The two largest names in enterprise software have been bruised, and the smart money is using the discount to add exposure.
LinkedIn plans to inform employees of layoffs on Wednesday as the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform joins a growing list of technology companies trimming staff amid another wave of industry-wide job cuts in 2026, according to Reuters. The company is expected to reduce about 5% of its workforce as part of an organizational restructuring aimed at aligning personnel with faster-growing areas of the business, one person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
OpenAI has agreed to cap the total revenue it shares with Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) at $38 billion through 2030, down sharply from a prior arrangement that could have generated as much as $135 billion in cumulative payments for the software giant, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the original agreement, OpenAI was set to pay Microsoft 20% of its revenue through 2030, with those payments potentially continuing until artificial general intelligence was formally declared.
At current prices, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) at $413.96 screens as attractive, Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) at $238.80 looks fully valued, and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) at $113.01 looks overextended.
Microsoft has proven the durability of SaaS monetization trends as they transition to hybrid/usage-based pricing models to deliver differentiated value across various audiences. Readers cannot deny their increasingly richer profit margins and the growing multi-year commercial RPO of $627B (+99% YoY), allowing them to remain the King of Enterprise SaaS stocks. Despite the elevated capex and AI-related margin compression, MSFT sustains strong FCF and net cash position while guiding double-digit revenue/income growth in FY2027.
The Musk v. Altman trial began its third week with testimony by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
OAKLAND, CALIF. — Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella defended OpenAI's pivot to for-profit status and discussed his company's hopes for a juicy return on its investment during Monday testimony in Elon Musk's suit against the AI giant.
Elon Musk's lawyer argued that Microsoft's Satya Nadella played a role in getting Mr. Altman his job back at OpenAI when he was briefly fired in 2023.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took the stand to testify in the Musk v. Altman trial.
Satya Nadella is expected to testify about Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI and the company's support of Sam Altman.
Wondering how to pick strong, market-beating stocks for your investment portfolio? Look no further than the Zacks Focus List.
Microsoft is a Buy, with Q3 results showing 18% revenue growth and 23% net income growth at mega-cap scale. Azure revenue surged 40% and AI business grew 123% YoY (run rate), with demand-led capex and robust Copilot adoption supporting the bull case. My conservative 12-month price target is $513/share, with a personal exit target of $550/share, reflecting confidence in operational execution and AI-driven growth.