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Microsoft Accelerates AI Buildout as Azure Growth Hits 40% and Baird Sets $600 Target

The company is balancing rapid cloud expansion with heavier infrastructure spending that analysts say can coexist with strong cash generation.

Overview

  • Microsoft posted fiscal Q1 EPS of $4.13 on revenue of $77.67 billion, beating estimates as Azure grew 40% year over year on AI demand.
  • Guidance calls for fiscal Q2 revenue of $79.5 billion to $80.6 billion and roughly 37% Azure growth on a constant-currency basis.
  • Baird initiated coverage at Outperform with a $600 price target, citing leadership across AI infrastructure and applications.
  • Analyst William Power projects about $74 billion in fiscal 2026 free cash flow even as capital spending is forecast to rise from roughly $88 billion in fiscal 2025 to about $143 billion in fiscal 2026.
  • Microsoft outlined new global AI infrastructure commitments, including more than $8 billion planned in the UAE through 2029 with tens of thousands of additional Nvidia chips and a $10 billion data center investment in Portugal.