The tech giant's stock has surged 25% this year. Microsoft (MSFT -1.61%) has routinely been one of the most valuable companies in the world. Its popular office software is used in businesses across the globe, and it has been expanding into other industries via acquisitions, such as gaming. That expanded the company's tentacles and growth opportunities, attracting more growth investors in the stock along the way. More recently, the company is diving headfirst into artificial intelligence (AI). It enhanced ma ...