Adjusting sales quotas early in the fiscal year is not surprising, says one analyst who sees weakness in the stock as a buying opportunity.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares fell 2.1% on Wednesday morning after a report suggested the company has lowered expectations for sales of its newer artificial intelligence products among business customers. The Information reported that Microsoft has reduced growth goals for AI software, citing two salespeople in the Azure cloud unit.
Artificial intelligence has fueled a multi-trillion-dollar stock market surge over the past few years, propelling companies like Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) and Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ) to record valuations.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) shares are under pressure after internal sales adjustments signaled weakening momentum in the company's push to commercialize its newest artificial intelligence (AI) products.
Multiple divisions at Microsoft have lowered sales growth targets for certain artificial intelligence products after many sales staff missed goals in the fiscal year that ended in June, The Information reported on Wednesday.
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Presents at UBS Global Technology and AI Conference 2025 Transcript
Billionaire Peter Thiel runs the hedge fund Thiel Macro and is known for playing a significant role in identifying growth stocks.
Microsoft's recent pullback is largely driven by overspending concerns, despite a strong 1Q FY2026 report. 2Q FY2026 Azure revenue growth is expected to come in at 39%–40% YoY, in line with 1Q levels, while total revenue guidance indicates a modest slowdown. Capex, including capital leases, surged significantly in 1Q, and AI investment is expected to remain elevated in FY2026, as demand continues to outpace capacity.
MSFT's 16.7% YTD gain reflects OpenAI optimism, but premium valuation and rising competition from Amazon, Oracle and Google suggest waiting for a better entry.
Better tech dip to buy, Microsoft or Meta? One stock to own for the next 10 years?
Nebius has corrected 30% from its October highs, driven by a sector-wide AI infrastructure cooling. The bearish narrative ignores the massive backlog: The $19.4B Microsoft deal and ~$3B Meta partnership effectively "secure" future growth. The growth needed to justify their current valuation is mainly already secured by their MSFT and Meta deal.
Google reportedly withdrew an antitrust complaint that it filed with the European Union against Microsoft. The company did so after the European Commission began investigating whether Microsoft's cloud business, Azure, must adhere to the Digital Markets Act, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday (Nov. 28).