Microsoft Faces $262 Billion Capex Test as July 29 Earnings Near
Updated
Updated · Barchart · Jul 23
Microsoft Faces $262 Billion Capex Test as July 29 Earnings Near
3 articles · Updated · Barchart · Jul 23
Summary
July 29 earnings could trigger a fresh Microsoft stock dip as investors focus less on results than on how much AI infrastructure spending will keep rising.
$262 billion in fiscal 2027 capex is BNP Paribas's projection for Microsoft, far above the $104.3 billion it spent in the first three quarters of fiscal 2026.
Alphabet's 6% post-earnings drop after lifting capex by $15 billion to $205 billion has sharpened concern that strong numbers may not shield hyperscalers from AI-spending backlash.
Microsoft's underlying business remains solid: fiscal third-quarter revenue rose 18% to $82.9 billion, Azure-led Intelligent Cloud revenue climbed 30% to $34.7 billion, and 46 of 51 analysts rate the stock a buy.
Even so, Microsoft shares are down 24.6% over the past year, leaving the stock at a 10-year-low forward P/E of 20.61 as the market weighs long-term AI growth against near-term spending pressure.