Oguz Erkan
Investor, Founder of Capitalist Letters
Microsoft is a better pick than Alphabet because its software benefits from AI while Google's search is sure to be disrupted over time. Copilot adoption is lifting Microsoft's software, it already has the second-largest cloud business, and it trades at a cheaper forward multiple than Alphabet. Google's cloud growth will only offset search disruption at first before becoming net positive. 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 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's position is the most crowded among the Magnificent Seven, and fund flows are against it as funds sell those stocks to reserve cash for Anthropic's IPO. It faded despite an excellent earnings report. 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
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 is the most exposed big tech company in the AI spending wave, and an AI writedown would land on it first. It had a genuine moat that needed almost no capital, but pledged $80B in data center spending, canceled Claude Code licenses because token costs were untenable, and tied its destiny to OpenAI, which it does not control. 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 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 and Meta, as the AI buildout's longest-dated cash flows, face pressure from rising long yields and credit stress equity investors have yet to price. The 30-year Treasury broke out to a 5.28% cycle high; a weekly close above 5.30% raises crash risk, and 5.50% ends the constructive view. Oracle's five-year CDS hit 203 bp, an 18-year high, after S&P cut it to one notch above junk, and hyperscaler swaps hit record wides. An autumn crash is about a one-in-three chance. x.com x.comÂ
Microsoft's OpenAI exposure is a very good reason to keep it alongside Anthropic exposure through Alphabet and Amazon. The prior thought of reducing or exiting Microsoft has given way to a tentative hold, with no plans to add for now. x.comÂ