x.comÂ
