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Prediction: Microsoft Stock Will Soar After April 29

newsfeedback@fool.com (Keithen Drury)
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⚡ Quantum Brief
Microsoft’s stock, down 30% from its peak, may rebound after its April 29 fiscal Q3 2026 earnings report, with investors anticipating strong cloud and AI-driven growth to reverse recent underperformance. Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, remains a key growth driver, with Q2 2026 revenue up 39% year-over-year, fueling expectations for continued AI infrastructure demand and robust 16% overall revenue growth. The stock trades at a historically low 23.3 P/E ratio—below the S&P 500’s 24.5—despite outperforming peers like Alphabet (29.2 P/E) and Apple (33 P/E), signaling potential undervaluation. Analysts suggest even modest earnings beats could trigger a 10% stock surge, as current valuations leave little downside risk amid sustained Azure and AI momentum. With AI adoption accelerating, Microsoft’s dominance in cloud-based AI development positions it for long-term gains, making its discounted valuation a compelling buy opportunity.
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By Keithen Drury – Apr 15, 2026 at 10:45AM ESTKey PointsExpect Microsoft's cloud business to deliver impressive growth again.Shares of the tech giant are trading at a valuation level rarely seen. Microsoft (MSFT +3.62%) has had a rough few months. The stock is down over 30% from its all-time high, and has seen a much deeper sell-off than most of its peers. However, I think there could be a turnaround coming. On April 29, investors will get the next round of news from Microsoft regarding the current state of its business -- that is, its fiscal 2026's third quarter (ended March 31). I think the results from that report could be exactly what Microsoft needs to turn its fortunes around, making the stock a no-brainer buy right now. Image source: Getty Images. What's going to be in the report? The reality is that Microsoft doesn't really need anything particularly special in its report; it just needs to keep the status quo. During Q2 (ended Dec. 31, 2025), Microsoft delivered excellent results, with its revenue rising 17% powered specifically higher by higher revenue from Azure, which rose 39%. Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing platform, and has become the go-to partner for building and developing AI models. As this segment of Microsoft's business grows, it shows that Microsoft is still in the middle of the AI build-out and making a ton of money from it, too. So, as long as Microsoft delivers solid revenue numbers (Wall Street believes Microsoft will report 16% growth), and Azure continues to deliver strong growth, I don't think there's anything that will keep the stock down. The reality is that the stock is so cheap right now that it doesn't really have anywhere to go but up. ExpandNASDAQ: MSFTMicrosoftToday's Change(3.62%) $14.22Current Price$407.33Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.9TDay's Range$396.73 - $408.8852wk Range$355.67 - $555.45Volume1MAvg Vol37MGross Margin68.59%Dividend Yield0.89% The most widely used valuation metric is the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. It's not always the best choice for certain situations, but with a mature company like Microsoft, I think it's fairly appropriate. From this standpoint, Microsoft trades for 23.3 times earnings. Just last year, it traded for nearly 40. Now, I'm not going to argue that Microsoft was worth 40 times earnings, but I think 23 times earnings is far too cheap. The S&P 500 trades for 24.5 times earnings, so it's already cheaper than the broader market. Two of its peers, Alphabet and Apple, trade for 29.2 and 33 times earnings, respectively. I'd argue that Microsoft deserves a 30 P/E multiple, which indicates substantial upside from the stock. Will Microsoft recover that all in one day? I doubt it. But could its stock pop 10% on a solid earnings report? I think that's entirely possible, as Microsoft's stock is truly valued at a dirt cheap level.Read NextApr 15, 2026 •By Matt DiLallo5 Best High Dividend Mutual Funds to Buy in 2026Apr 15, 2026 •By Geoffrey SeilerShould You Buy Microsoft Stock After Its Correction, or Run for the Hills?Apr 15, 2026 •By Keithen DruryThe 3 Best Stocks to Buy in the MarketApr 14, 2026 •By James BrumleyHeading Into the Heart of Q2, These Are the 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks I Want to OwnApr 14, 2026 •By David Jagielski, CPAWhich Underperforming "Magnificent Seven" Stock Is the Better Buy in 2026: Tesla or Microsoft?Apr 14, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloBest Climate Change Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestAbout the AuthorKeithen Drury is a contributing Motley Fool technology analyst covering AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and SaaS stocks. In addition to The Motley Fool, Keithen is a mechanical engineer and has held roles at Honeywell and smaller industrial companies like Brand Hydraulics and Lincoln Industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dordt University.TMFTripleOptionStocks MentionedMicrosoftNASDAQ: MSFT$407.33(+3.62%)+$14.22*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

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