Microsoft (MSFT)
NASDAQInformation TechnologySoftware - InfrastructureSnapshot 2026-09-14
$505.41+1.97%
Close 2026-09-14 · 1-day change
NASDAQInformation TechnologySoftware - InfrastructureSnapshot 2026-09-14
Research Workspace
Put MSFT beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Systems Software: fringe margins under pressure (2q confirmed)
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar broken — Microsoft Cloud revenue grows at least 20% annually: 18.0% vs 20.0%.
View ThesisRevenue growth is accelerating — up about 18% over the past year.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, margins, the balance sheet.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 39% growth a year, above the roughly 21% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 1% on a typical day and fell roughly 35% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskMicrosoft's growth in cloud revenue must accelerate to justify its current valuation. Revenue grew 18% year over year, but the latest results fell short of the expected 20% growth. Microsoft trades at 28× P/E, which is below the peer median of 41×. The market is pricing in more growth than forecasted, indicating expectations look full. A specific risk is the potential for Microsoft to cut guidance on the next call, which has an 11% miss probability. Peer multiples imply a price about 38% below where it trades, suggesting it looks expensive on this basis.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-14. MSFT is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 55 analysts currently covering MSFT (as of Sep 2026).
Based on 16 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for MSFT in the last 4 months.
Continue this research
Compare MSFT with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
Free account required to save the handoff. No credit card.
| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSFT Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 12 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-14. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Systems Software — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Our valuation methods disagree too much on this name right now. Rather than print a number we don't believe, we're holding it back until they converge.
Our valuation methods disagree too much on this name right now. Rather than print a number we don't believe, we're holding it back until they converge.
Compare the value case
Put MSFT next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Threatens: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Concerns about AI strategy could hinder cloud focus.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-09-14. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $505.41
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $505.41.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Top 10% on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Positive outlook on AI supports cloud revenue growth.
Advances: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Strengthens commitment to AI infrastructure and privacy.
Threatens: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Pressure on Azure could hinder cloud growth objectives.
AI pause concerns could impact cloud and AI growth.
Advances: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Deliberate pacing supports responsible AI development.
Threatens: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Slowing AI development may hinder cloud and AI infrastructure focus.
Advances: Focus on cloud and AI infrastructure
Tripling data center capacity supports cloud and AI focus.
