SV_Techie
Entrepreneur & Startup Mentor, Technology Investor
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 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 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
AI's threat to incumbent tech makes SpaceX the preferred investment for the next decade. AI has begun taking business from Google, with Amazon and Apple next; Microsoft's 27% workforce reduction program signals desperation. 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 faces AI disruption that could erode its software moat and compress its high multiple. Chris Hohn, the best stock picker ever and not one to move lightly, cut Microsoft from 10% to 1% of his portfolio, about $8 billion, citing AI disruption. The question that matters is whether a business can be disrupted: when code becomes a commodity the moat erodes, and multiple compression from a high base does severe damage. 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
Anthropic's S-1 and @UncleAlpha007's claim that Microsoft is growing despite a 27% headcount cut have turned the near-term tech-equity view bullish. At least a tradable rally is expected; further upside depends on Iran developments and PCE. Stay nimble. x.com x.comÂ
The market wants Microsoft to be the first hyperscaler to slow AI capex, and while that would lift its shares in the short term, investors will later realize what it means and panic. Per Goldman, the first hyperscaler to signal slower spending will likely be rewarded, others will follow, and that reflexivity stalls the capex cycle; Nvidia is trying to prevent it. Asked by Michael Hartnett how far hyperscalers must fall before the market trades capex cuts, the answer for Microsoft is 2021 levels. … Show more
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