A $357B Slap in the Face: Why It's Time to Buy Microsoft Now

Core Viewpoint - Microsoft shares experienced a significant decline of over 12% following disappointing quarterly earnings, resulting in a loss of $357 billion in market value, marking the worst day since the 2020 stock market crash [1][2] Financial Performance - Microsoft is now in a bear market, down nearly 21% from its all-time high, raising questions among investors about whether this decline presents a buying opportunity or if it is prudent to wait [2] - Azure revenue grew by 39%, which, while still strong compared to competitors, fell short of expectations as it was 1% below the previous quarter [6][7] Investment Sentiment - The steep drop in stock price has led to a perception that Microsoft is misunderstood, with investors reacting harshly to heavy AI capital expenditures without sufficient quarter-over-quarter growth [4][5] - There is a growing concern that the significant increase in capital expenditures, which rose 66% year-over-year to $37.5 billion, has not yet translated into expected growth, leading to a negative outlook for the recent quarter [8][6] Future Outlook - CFO Amy Hood indicated that demand for AI services is exceeding supply, suggesting that capacity constraints are currently limiting growth potential, rather than a lack of demand [9][10] - Once Microsoft addresses its capacity issues, there is potential for Azure to regain its status as a key growth driver for the company [10]