Microsoft: Navigating AI Investments Amid Market Volatility

Despite being seen as a key beneficiary of the artificial intelligence boom, primarily due to its strategic investment in OpenAI, Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT, Financial) stock has underperformed broader markets and its mega-cap peers this year. After a strong start, the stock has only gained about 7.10% year to date. This is a significant decline from its mid-July peak, where it was up nearly 25%. The downturn can be attributed to weaker-than-expected near-term prospects at Azure following the latest earnings r ...