Microsoft shares came under significant pressure after the quarterly figures. Several analysts still see the tech group as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom.
• Microsoft shares are slipping sharply according to the numbers
• Piper Sandler sees Microsoft as an AI leader
• The majority of analysts remain clearly on a buying path
Microsoft shares crash after numbers – but Piper Sandler remains bullish
Microsoft recently received significant support from analysts, even if this was not reflected in the share price – the share ultimately fell by 9.99 percent to $ 433.50 on the NASDAQ the day after the figures were presented at the end of January. The software company Microsoft was able to make strong gains again in the reporting period and benefited from continued high demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services. However, growth remained behind that of the previous quarter. There were also concerns about the sharp rise in costs.
The analysis firm Piper Sandler still rates the software company as one of the biggest beneficiaries in the field of artificial intelligence. Analyst Billy Fitzsimmons said, according to TipRanks: “We see Microsoft as perhaps the best pure-play AI company today.” He referred to the results of a study: “The participants in our CIO survey for the second half of 2025 expressed themselves increasingly positively about Azure and Copilot.” He therefore explained that post-numbers pullbacks could represent a buying opportunity.
At the same time, Piper Sandler sees Microsoft as comparatively well prepared against possible risks associated with the increasing use of AI in the software industry. “We believe that Microsoft is best positioned to benefit from increased spending on AI infrastructure. We also believe that Microsoft is financially better positioned than some competitors to make the necessary investments as it has a robust balance sheet and expects free cash flow to remain solidly positive over the next few years,” 24/7 WALL ST quotes from the analysis.
More analyst reactions after Microsoft’s numbers
According to the figures, the Canadian bank RBC has left its price target for Microsoft at $640 and the rating at “Outperform”. Analyst Rishi Jaluria said the company had a solid quarter that exceeded forecasts while falling short of higher expectations. However, he still sees room for growth and margins – the stock remains his “top pick”.
Meanwhile, JPMorgan lowered its price target from $575 to $550 – but the rating remained at “Overweight”. According to Mark Murphy, Azure performed well, but capacity bottlenecks would continue to affect the business, while the sales outlook for the third quarter was slightly below expectations after adjusting for currency effects.
Jefferies has kept Microsoft at Buy with a price target of $675. Analyst Brent Thill said the company performed well overall and exceeded expectations.
The major US bank Goldman Sachs lowered the price target for the software company from 655 to 600 US dollars, but maintained its “buy” rating.
DZ Bank lowered the fair value for Microsoft from $650 to $620 per share, but left the rating at “buy”. Analyst Axel Herlinghaus continues to view Microsoft as a clear “AI winner” and a prime buying opportunity.
In addition, Barclays lowered the price target for the software giant from $610 to $600; the British investment bank left the rating at “Overweight”. Analyst Raimo Lenschow explained that the Microsoft papers story is likely to come under some scrutiny as it appears as if Azure’s growth cannot be accelerated any further.
Overall, strong buy recommendation for Microsoft
Overall, the analysts remain optimistic for the software giant even after Microsoft’s figures. According to TipRanks, 36 Wall Street analysts have provided 12-month price targets for Microsoft stock in the last three months. Of these, 32 recommend the stock as a buy, while four have given a hold rating. There are currently no sales recommendations.
The average price target is $593.38, with the highest forecast at $678.00 and the lowest at $392.00. The average price target corresponds to a change of +47.86 percent compared to the last price of $401.32 (as of February 13, 2026).
Editorial team finanzen.net
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