Short interest for Microsoft gives investors a sense of the degree to which investors are betting on the decline of Microsoft's stock. Short interest data is updated every two weeks.

Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT), Short Interest Report

Microsoft

Microsoft develops and licenses consumer and enterprise software. It is known for its Windows operating systems and Office productivity suite. The company is organized into three equally sized broad segments: productivity and business processes (legacy Microsoft Office, cloud-based Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, LinkedIn, Dynamics), intelligence cloud (infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service offerings Azure, Windows Server OS, SQL Server), and more personal computing (Windows Client, Xbox, Bing search, display advertising, and Surface laptops, tablets, and desktops).

Startup,Business,Concept,,Businessman,Holding,Tablet,And,Icon,Transparent,Rocket

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

Equities

Large Cap

Mid Cap

Social Media

Specialty ETFs

Psychology

Small Cap

Trading Ideas

ETFs

AAPL

BUZZ

BYND

BYON

CLSK

COIN

GOOG

GOOGL

LCID

MARA

MRNA

MSFT

MSTR

NVDA

PARA

PARAA

RIVN

SFYF

STCE

TSLA

Meme stocks, led by Keith Gill, have resurfaced on social media, causing GameStop&#39;s stock to surge by 74% and AMC&#39;s by 80%. ETFs like ARCA:STCE can capitalize on this trend.

As &#39;Roaring Kitty&#39; Returns, Here Are 3 ETFs To Leverage The 2024 Meme Stock Wave

Magnificent 7 stocks

Dividends

Tech

AMZN

The Magnificent Seven issue dividends to shareholders, despite being considered growth stocks.

The Magnificent Seven: Here&#39;s How You Can Profit From Their Dividend Programs

News

Markets

General

ORCL

Sony Group Corporation American Depositary Shares

SONY

At the end of April, Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ: AMD) failed to impress, unlike Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) that has been crushing investor expectations on the back of soaring AI chip sales for quite a while.

AMD Failed To Meet Lofty Expectations

Microsoft Corp

Meme stocks have once again captured the spotlight in the financial market following the return of Keith Gill — known widely as &#8220;Roaring Kitty&#8221;— to social media after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/05/38798005/roaring-kitty-doubles-down-posts-new-videos-on-x-sending-gamestops-stock-higher">a three-year hiatus. </a>
For those unfamiliar, Gill is a pivotal figure in the meme stock phenomenon that took the financial world by storm in early 2021. As an individual investor and financial analyst, he became famous for his role in the explosive rise of GameStop Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NASDAQ">GME</a>)&#8217;s stock price.
The struggling video game retailer saw its shares soar from under $20 to nearly $500 at their peak in January 2021, largely driven by a short squeeze on investors who had bet against the stock amid weak fundamentals. 
Unlike traditional stocks, which are influenced by fundamental analysis and corporate performance, meme stocks are often subject to rapid price changes driven by hype <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38795608/gamestop-leads-roaring-rally-whats-going-on-with-meme-stocks">and mass trading actions.</a>
Gill chronicled his investment journey across various platforms, including YouTube and Reddit, notably under the username u/DeepF&#x2A;&#x2A;&#x2A;&#x2A;&#x2A;&#x2A;Value on the subreddit r/WallStreetBets. His philosophy is emblematic of a broader narrative about meme stocks and the democratization of investing, illustrating how individual investors can unite to disrupt the financial status quo of seasoned and large investors.
Gill&#8217;s resurgence on X (formerly known as Twitter) on May 13, sparked a viral reaction. A posted image of a man intensely focused on a video game, adopting a serious gaming stance, served as a metaphor for Gill&#8217;s impactful return to the public eye.
The post has attracted considerable attention, amassing over 10K retweets, 24K quote tweets, 94K likes, and over 19 million views, highlighting its widespread appeal and significance.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://t.co/YgjVqtgcNS">pic.twitter.com/YgjVqtgcNS</a>
&mdash; Roaring Kitty (@TheRoaringKitty) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1789807772542067105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">GameStop, AMC Skyrocket</figcaption></figure>
As a result, GameStop&#8217;s share price soared by 74% on Monday, representing the fourth-largest one-day gain since the company&#8217;s IPO in 2002. This surge trails only behind the spikes of 104% on Feb. 21, 2021, 135% on Jan. 27, 2021, and 93% on Jan. 26, 2021.
Similarly, other meme-related stocks experienced significant increases. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMC#NYSE">AMC</a>) saw its shares climb nearly 80%, marking its most substantial single-day rise since June 2021, the third strongest in its history. 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="495" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13161419/image-65-1024x495.png" alt="" class="wp-image-335826" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13161419/image-65-1024x495.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13161419/image-65-300x145.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13161419/image-65-768x372.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13161419/image-65-1536x743.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13161419/image-65.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Meme-Stock Related ETFs Overview</h1>
Investors looking to capitalize on the volatility and potential high returns of these stocks can consider meme-stock-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STCE#NYSE">STCE</a>)</h1>
<ul>
<li>Description: This ETF invests in key cryptocurrency companies and includes meme-related stocks, blending digital finance with viral market trends.</li>
<li>Top Holdings: MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>), CleanSpark, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLSK#NASDAQ">CLSK</a>), Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MARA#NASDAQ">MARA</a>)</li>
<li>1-Day Return (May 13, 2024): 2.99%</li>
<li>Top Performers: AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., GameStop Corp., Beyond, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYON#NYSE">BYON</a>)</li>
</ul>

<h1 class="wp-block-heading">SoFi Social 50 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFYF#NYSE">SFYF</a>)</h1>
<ul>
<li>Description: Tracks the top 50 stocks held in SoFi's self-directed accounts, highlighting popular choices among retail investors, including frequent meme stock picks.</li>
<li>Top Holdings: NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)</li>
<li>1-Day Return (May 13, 2024): 2.1%</li>
<li>Top Performers: GameStop Corp., Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYND#NASDAQ">BYND</a>), Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>)</li>
</ul>

<h1 class="wp-block-heading">VanEck Vectors Social Sentiment ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BUZZ#NYSE">BUZZ</a>)</h1>
<ul>
<li>Description: Utilizes AI to analyze online content and select the 75 large-cap stocks with the most positive investor sentiment each month, reflecting current market trends.</li>
<li>Top Holdings: Paramount Global (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PARA#NASDAQ">PARA</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PARAA#NASDAQ">PARAA</a>), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), The Boeing Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>)</li>
<li>1-Day Return (May 13, 2024): 0.9%</li>
<li>Top Performers: Rivian Automotive, Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>), Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LCID#NASDAQ">LCID</a>)</li>
</ul>

Now Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/05/38792909/bitcoin-mining-stocks-marathon-digital-riot-platforms-and-cleanspark-are-moving-monday-wha">Bitcoin Mining Stocks Marathon Digital, Riot Platforms And CleanSpark Are Moving Monday: What&#8217;s Going On?</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

As 'Roaring Kitty' Returns, Here Are 3 ETFs To Leverage The 2024 Meme Stock Wave

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/13/congress-ai-laws-research-regulation-schumer/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/13/congress-ai-laws-research-regulation-schumer/</a>

BIDU

CRWD

INTC

QCOM

Schumer's long-awaited AI 'road map' is coming this week. It will cost billions.

All but two of the Magnificent Seven — Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) — issue dividends.
As an investor in these companies, here is how much you (and others) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/dividends?date_sort=ex&amp;tickers=GOOG">could stand to gain</a>.
Microsoft Dividend: Microsoft will issue a dividend of 75 cents per share at a 0.74% yield on May 15. Its dividend yield has slowly trickled down in recent quarters even as the company raised its dividend from 68 cents to 75 cents in late 2023. Former CEO Steve Ballmer and founder Bill Gates are largest shareholders in Microsoft according to the latest SEC and Microsoft filings.
Apple Dividend: Apple issued a dividend of 25 cents per share at a 0.59% yield on May 10. While Apple has had a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/01/36463729/apples-85b-services-business-in-crosshairs-of-legal-and-regulatory-rulings">rocky</a> year, the company increased its dividend in the first quarter by a cent. <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/warren-buffett-apple-is-not-35-of-berkshires-portfolio-175313329.html">According</a> to Yahoo Finance, Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) holds approximately 5.8% of Apple&#8217;s shares even after recently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38630421/warren-buffett-confidence-in-apple-wanes-berkshire-cuts-stake-by-18-amid-tech-giants-troubles">trimming</a> its position. While CEO Warren Buffett famously does not pay dividends out of Berkshire earnings, he <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/dividends/23/11/35593045/want-to-make-money-while-you-sleep-here-are-warren-buffetts-top-dividend-picks">enjoys</a> the dividend payments from several of his holdings.
Nvidia Dividend: Nvidia issued a dividend of 4 cents per share at a 0.02% yield on March 5. Its dividend has remained constant amid its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/24/05/38569426/nvidias-roller-coaster-ride-through-early-2024-sets-the-stage-for-a-potential-market-shakeup-as-inv">ballooning</a> share price and rapid growth. Co-founder and CEO Jen Hsun Huang is the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/0001197649/jen-hsun-huang">largest</a> individual shareholder of Nvidia with approximately 3% of shares.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/05/38790019/april-inflation-data-preview-why-analysts-expect-economic-pressure-to-cool">April Inflation Data Preview: Why Analysts Expect Price Pressures To Cool</a>
Alphabet Dividend: Alphabet <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/24/05/38569426/nvidias-roller-coaster-ride-through-early-2024-sets-the-stage-for-a-potential-market-shakeup-as-inv">announced</a> its first-ever dividend on April 25. The dividend, to be paid out on June 10, is 20 cents per share at a 0.5% yield. Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the largest shareholders of Alphabet, according to SEC filings.
Amazon Dividend: Amazon has never issued a dividend. Founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos repeatedly insisted on the importance of reinvestment in the company as part of his &#8220;Day One&#8221; <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/24/04/38437205/jeff-bezos-has-been-predicting-amazons-inevitable-death-for-years-and-says-lifespans-of-large-compan">philosophy</a> even as the company reigns in billions in profit.
Meta Platforms Dividend: Meta Platforms paid out its first-ever dividend of 50 cents per share at a 0.51% yield on Feb. 21. Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/02/36903970/mark-zuckerberg-set-to-pocket-700m-annually-as-meta-declares-first-ever-dividend">estimated</a> to profit $700 million annually from Meta&#8217;s dividend program. Zuckerberg is the largest shareholder of Meta.
TSLA Dividend: Tesla has never issued a dividend and intends to reinvest profits for the foreseeable future.
Now Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/05/38793898/chatgpt-on-apple-iphone-make-or-break-data-for-stock-market-ahead">ChatGPT On Apple iPhone, Make Or Break Data For Stock Market Ahead</a>
Photo: <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/gguy">gguy</a> via Shutterstock

The Magnificent Seven: Here's How You Can Profit From Their Dividend Programs

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$900.00</td>
<td>$175.9K</td>
<td>15.7K</td>
<td>36.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$152.50</td>
<td>$52.5K</td>
<td>4.3K</td>
<td>9.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DOCN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$35.00</td>
<td>$66.5K</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>3.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/19/24</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
<td>$25.7K</td>
<td>25.6K</td>
<td>2.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$147.00</td>
<td>$65.7K</td>
<td>758</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$405.00</td>
<td>$31.2K</td>
<td>10.9K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$780.00</td>
<td>$36.2K</td>
<td>892</td>
<td>872</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/24/24</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$52.0K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td>871</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PATH</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/16/24</td>
<td>$21.00</td>
<td>$32.2K</td>
<td>2.3K</td>
<td>398</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ARM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$95.00</td>
<td>$31.9K</td>
<td>462</td>
<td>386</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 4 day(s) on May 17, 2024. Parties traded 93 contract(s) at a $900.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $175.9K, with a price of $1890.0 per contract. There were 15796 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 36708 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 4 day(s) on May 17, 2024. Parties traded 185 contract(s) at a $152.50 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 11 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $52.5K, with a price of $284.0 per contract. There were 4364 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 9033 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For DOCN (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOCN#NYSE">DOCN</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 186 day(s) on November 15, 2024. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $35.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $66.5K, with a price of $665.0 per contract. There were 30 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3519 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 67 day(s) on July 19, 2024. This event was a transfer of 50 contract(s) at a $190.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.7K, with a price of $515.0 per contract. There were 25657 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2364 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For TSM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 4 day(s) on May 17, 2024. This event was a transfer of 332 contract(s) at a $147.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $65.7K, with a price of $198.0 per contract. There were 758 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1617 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 4 day(s) on May 17, 2024. Parties traded 30 contract(s) at a $405.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.2K, with a price of $1040.0 per contract. There were 10910 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1182 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 4 day(s) on May 17, 2024. This event was a transfer of 20 contract(s) at a $780.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.2K, with a price of $1810.0 per contract. There were 892 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 872 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MU (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 11 day(s) on May 24, 2024. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $120.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $52.0K, with a price of $520.0 per contract. There were 1398 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 871 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For PATH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PATH#NYSE">PATH</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 95 day(s) on August 16, 2024. This event was a transfer of 125 contract(s) at a $21.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $32.2K, with a price of $258.0 per contract. There were 2384 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 398 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ARM (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 186 day(s) on November 15, 2024. This event was a transfer of 10 contract(s) at a $95.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.9K, with a price of $3196.0 per contract. There were 462 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 386 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

DOCN

PATH

SMCI

10 Information Technology Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

OpenAI CTO Says Gpt-4o Model Includes Text, Audio And Image Capabilities

OpenAI CTO Announces GPT-4o Model To Be Free Due To Increased Efficiency

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQacCB9tDaw" title="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQacCB9tDaw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQacCB9tDaw</a>

OpenAI Spring Update Event Begins; CTO Mira Murati Says Will Launch Desktop Version Of ChatGPT; To Release New Model Called GPT-4o

At the end of April, Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amd#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) failed to impress, unlike Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) that has been crushing investor expectations on the back of soaring AI chip sales for quite a while. It&rsquo;s no secret that&nbsp;AMD trails&nbsp;the undoubtable leader&nbsp;Nvidia&nbsp;that holds as much as&nbsp;80% of the&nbsp;thriving&nbsp;market for&nbsp;AI&nbsp;server semiconductors.
<h3>First Quarter Highlights</h3>
For the March quarter,&nbsp;AMD reported revenue&nbsp;rose 2% YoY to&nbsp;$5.47 billion&nbsp;that slightly surpassed LSEG&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;$5.46 billion.
Unlike last year&rsquo;s comparable quarter when it made a net loss of&nbsp;$139 million, or 9 cents per share, AMD reported&nbsp;a&nbsp;net income of $123 million, or 7 cents per share.
Adjusted&nbsp;earnings&nbsp;amounted to&nbsp;62 cents&nbsp;per share,&nbsp;slightly surpassing 61 cents a share analysts expected.
Data center&nbsp;revenue&nbsp;jumped 80% to $2.3 billion&nbsp;thanks to&nbsp;AMD&#39;s MI300 series of AI processors&nbsp;that challenge Nvidia and its graphics processing units.&nbsp;CEO Lisa Su&nbsp;revealed that&nbsp;AMD&rsquo;s MI300X&nbsp;is being used by&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Meta&nbsp;Platforms (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/meta#NASDAQ">META</a>), and Oracle&nbsp;Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/orcl#NYSE">ORCL</a>).&nbsp;Since the launch which took place during 2023&rsquo;s fourth quarter,&nbsp;AMD sold over $1 billion&nbsp;worth of chips.
But it was not enough to&nbsp;offset weakness in the traditional server market.&nbsp;Moreover,&nbsp;AMD&rsquo;s results were also hurt by gaming revenue that tanked as much as&nbsp;48% to $922 million.
AMD already&nbsp;guided&nbsp;significant double-digit percentage declines in this segment&nbsp;due to&nbsp;revenue from the chips it designs for gaming consoles such as&nbsp;Xbox from&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Corporation&nbsp;and&nbsp;PlayStation 5 from&nbsp;Sony&nbsp;Group Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sony#NYSE">SONY</a>)&nbsp;already hitting their peak.&nbsp;This year marks the fifth year since the most recent generation of gaming consoles has been released&nbsp;and&nbsp;AMD&#39;s videogame console revenue peaks after roughly four years.Moreover, a report from&nbsp;research firm Newzoo&nbsp;that was published in April revealed that gamers are clocking in less hours.&nbsp;Newzoo&nbsp;expects personal computing and console gaming revenue growth&nbsp;to&nbsp;continue lagging&nbsp;pre-pandemic levels through 2026. Year to date, industry giants like Sony and Electronic Arts have laid off hundreds of employees. Sony Group is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday. All eyes will be on the profitability of the gaming division as PlayStation 5 promotions ate into profits during the third quarter. When it reported its third fiscal quarter results, Sony lowered projections&nbsp;of&nbsp;PlayStation 5 sales and gaming revenue&nbsp;for the rest of the fiscal 2023.
Revenue from the embedded segment&nbsp;that consists of networking chips&nbsp;also plummeted&nbsp;46% to $846 million, with&nbsp;demand for the segment&nbsp;already expected to remain&nbsp;soft throughout&nbsp;the first half of the year.&nbsp;Revenue was additionally hit from ongoing inventory corrections from this segment as clients clear out a build-up of chips.
<h3>A Guidance That Failed To Impress</h3>
For the full year,&nbsp;AMD expects AI chip sales&nbsp;of about&nbsp;$4 billion, raising its prior estimate by&nbsp;$500 million.&nbsp;As for the second quarter,&nbsp;AMD&nbsp;guided&nbsp;revenue of about $5.70 billion, plus or minus $300 million&nbsp;which is in line with LSEG&rsquo;s average estimate.&nbsp;
On an adjusted basis, AMD&nbsp;guided for second quarter&rsquo;s&nbsp;gross margin of about 53%,&nbsp;hardly beating&nbsp;the estimate of 52.9%.
In simple words, investors were expecting a stronger demand pipeline for AMD&rsquo;s AI-related products and were disappointed were AMD being slower than Nvidia.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

<ul>
<li>Microsoft&#39;s stock rose 54% throughout 2023, boosting investor confidence in its growth potential.</li>
<li>For long-term investors, if Microsoft&#39;s stock price goes above the $430 resistance level, it would signal a new phase of growth.</li>
</ul>
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)&nbsp;has been performing well, especially in the last few months. By May, its stock rose by over 6%, boosting investor confidence in its potential for more growth. Throughout 2023, the stock has climbed by 54%, with a 14% increase from the start of the year to March.
However, after hitting a high of $430, the stock experienced a sell-off due to what investors saw as overvaluation, leading to a nearly 10% drop between March and April.
Currently, Microsoft&#39;s stock is in a consolidation phase, fluctuating between support at $388 and resistance at $430. This phase has seen a 7% recovery so far, offering the potential for growth.
The unpredictable behavior of consolidation phases indicates that although the stock might recover further, there&#39;s also a chance it could drop, possibly falling below the current support level.
For long-term investors focused on portfolio health, it&#39;s important to grasp the current market dynamics. The stock is displaying a bullish trend, suggesting it could rise further.
However, for clear evidence of this trend continuing, it&#39;s crucial to observe if it surpasses the $430 level, the current all-time high. A breakout would indicate that buyers are back in control with enough momentum to push prices higher.
<img alt="2024-05-13_15-27-08.jpg" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u517520/2024-05-13_15-27-08.jpg" style="height:309px; width:624px" />
Such a move would not only end the current stagnation but also mark a new phase in the stock&#39;s performance, potentially leading to significant growth in Microsoft&#39;s market value.
After the closing bell on Friday, May 10, the stock closed at $414,74, trading up by 0.55%.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Technicals

A Look At How Microsoft's 54 Percent Annual Increase Is Fueling Investor Optimism And What The Future May Hold Amid Market Volatility

To gain an edge, this is what you need to know today.
<img alt="" src="https://thearorareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-05-13_08h51_19.png" style="height:392px; width:624px" />
<h3>Make Or Break Data Ahead</h3>
Please <a href="https://thearorareport.com/chart-analysis-stock-market-chatgpt-on-iphone-qqq-mc-05132024">click here</a> for an enlarged&nbsp;chart of Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qqq#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>).
Note the following:
<ul>
<li>The chart shows QQQ is in the resistance zone.</li>
<li>The chart shows that the rally is on low volume, indicating a lack of conviction.</li>
<li>The chart shows that RSI has jumped and is now overbought. RSI indicates that the stock market is now vulnerable to the downside if the macro data goes against the market.</li>
<li>The chart shows Arora calls to raise hedges near the top and the Arora call to reduce hedges near the bottom.&nbsp;When hedges are used over a long period of time, they can add significant amounts to your returns and significantly lower your risks. If you do not hedge, you can simply adjust cash.&nbsp;Please see the &ldquo;Protection Band And What To Do Now&rdquo; section below.</li>
<li>Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) are ahead &ndash;these pieces of data are make or break for the stock market.&nbsp;Here is the consensus:
<ul>
<li>0.3% for headline PPI</li>
<li>0.2% for core PPI</li>
<li>0.4% for headline CPI</li>
<li>0.3% for core CPI</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wall Street is positioned for inflation data to cool and the stock market to break out of the resistance zone shown on the chart.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Prudent investors need to be aware that if the data goes against Wall Street&rsquo;s positioning, the stock market reaction to the downside can be severe due to positive positioning.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Apple Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is reportedly in talks with OpenAI to put ChatGPT on iPhones.&nbsp;This is creating positive sentiment in the market.&nbsp;On the surface, this is negative for Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) and Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/googl#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>).</li>
<li>As a proof positive of the speculative sentiment in the stock market rapidly increasing ahead of the key data, the meme crowd is back. They are running up video game retailer GameStop Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gme#NYSE">GME</a>). To some degree, this is reminiscent of the start of the last meme crowd craze which ended in tears for the meme crowd.</li>
<li>Artificial intelligence stocks are getting a boost on reports that Arm Holdings PLC - ADR (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/arm#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) is developing new artificial intelligence chips</li>
</ul>
<h3>Magnificent Seven Money Flows</h3>
In the early trade, money flows are positive in AAPL, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are negative in GOOG and Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/meta#NASDAQ">META</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are mixed in S&amp;P 500 ETF (SPY) and QQQ.
<h3>Momo Crowd And Smart Money In Stocks</h3>
The momo crowd is buying stocks in the early trade.&nbsp;Smart money is inactive in the early trade.
<h3>Gold</h3>
The momo crowd is buying gold in the early trade.&nbsp;Smart money is inactive in the early trade.
For longer-term, please see gold and silver ratings.
The most popular ETF for gold is SPDR Gold Trust (ARCA:GLD). The most popular ETF for silver is iShares Silver Trust (ARCA:SLV).&nbsp;
<h3>Oil</h3>
The momo crowd is buying oil in the early trade.&nbsp;Smart money is inactive in the early trade.
For longer-term, please see oil ratings.
The most popular ETF for oil is United States Oil ETF (ARCA:USO).
<h3>Bitcoin</h3>
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) is seeing buying along with the rise in speculative sentiment.
<h3>Protection Band And What To Do Now</h3>
It is important for investors to look ahead and not in the rearview mirror.
Consider continuing to hold good, very long term, existing positions. Based on individual risk preference, consider a protection band consisting of cash or Treasury bills or short-term tactical trades as well as short to medium term hedges and short term hedges. This is a good way to protect yourself and participate in the upside at the same time.
You can determine your protection bands by adding cash to hedges.&nbsp;The high band of the protection is appropriate for those who are older or conservative. The low band of the protection is appropriate for those who are younger or aggressive.&nbsp;If you do not hedge, the total cash level should be more than stated above but significantly less than cash plus hedges.
A protection band of 0% would be very bullish and would indicate full investment with 0% in cash.&nbsp; A protection band of 100% would be very bearish and would indicate a need for aggressive protection with cash and hedges or aggressive short selling.
It is worth reminding that you cannot take advantage of new upcoming opportunities if you are not holding enough cash.&nbsp;When adjusting hedge levels, consider adjusting partial stop quantities for stock positions (non ETF); consider using wider stops on remaining quantities and also allowing more room for high beta stocks.&nbsp;High beta stocks are the ones that move more than the market.
<h3>Traditional 60/40 Portfolio</h3>
Probability based risk reward adjusted for inflation does not favor long duration strategic bond allocation at this time.
Those who want to stick to traditional 60% allocation to stocks and 40% to bonds may consider focusing on only high quality bonds and bonds of seven year duration or less.&nbsp;Those willing to bring sophistication to their investing may consider using bond ETFs as tactical positions and not strategic positions at this time.
The Arora Report is known for its accurate calls. The Arora Report correctly called the big artificial intelligence rally before anyone else, the new bull market of 2023, the bear market of 2022, new stock market highs right after the virus low in 2020, the virus drop in 2020, the DJIA rally to 30,000 when it was trading at 16,000, the start of a mega bull market in 2009, and the financial crash of 2008. Please click here to sign up for a free forever <a href="https://thearorareport.com/generate-wealth-newsletter-benzinga">Generate Wealth Newsletter</a>.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

$BTC

ChatGPT On Apple iPhone, Make Or Break Data For Stock Market Ahead

The State Of The Stock Market In 18 Charts

Microsoft Announcing Public Preview Of Microsoft Places, Bringing Together AI & Location Awareness

In today's fast-paced and competitive business landscape, it is essential for investors and industry enthusiasts to thoroughly analyze companies before making investment decisions. In this article, we will conduct a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) against its key competitors in the Software industry. By examining key financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, we aim to provide valuable insights for investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry.
<h3>Microsoft Background</h3>
Microsoft develops and licenses consumer and enterprise software. It is known for its Windows operating systems and Office productivity suite. The company is organized into three equally sized broad segments: productivity and business processes (legacy Microsoft Office, cloud-based Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, LinkedIn, Dynamics), intelligence cloud (infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service offerings Azure, Windows Server OS, SQL Server), and more personal computing (Windows Client, Xbox, Bing search, display advertising, and Surface laptops, tablets, and desktops).
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>P/E</th>
<th>P/B</th>
<th>P/S</th>
<th>ROE</th>
<th>EBITDA (in billions)</th>
<th>Gross Profit (in billions)</th>
<th>Revenue Growth</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Microsoft Corp</td>
<td>35.94</td>
<td>12.18</td>
<td>13.09</td>
<td>8.93%</td>
<td>$33.55</td>
<td>$43.35</td>
<td>17.03%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oracle Corp</td>
<td>30.78</td>
<td>57.03</td>
<td>6.25</td>
<td>50.61%</td>
<td>$5.3</td>
<td>$9.41</td>
<td>7.11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ServiceNow Inc</td>
<td>77.97</td>
<td>18.49</td>
<td>15.90</td>
<td>4.41%</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>$2.08</td>
<td>24.19%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Palo Alto Networks Inc</td>
<td>46.05</td>
<td>22.06</td>
<td>13.90</td>
<td>53.52%</td>
<td>$0.21</td>
<td>$1.48</td>
<td>19.33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CrowdStrike Holdings Inc</td>
<td>866.92</td>
<td>33.86</td>
<td>25.58</td>
<td>2.48%</td>
<td>$0.12</td>
<td>$0.64</td>
<td>32.63%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gen Digital Inc</td>
<td>24.44</td>
<td>6.80</td>
<td>3.95</td>
<td>5.81%</td>
<td>$0.49</td>
<td>$0.78</td>
<td>1.68%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dolby Laboratories Inc</td>
<td>42.64</td>
<td>3.27</td>
<td>6.37</td>
<td>4.1%</td>
<td>$0.13</td>
<td>$0.33</td>
<td>-3.02%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Qualys Inc</td>
<td>34.87</td>
<td>13.74</td>
<td>9.93</td>
<td>10.29%</td>
<td>$0.05</td>
<td>$0.12</td>
<td>11.57%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CommVault Systems Inc</td>
<td>29.69</td>
<td>17.48</td>
<td>5.98</td>
<td>55.72%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.18</td>
<td>2.99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Teradata Corp</td>
<td>78.62</td>
<td>59.13</td>
<td>1.84</td>
<td>21.16%</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>$0.28</td>
<td>-2.31%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>N-able Inc</td>
<td>84.27</td>
<td>3.29</td>
<td>5.42</td>
<td>1.05%</td>
<td>$0.03</td>
<td>$0.1</td>
<td>13.96%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Progress Software Corp</td>
<td>32.87</td>
<td>4.77</td>
<td>3.19</td>
<td>4.91%</td>
<td>$0.06</td>
<td>$0.15</td>
<td>12.46%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SolarWinds Corp</td>
<td>190.67</td>
<td>1.50</td>
<td>2.49</td>
<td>1.14%</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>$0.17</td>
<td>3.94%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>128.32</td>
<td>20.12</td>
<td>8.4</td>
<td>17.93%</td>
<td>$0.59</td>
<td>$1.31</td>
<td>10.38%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<style>
 table {
 width: 100%;
 border-collapse: collapse;
 font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
 font-size: 14px;
 }

 th, td {
 padding: 8px;
 text-align: left;
 }

 th {
 background-color: #293a5a;
 color: #fff;
 text-align: left;
 }

 tr:nth-child(even) {
 background-color: #f2f4f8;
 }

 tr:hover {
 background-color: #e1e4ea;
 }

 td:nth-child(3), td:nth-child(5) {
 text-align: left;
 }

 .dividend-amount {
 font-weight: bold;
 color: #0d6efd;
 }

 .dividend-frequency {
 font-size: 12px;
 color: #6c757d;
 }
 </style>By conducting an in-depth analysis of Microsoft, we can identify the following trends: 
<ul>
<li>
With a Price to Earnings ratio of 35.94, which is 0.28x less than the industry average, the stock shows potential for growth at a reasonable price, making it an interesting consideration for market participants.
</li>
<li>
With a Price to Book ratio of 12.18, significantly falling below the industry average by 0.61x, it suggests undervaluation and the possibility of untapped growth prospects.
</li>
<li>
The stock's relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 13.09, surpassing the industry average by 1.56x, may indicate an aspect of overvaluation in terms of sales performance.
</li>
<li>
With a Return on Equity (ROE) of 8.93% that is 9.0% below the industry average, it appears that the company exhibits potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits.
</li>
<li>
Compared to its industry, the company has higher Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $33.55 Billion, which is 56.86x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.
</li>
<li>
With higher gross profit of $43.35 Billion, which indicates 33.09x above the industry average, the company demonstrates stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.
</li>
<li>
With a revenue growth of 17.03%, which surpasses the industry average of 10.38%, the company is demonstrating robust sales expansion and gaining market share.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1715612411_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is a measure that indicates the level of debt a company has taken on relative to the value of its assets net of liabilities.
Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.
By analyzing Microsoft in relation to its top 4 peers based on the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following insights can be derived:
<ul>
<li>
Compared to its top 4 peers, Microsoft has a stronger financial position indicated by its lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.
</li>
<li>
This suggests that the company relies less on debt financing and has a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be seen as a positive attribute by investors.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
For Microsoft in the Software industry, the PE and PB ratios suggest that the company is undervalued compared to its peers. However, the high PS ratio indicates that the market values its sales more highly. In terms of ROE, EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth, Microsoft demonstrates strong performance, outperforming its industry peers in these key areas.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Evaluating Microsoft Against Peers In Software Industry

Good Morning Traders! In today&#39;s Market Clubhouse Morning Memo, we will discuss SPY, QQQ, AAPL, MSFT, NVDA, GOOGL, META, and TSLA.
Our proprietary formula, exclusive to Market Clubhouse, dictates these price levels. This dynamic equation takes into account price, volume, and options flow. These levels are updated every day and shared with all Clubhouse Members, prior to the opening of the market.
We recommend closely monitoring these stocks, and be prepared to leverage potential breakouts or reversals. As always, stay alert and ready to adjust your tactics based on the market&#39;s pulse to optimize your trading gains. Now, let&#39;s dive into the stock analysis:
<h3>SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust </h3>
The SPY&nbsp;(ARCA: SPY) is currently trading around our level of 521.85. The bulls aim for a rise to 522.84 initially. Should the price maintain its strength above this level, the target shifts to 523.76. If this can be sustained during regular trading hours, the next goal would be 525.26, with a high bull target set at 526.31 for the day.
On the downside, if the level of 521.85 cannot be maintained as support, the price may descend to 520.67 as bears test this threshold. A further decline to 519.71 could occur if sellers increase their presence, followed by a strong support level at 518.76. If the session intensifies on the sell-side, the bear target for the day could be as low as 518.04.
<h3>Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1</h3>
Currently (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qqq#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), the Q&#39;s are trading around the key level of 442.53. Bulls would need this level to hold to target a rise to 444.09, establishing it as strong support. Further buying could bring the price to 445.09, and if momentum persists, 446.51 could be tested with a high bull target of 447.73 for the day.
Conversely, if 442.53 cannot be maintained during the trading session, it could signal the bears to drive the price down to 441.56. A continued display of weakness might lead to further tests at 440.78 and 440.00. Should these levels fail to hold, the day&rsquo;s low bear target could be reached at 438.89.
<h3>Apple Inc.</h3>
Apple&#39;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) stock is trading around 184.96. Bulls are looking to maintain this level as a base to possibly push the price to 185.86. If bullish trends continue, the next target is 186.35, with a high bull target set at 186.99 for the day.
Should the support at 184.96 fail during the trading hours, the bears might test the level of 184.59. If the selling pressure persists, it could lower the price to 184.09 and possibly down to 183.38. A breakdown of this level could see the day&#39;s low bear target at 182.96.
<h3>Microsoft Corp. </h3>
Microsoft&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) is currently positioned around the level of 419.17. Bulls would need the price to hold above this level, targeting a move to 420.26 and then 421.62, with a high target for the day at 422.84 if the momentum is sustained.
If the support at 419.17 fails, the price could be pushed down to 417.25 by the bears. If this level is compromised, further declines could test 416.32 and 414.56, with a low bear target at 413.14 for the day.
<h3>NVIDIA Corporation</h3>
NVIDIA&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) is trading around a crucial level of 907.51. Bulls are eyeing a push to 913.30, hoping to establish it as a firm support, then aiming for 917.98 and 922.67, with a high bull target of 928.47.
If 907.51 does not hold as support, bears might drive the price down to 903.25. If this level fails under selling pressure, further declines could test 898.13 and 890.55, with a low bear target at 882.97.
<h3>Alphabet Inc Class A</h3>
Alphabet (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/googl#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) is currently at 165.41. Bulls are hoping to hold this as support and push the price to 167.04, with a high bull target of 169.34 if the momentum continues.
If 165.41 fails to hold, bears may push the price down to 163.79. If this level is broken, further tests at 161.79 could occur, with a low bear target at 160.36 for the day.
<h3>Meta Platforms Inc</h3>
Meta (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/meta#NASDAQ">META</a>) is trading around 473.93. Bulls are looking to hold this level as support, aiming for a rise to 475.19 and 477.50, with a high target of 479.47 for the day.
If 473.93 cannot be sustained as support, bears might push the price down to 470.28. Continued bearish pressure could lead to further declines to 468.38, with a day&rsquo;s low target at 465.81.
<h3>Tesla Inc.</h3>
Tesla (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) &nbsp;is trading around 169.70. Bulls aim to push the price to 172.61 and 176.34, with a high bull target of 182.53 if the broader market remains bullish.
Should 169.70 fail to hold as support, a decline to 166.89 might occur. Continued selling could bring the price down to 164.87, with a low bear target at 168.32 for the day.
Final Word:&nbsp; Today&rsquo;s trading session is light on data, beginning with the New York Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations at 11 AM ET. The market will also see a 3 and 6 Month Bill Auction at 11:30 AM ET. Speeches from Fed members Jefferson and Mester are scheduled for 9 AM EST. At 1 PM ET, OpenAI is set to present a new product, potentially impacting major AI-related stocks. Trade carefully and good luck!
The Morning Memo is curated by RIPS, a pro trader with years of experience in equities, options, and futures trading. RIPS is at the heart of the exclusive Market Clubhouse community, offering his insights, expertise, and real-time mentorship.
Start your day with a live daily market analysis, a carefully selected watch list, early access to the Morning Memo, and exclusive Market Clubhouse price levels, providing precise support and resistance indicators. When you become a member of Market Clubhouse, you will gain early access to the Morning Memo, just like this one, every single day&mdash;hours before it&#39;s published. You will also have access to a live stream with zero latency and screen sharing, enabling you to witness Rips executing his trades in real-time and sharing his exclusive trading plans, strategies, and live decision-making.
For a limited time during our special promotion, you can join RIPS and get a full access pass to Market Clubhouse for 7 full days for just $7. Check it out at <a href="https://marketclubhouse.club/7Days/" title="https://marketclubhouse.club/7Days/">https://marketclubhouse.club/7Days/</a> where you can trade live with him and tap into his wealth of knowledge and experience. You can also catch Rips on his live day trading streams every Monday-Friday at 8 am EST on the Market Clubhouse YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MarketClubhouse" title="https://www.youtube.com/@MarketClubhouse">https://www.youtube.com/@MarketClubhouse</a>.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Market Clubhouse Morning Memo - May 13th, 2024 (Trade Strategy For SPY, QQQ, AAPL, MSFT, NVDA, GOOGL, META And TSLA)

Xbox President Sarah Bond addressed concerns surrounding Microsoft Corp&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) recent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38732093/microsoft-shakes-up-xbox-division-closes-renowned-studios-in-major-cost-cutting-move">closure of four studios</a>.
Bond stressed the decision&#8217;s necessity for the long-term health of the Xbox business amidst what she calls <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/05/38741114/will-call-of-duty-join-xbox-game-pass-internal-debates-at-microsoft-potential-price-hike-report">&#8220;this moment of transition.&#8221; </a>
Microsoft&#8217;s acquisition of ZeniMax Media included prominent developers like Bethesda and Arkane for $7.5 billion in 2021. It also purchased Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. The gaming community was subsequently shocked by the announcement of studio closures, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/05/38678051/microsofts-xbox-closes-4-video-game-studios-in-bethesda-restructure">Microsoft&#8217;s Xbox Closes 4 Video Game Studios In Bethesda Restructure</a>
Bond, in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&amp;v=oIpc8VZ3Bnw">interview</a> with Bloomberg, discussed stagnant growth in the gaming industry despite significant game releases. She also mentioned the increasing costs and time required for developing blockbuster games.
Bond expressed the need to navigate industry transitions while upholding Xbox&#8217;s brand and offerings. She highlighted their dedication to providing diverse gaming experiences, citing titles such as Call of Duty and Pentiment.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Xbox President: &#8216;No One Size Fits All;</h3>
"It&#8217;s always extraordinarily hard when you have to make decisions like that," Bond said. "I&#8217;ll go back to what I was saying about the industry. And when we looked at those fundamental trends, we feel a deep responsibility to ensure that the games we make, the devices we build, the services that we offer are there through moments, even when the industry isn&#8217;t growing and when you&#8217;re through a time of transition.&#8221;
She added: &#8220;The news we announced earlier this week is an outcome of that, and our commitment to make sure that the business is healthy for the long term.&#8221;
Regarding the closure of Tango Gameworks despite the apparent success of Hi-Fi Rush, Bond underscored the uniqueness of each studio&#8217;s situation and the multitude of factors considered in such decisions. 
&#8220;There&#8217;s no one size fits all to it for us. So we look at each studio, each game team, and we look at a whole variety of factors when we&#8217;re faced with making decisions and tradeoffs like that,&#8221; Xbox&#8217;s president noted. &#8220;But it all comes back to our long term commitment to the games we create, the devices we build, the services, and ensuring that we&#8217;re setting ourselves up to be able to deliver on those promises."
However, her response drew criticism for not directly addressing the concerns raised.
IGN<a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-president-sarah-bond-responds-to-bethesda-studio-cuts-points-to-lack-of-industry-growth-and-need-to-manage-the-business-through-this-moment-of-transition"> reported</a> that studio closures were driven by a need to reprioritize resources and focus on key projects. Despite acknowledging the success of Hi-Fi Rush, Xbox leadership indicated a shift in the studio&#8217;s prospects, influencing the decision-making process. Tango Gameworks&#8217; pitch for Hi-Fi Rush 2 was reportedly rejected due to cost concerns.
Microsoft&#8217;s gaming business faces challenges such as declining revenue excluding Activision. It also suffers from stagnant Game Pass subscriber growth, and decreased console sales plus rising development costs. Internal scrutiny following the Activision Blizzard acquisition adds further pressure.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/05/38767940/xbox-president-sarah-bond-hints-at-call-of-duty-2024s-day-one-inclusion-on-game-pass">Xbox President Sarah Bond Hints At Call Of Duty 2024&#8217;s Day-One Inclusion On Game Pass</a>
Image created using photos from Shutterstock.

Gaming

Xbox Exec Sarah Bond Addresses Microsoft's Studio Closures: 'It's Always Extraordinarily Hard To Make Decisions Like That'

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is reportedly on the brink of finalizing a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38774065/apple-chooses-sam-altman-led-openai-to-integrate-chatgpt-into-iphone-deal-almost-done-report">partnership with OpenAI</a> that could bring significant AI features to its devices. Wedbush's Dan Ives believes it will open up AI revenue opportunities for Apple.
What Happened: Apple is close to sealing a deal with OpenAI, which would see the integration of ChatGPT into iOS 18 and the upcoming iPhone 16.
The partnership is expected to be officially announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10.
The collaboration could involve an OpenAI Chatbot with exclusive features that would enhance Apple&#8217;s on-device and cloud-powered Large Language Models (LLMs). This would be supported by Apple&#8217;s in-house high-end chips.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Apple is also expected to leverage this partnership to introduce new AI features on the iPhone 16, potentially leading to a separate monthly subscription service and opening up a new revenue stream for Cupertino.
"We would expect Apple to build out a next-level Siri technology with OpenAI that can do complex tasks for Apple users," Wedbush said in a note seen by <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga</a>.
More advanced features could require a subscription, which would bring in new revenue to Apple.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38754725/elon-musk-going-for-youtube-billionaire-now-wants-you-to-post-your-movies-tv-shows-and-podcasts-on-x?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Going For YouTube? Billionaire Now Wants You To Post Your Movies, TV Shows And Podcasts On X</a>
But looking beyond the revenue aspect of the partnership, Wedbush says that developers could also "flock to the Apple ecosystem" – this would benefit the Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) developer ecosystem as well, the firm notes.
Wedbush maintained its "Outperform" rating for the Apple stock with a price target of $250.
Why It Matters: This partnership is expected to enhance the capabilities of Apple's virtual assistant, Siri. Gene Munster, a prominent Apple bull, believes that<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/05/38782396/biggest-upgrade-in-siris-13-year-history-top-analyst-strikes-bullish-note-on-apple-"> integrating OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT</a> on the iPhone will be the &#8220;biggest upgrade in Siri&#8217;s 13-year history.&#8221;
Apple&#8217;s AI strategy has been a topic of discussion for some time. In April, Ives highlighted Apple&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38219057/wedbushs-dan-ives-says-apple-has-best-installed-base-in-the-world-for-its-ai-future">&#8220;best-installed user base&#8221;</a> of over 2 billion, emphasizing the potential for AI monetization.
Despite the impending OpenAI partnership, Apple has also been making significant strides in AI research. In April, the company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38040467/apple-quietly-unveils-new-ai-model-realm-that-outperforms-openais-gpt-4-despite-being-much-lighter-a">unveiled a new AI model, ReALM,</a> that outperforms OpenAI&#8217;s GPT-4.
Price Action: Apple&#8217;s shares were up 1.16% in premarket trading on Monday, after closing at $183.05 on Friday, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38787539/openais-sam-altman-draws-parallels-between-ai-powered-iphone-competitor-and-iron-mans-jarvis-its-lik">OpenAI&#8217;s Sam Altman Draws Parallels Between AI-Powered iPhone Competitor And Iron Man&#8217;s Jarvis: &#8216;It&#8217;s Like The World&#8217;s Greatest Assistant&#8217;</a>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with&nbsp;the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was&nbsp;reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

Apple's Potential Partnership With OpenAI Opens Up Revenue Opportunities, Says Tech Bull: 'The Golden Goose For Cook And Cupertino Was...'

Alibaba Group Holding Limited&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) uses its cloud computing resources to support China&#8217;s generative AI start-ups, providing them with credits instead of traditional cash-for-equity investments.&nbsp;
The strategy aims to establish the e-commerce giant as a leader in the AI sector, similar to&nbsp;Microsoft Corp&#8217;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) approach with OpenAI, the Financial Times&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/978687d4-f9cf-4990-94b6-8d4f21c5e94b" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.
The company has invested in&nbsp;several&nbsp;prominent start-ups, such as Moonshot, Zhipu, MiniMax, and 01.ai, developing local versions of popular U.S. applications like ChatGPT.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38670543/alibabas-to-overhaul-taobao-in-strategic-move-to-reclaim-e-commerce-dominance" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba&#8217;s To Overhaul Taobao In Strategic Move to Reclaim E-commerce Dominance</a>
Despite sluggish growth since Beijing&#8217;s crackdown on large internet firms, Alibaba&#8217;s cloud arm is seeking new revenue by offering its computing resources to train AI models.&nbsp;
This investment strategy mirrors those of Microsoft and&nbsp;Amazon.Com Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), where funds&nbsp;are used&nbsp;to support operations on specific cloud servers.
However, unlike these U.S. companies, Alibaba retains the funds in an escrow account, treating them as incoming revenue. This computing-for-equity approach is precious in China, where cloud resources are scarce due to U.S. export restrictions on advanced chips.
Alibaba&#8217;s commitment to AI extends to monetizing its inventory of AI chips, which includes significant orders of&nbsp;Nvidia Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) GPUs stored in data centers across China and Southeast Asia.&nbsp;Earlier&nbsp;Alibaba chief&nbsp;Joe Tsai had flagged how China lagged behind in&nbsp;AI race&nbsp;due to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/04/38140039/us-embargo-on-nvidia-stings-hard-chinas-ai-development-lags-peers-alibabas-joe-tsai-reveals" rel="noreferrer noopener">US tech&nbsp;embargo</a>.
Last week, Alibaba launched the latest version of its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38732816/alibabas-new-ai-model-claims-to-beat-openais-gpt-4-in-language-skills" rel="noreferrer noopener">large language model, Qwen2.5</a>, which it claimed to beat&nbsp;OpenAI&#8217;s&nbsp;GPT-4 in language skills.
Alibaba stock lost over 9% in&nbsp;the last 12&nbsp;months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Invesco Golden&nbsp;Dragon China ETF&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGJ#NASDAQ">PGJ</a>) and&nbsp;Tidal Trust&nbsp;II CoreValues Alpha Greater China Growth ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CGRO#NYSE">CGRO</a>).
Price Action:&nbsp;BABA shares are trading higher by 3.50% at $82.84&nbsp;premarket at&nbsp;the last check on Monday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo by Fooksou Lamimo via Wikimedia Commons

Movers

Media

BABA

CGRO

PowerShares Golden Dragon Halter USX China Portfolio

Alibaba Backs China's AI Startups with Cloud Credits, Eyeing Leadership in Global AI Race

Brussels is reportedly poised to unveil fresh antitrust allegations against&nbsp;Microsoft Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) concerning its videoconferencing platform Teams, signaling continued EU efforts to curb the market dominance of major tech firms.
The European Commission is advancing with formal charges, alleging that the software behemoth is impeding&nbsp;rivals in the sector, as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/ce8a6602-dece-4313-b1a5-4e6f3354f99d" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported&nbsp;</a>by the Financial Times.
Microsoft&#8217;s recent efforts to stave off regulatory actions, including proposals to separate Teams from other software packages globally, failed to assuage EU concerns.&nbsp;
EU officials contend that the concessions offered by Microsoft do not adequately address fairness in the market, the report mentioned.&nbsp;
The commission&#8217;s scrutiny&nbsp;is fueled&nbsp;by fears that Microsoft might prioritize compatibility with its&nbsp;own&nbsp;products and manipulate pricing, thereby stifling competition and hindering data portability.
The impending charges mark an escalation in a dispute initiated in 2020 when&nbsp;Slack, now owned by&nbsp;Salesforce.com Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), lodged a formal complaint against Microsoft&#8217;s Teams.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38754837/microsoft-challenges-apple-and-google-with-web-based-gaming-store-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Challenges Apple And Google with Web-Based Gaming Store: Report</a>
This development also terminates a decade-long truce between EU regulators and Microsoft, following prior competition investigations that concluded in 2013, with the EU levying a €561 million fine against Microsoft.
The timing of the charges could materialize in the coming weeks, the report added.&nbsp;Microsoft faces potential fines of up to 10% of its global annual turnover if found guilty of breaching EU competition law.&nbsp;
The EU&#8217;s scrutiny extends beyond Teams, as it probes&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/01/36561409/microsofts-13b-investment-in-openai-comes-under-scrutiny-of-european-competition-regulator" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft&#8217;s $13 billion partnership with&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/01/36561409/microsofts-13b-investment-in-openai-comes-under-scrutiny-of-european-competition-regulator" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI</a>&nbsp;for potential violations of competition laws.&nbsp;
Additionally, Microsoft, alongside other tech giants like&nbsp;Alphabet Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>)&nbsp;Google&nbsp;and&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), faces regulatory scrutiny under the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/03/37559929/the-eu-digital-markets-act-is-officially-going-after-big-tech" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Digital Markets Act</a>, which designates them as &#8220;gatekeepers&#8221; with special obligations in the European market.
The tech company also faces grievances from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38669008/microsoft-faces-scrutiny-over-cloud-practices-as-spanish-startup-association-files-complaint-all-com" rel="noreferrer noopener">European cloud computing providers</a>, alleging abuse of dominance to promote its products and stifle competition from smaller startups in the region.
Microsoft stock has gained about 34% in the past 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Technology&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) and&nbsp;IShares U.S. Technology ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IYW#NYSE">IYW</a>).
Price Action: MSFT shares are trading higher by 0.69% at $417.59 in premarket at&nbsp;the last check Monday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38651075/microsoft-takes-on-google-and-openai-with-new-ai-model-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Takes On Google And OpenAI With New AI Model: Report</a>
Image from Shutterstock

iShares Dow Jones US Technology Sector Index Fund

Microsoft Faces Heightened EU Scrutiny Over Teams Software: Report

Technology giant&nbsp;Microsoft Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) reportedly intends to invest €4 billion ($4.3 billion) in constructing cloud and AI infrastructure in France, marking its latest significant expenditure in artificial intelligence technology.
Microsoft aims to train a million individuals and support 2,500 startups&nbsp;by 2027 in France, according to a&nbsp;report from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-13/microsoft-to-invest-4-billion-in-french-cloud-ai-services?srnd=technology-vp&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>.
France prioritizes AI development, with support from national funds and local billionaires,&nbsp;particularly&nbsp;backing companies like&nbsp;Mistral&nbsp;and&nbsp;Kyutai,&nbsp;both&nbsp;established in 2023.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38737635/french-ai-startup-founded-by-former-google-and-meta-researchers-is-up-to-challenge-silicon-valley-do" rel="noreferrer noopener">French AI Startup, Founded By Former Google And Meta Researchers, Is Up To Challenge Silicon Valley Dominance: Report</a>
Microsoft&#8217;s commitment aligns with President Emmanuel Macron's &#8220;Choose France&#8221; summit objective to attract foreign investment and elevate France as a financial center within the EU.
Meanwhile&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) has pledged €1.2 billion for infrastructure&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/38783794" rel="noreferrer noopener">and computing projects,&nbsp;joined by&nbsp;56 other initiatives.</a>
Microsoft plans to expand its cloud and AI investments worldwide, including a recently announced €3.2 billion investment in Germany and a $1.5 billion investment in G42, Abu Dhabi.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38754837/microsoft-challenges-apple-and-google-with-web-based-gaming-store-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Challenges Apple And Google with Web-Based Gaming Store: Report</a>
Microsoft stock has gained about 34% in the past 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Technology&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) and&nbsp;IShares U.S. Technology ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IYW#NYSE">IYW</a>).
Price Action: MSFT shares are trading higher by 1.03% at $419.00 in premarket at&nbsp;the last check Monday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Microsoft's €4B French AI Push: Tech Expansion Reportedly Intensifies

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38774065/apple-chooses-sam-altman-led-openai-to-integrate-chatgpt-into-iphone-deal-almost-done-report">inching closer to a partnership</a> with OpenAI has excited Deepwater Asset Management's Gene Munster about the potential this deal holds for the iPhone maker.
What Happened: Prominent Apple bull Munster thinks that integrated Microsoft Corp.-backed (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) OpenAI's ChatGPT on the iPhone will be the "biggest upgrade in Siri's 13-year history."
Apple's voice assistant, Siri, was launched with a lot of fanfare with the iPhone 4S in 2011. Many companies, including Alphabet Inc.'s Google, and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., launched their respective voice assistants to compete with Siri.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38774244/openais-sam-altman-shoots-down-search-engine-and-gpt-5-rumors-teases-may-13-event-some-new-stuff-peo">OpenAI&#8217;s Sam Altman Shoots Down Search Engine And GPT-5 Rumors, Teases May 13 Event: &#8216;Some New Stuff…People Will Love&#8217;</a>
However, development in terms of Siri's capabilities has slowed down in the past few years.
Now, with Apple and OpenAI inching closer to striking a highly-anticipated partnership, Munster thinks not only will this be accessible by at least 80% of Apple's over 2.2 billion users, it could even open up a new revenue stream for Cupertino.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Munster echoed another Apple bull, Wedbush's Dan Ives, who thinks the company has the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38219057/wedbushs-dan-ives-says-apple-has-best-installed-base-in-the-world-for-its-ai-future">"best-installed base in the world"</a> for its AI ambitions.
"I believe this could open up a new revenue stream."
That said, it remains to be seen if and how Apple monetizes Siri in the future.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">NYT reporting <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24AAPL&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$AAPL</a> will announce Siri with generative AI at WWDC. I believe this could open up a new revenue stream. For starters, this will represents the biggest upgrade in Siri&#39;s 13 year history. I estimate about 80% of Apple&#39;s 2.2B + installed base can access Siri (1.25B…
&mdash; Gene Munster (@munster_gene) <a href="https://twitter.com/munster_gene/status/1789019617710473376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It Matters: The potential upgrade to Siri follows a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38040467/apple-quietly-unveils-new-ai-model-realm-that-outperforms-openais-gpt-4-despite-being-much-lighter-a">series of AI-related developments at Apple</a>. The company is reportedly finalizing an agreement with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT features into <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37932418/apple-reportedly-readying-ios-18-with-home-screen-redesign-and-ai-upgrades">iOS 18</a>, the upcoming iPhone operating system.
Apple&#8217;s AI efforts have been a point of focus, with CEO <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38610325/tim-cook-very-bullish-on-apples-generative-ai-efforts-despite-lower-capital-expenditure-than-riv">Tim Cook expressing confidence</a> in the company&#8217;s AI prospects despite concerns from investors. Cook revealed that Apple has invested $100 billion in research and development over the past five years, with a focus on unveiling new AI features at the upcoming WWDC.
Additionally, Apple is reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38660564/apple-reportedly-working-to-join-the-ranks-of-microsoft-amazon-meta-by-developing-its-own-ai-chips-f">working on its own AI chips</a> for data centers, a move that could potentially disrupt the market. The project, codenamed ACDC, is an extension of Apple&#8217;s existing in-house chip efforts for its devices.
Price Action: Apple&#8217;s stock closed at $183.05 on Friday, down 0.69% from the previous day, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38723527/elon-musk-agrees-meta-cant-be-trusted-after-zuckerberg-led-social-media-giant-hit-with-37m-fine-over?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Agrees ‘Meta Can't Be Trusted' After Zuckerberg-Led Social Media Giant Hit With $37M Fine Over Data Sharing Practices</a>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

'Biggest Upgrade In Siri's 13-Year History:' Top Analyst Strikes Bullish Note On Apple Inching Closer To Powering Its Virtual Assistant With OpenAI's ChatGPT

<a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a>
I understand why investors want to look for under-the-radar, small-cap picks at times. First, it&rsquo;s smart to diversify your portfolio, and it&rsquo;s also incredibly fulfilling (and profitable) to identify and buy into a small company before it hits big. But the anchor of your portfolio should be <a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-types/blue-chip-stocks/">blue-chip stocks</a> that you can count on for the long haul.



Blue-chip stocks represent well-established companies that are acknowledged leaders in their field. They always have an established history of stable earnings growth and often are reliable sources of dividends.



In uncertain times, blue-chip stocks provide a safe spot for investors. While &nbsp;they may not offer the same level of growth potential as smaller, more volatile stocks, blue-chip stocks tend to be often resilient in a market downturn. 



Because blue-chip stocks always have strong balance sheets, they can provide investors with a level of stability and predictability in a way that their smaller counterparts cannot.



We&rsquo;re using the Portfolio Grader to look for the best blue-chip stocks on the market . Based on factors like earnings performance, revenue growth, momentum and analyst sentiment, these stocks all get &ldquo;A&rdquo; and &ldquo;B&rdquo; ratings in the Portfolio Grader. Any or all would be a good choice to anchor a portfolio right now.



<h2>Nvidia (NVDA)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/nvda1600-7-300x169.png" alt="In this photo illustration, a woman holds a smartphone with the Nvidia Corporation (NVDA) logo displayed on the screen"><div>Source: rafapress / Shutterstock.com</div></div>I&rsquo;m already looking forward to Nvidia&rsquo;s (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/nvda-stock-quote/">NVDA</a>) earnings report on May 22. While there are some concerns out there that Nvidia may not match the blowout quarters it recorded in fiscal 2024, I think the fiscal Q1 2025 report will be another tail wind for NVDA stock.



Nvidia sports a market capitalization of over $2 trillion and is the third largest publicly traded company in the world because of its massive position in semiconductors and generative artificial intelligence. 



Nvidia has a 90% market share in supplying high-powered graphics processing units that are used by customers making generative AI and machine learning products.



While Nvidia&rsquo;s abrupt growth in fiscal 2024 presents some challenging comparable numbers, earnings reports from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-26/nvidia-shares-go-on-a-260-billion-tear-as-clients-splurge-on-ai">its top customers</a> hint that the semiconductor company should impress analysts and the market once again.



NVDA stock is up 82% this year and gets a well-deserved &ldquo;A&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



<h2>Alphabet (GOOG)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/goog1600f-300x169.jpg" alt="An image showing the front of the Google Headquarters in California."><div>Source: turtix / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/goog-stock-quote/">GOOG</a>, NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/googl-stock-quote/">GOOGL</a>) is one of those companies that absolutely screams &ldquo;blue chip.&rdquo; It dominates the internet by maintaining a 91% share of global search traffic with its Google search engine. 



There is an entire industry dedicated to learning Google&rsquo;s algorithms and capitalizing on search engine optimization to land coveted positions on the first page of a Google search.



Google search revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was $46.1 billion, or more than half of the company&rsquo;s total revenue of $80.5 billion. Alphabet saw strong year-over-year growth in Google search, YouTube ads as well as Google Cloud.



GOOG stock jumped to all-time highs after the company reported first-quarter earnings, which were 15% better than a year ago and ahead of analyst consensus of $78.6 billion. Earnings per share was $1.89, beating consensus estimates of $1.51 per share and topping last year&rsquo;s earnings by 61%.



GOOG stock is up 22% in 2024. It gets an &ldquo;A&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



<h2>Microsoft (MSFT)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/msft1600d-300x169.jpg" alt="the Microsoft (MSFT) logo displayed on smartphone which is laying on top of a keyboard. symbolizes MSFT stock and blue-chip stocks"><div>Source: rafapress / Shutterstock.com</div></div>You don&rsquo;t get more blue-chip than Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/msft-stock-quote/">MSFT</a>). The software and cloud company is the biggest company in the world with a market capitalization of more than $3 trillion.



Microsoft&rsquo;s products include its massive Microsoft 365 suite, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, OneNote and OneDrive &mdash; all of them essential programs for millions of businesses around the world.



It also played a key role in the public rollout of generative AI &mdash; possibly the biggest technological breakthrough of the decade &mdash; with its investment and partnership with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. 



Microsoft&rsquo;s involvement with OpenAI allowed it to capitalize on public enthusiasm for generative AI and be among the first to roll it out in its software.



All this is leading to massive profits. <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/earnings/fy-2024-q3/press-release-webcast">Revenue</a> in the fiscal third quarter of 2024 was $61.9 billion, up 17% from a year ago. Income was $21.9 billion and $2.94 per share, both up 20% from the same quarter a year ago.



Microsoft is now using that money to fund even more growth, with <a href="https://investorplace.com/market360/2024/05/billion-dollar-bets-will-these-surprise-moves-supercharge-or-sink-microsoft-stock/">plans to invest</a> billions in technology in several regions of Asia.



The strong keep getting stronger. MSFT stock is up 33% this year and gets a &ldquo;B&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



<h2>Netflix (NFLX)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nflx1600-1-300x169.png" alt="Netflix (NFLX) logo displayed on smartphone on top of pile of money."><div>Source: izzuanroslan / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Netflix (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/nflx-stock-quote/">NFLX</a>) is a blue-chip streaming service. While other services emerged over the last few years, Netflix is showing uncommon strength and continues to grow in subscribers and revenue.



The company had a massive turnaround last year when it finally decided to crack down on password sharing. 



By instituting an <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/05/24/netflix-password-sharing-is-history-how-to-break-the-news-to-friends/70252379007/">$8 charge</a> to any account that shared its password outside of its home location, Netflix generated millions of additional dollars and paid subscribers.



In the first quarter, Netflix reported <a href="https://s22.q4cdn.com/959853165/files/doc_financials/2024/q1/FINAL-Q1-24-Shareholder-Letter.pdf">revenue</a> of $9.3 billion, up from $8.1 billion a year ago. Income of $2.3 billion and $5.28 per share was much better than the $1.3 billion of income and $2.88 per share Netflix reported in the first quarter of 2023.



Netflix now has 269.9 million subscribers, up 16% from a year ago and up 9.33 million in the last quarter.



NFLX stock is up 25% this year and gets a &ldquo;B&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



<h2>Meta Platforms (META)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/meta1600-1-300x169.png" alt="In this photo illustration the Meta logo seen displayed on a smartphone and in the background the Facebook logo"><div>Source: rafapress / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/meta-stock-quote/">META</a>) counts half of the global population as its customers. That&rsquo;s an amazing reach that is unmatched by any other social media company. 



The operator of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp products has nearly four billion monthly active users.



And that leads to the question &mdash; can Meta be expected to grow its audience even more? After all, the company went through a stagnant phase in 2022 when it actually contracted its user base.



I don&rsquo;t see that happening now. The Meta family of products is user-friendly, including a new AI chatbot and AI-assistant software that can create images and animations available on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.



Meta is off to a great start in 2024. Earnings for the first quarter were $36.4 billion in revenue, which is up 27% from a year ago. Income was up 117% to $12.3 billion, and earnings per share was up 114% to $4.71.



META stock is up 32% in 2024. It gets an &ldquo;A&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



<h2>Walmart (WMT)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/wmt-stock-3-300x169.jpg" alt="A photo of a Walmart sign in landscaping against a blue sky and a lawn."><div>Source: Moab Republic / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Walmart (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/wmt-stock-quote/">WMT</a>) has blue-chip stock credentials by being the biggest retailer in the world. The Arkansas-based company has more than 10,800 locations, with a presence in every U.S. state and more than two dozen countries.



Walmart relies on a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2023/12/07/walmart-taking-lead-to-lower-prices-with-current-customer-mood/?sh=80b24627506a">low-cost strategy</a> by keeping the prices of its own brands low to drive down the prices of national brands that want to be on Walmart&rsquo;s shelves. 



Walmart&rsquo;s massive footprint is also a key negotiating point in helping Walmart negotiate lower prices with its suppliers.



<a href="https://s201.q4cdn.com/262069030/files/doc_earnings/2024/q4/earnings-result/Earnings-Release-2024-Q4.pdf">Earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024</a> show how effective the strategy is for long-term growth and profits. Walmart reported revenue of $173.4 billion, up 5.7% from a year ago. Income of $1.7 billion was a 30.4% increase from the same quarter last year.



For fiscal 2025, is projecting additional growth of 4% to 5% in net sales, and an increase in operating income of 3% to 4.5%.



Walmart stock is up 15% in 2024 and gets a &ldquo;B&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



<h2>Oracle (ORCL)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/orcl-stock-3-300x169.jpg" alt="The Oracle (ORCL) sign hangs on an Oracle office in Deerfield, Illinois."><div>Source: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Oracle (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/orcl-stock-quote/">ORCL</a>) is the world&rsquo;s biggest database-software company. The Texas firm provides cloud computing, applications, platforms and cloud software. It also sells servers and operating systems.



The company is a key partner for other software companies. For instance, it partners with Microsoft to give customers access to Oracle database services that run on Oracle&rsquo;s cloud infrastructure and are deployed on Microsoft Azure databases.



It also has a <a href="https://www.oracle.com/bg/news/announcement/oracle-and-palantir-join-forces-to-deliver-mission-critical-ai-solutions-to-governments-and-businesses-2024-04-04/">partnership</a> with Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/pltr-stock-quote/">PLTR</a>) to provide Palantir&rsquo;s AI-powered services to commercial clients through Oracle&rsquo;s cloud.



The company reported <a href="https://s23.q4cdn.com/440135859/files/doc_financials/2024/q3/3q24-pressrelease-March-final.pdf">revenue</a> of $13.3 billion in the fiscal third quarter of 2024, up 7% from a year ago. Earnings per share of $1.41 was up 16% from a year ago.



ORCL stock is up 10% this year and gets a &ldquo;B&rdquo; rating in the Portfolio Grader.



On the date of publication, Louis Navellier had a long position&nbsp;in&nbsp;NVDA, PLTR, and MSFT. Louis Navellier did not have (either directly or indirectly) any other positions in the securities mentioned in this article.



The InvestorPlace Research Staff member primarily responsible for this article had a long position in NVDA and PLTR. The staff member did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any other positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
<h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
		<ul><li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/10/no-1-ai-investment-might-be-this-company-youve-never-heard-of/?cid=MKT764787&amp;eid=MKT771245">The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You&rsquo;ve Never Heard Of</a>
					</li>
																<li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/07/elon-musks-project-omega-stuns-silicon-valley-insiders/?cid=MKT738510&amp;eid=MKT771236">Musk&rsquo;s &ldquo;Project Omega&rdquo; May Be Set to Mint New Millionaires. Here&rsquo;s How to Get In.</a>
					</li>
																<li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2021/01/one-percenter-issues-urgent-warning/?cid=MKT499868&amp;eid=MKT793997">It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you have $500 or $5 million. Do this now.</a>
					</li>
									</ul><div>
			<div></div>
						<div></div>
					</div>
	
The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/market360/2024/05/7-blue-chip-stock-beauties-to-bet-on-in-may/">7 Blue-Chip Stock Beauties to Bet on in May</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.

7 Blue-Chip Stock Beauties to Bet on in May

US, China set up meeting in Geneva to discuss perils of AI - report

The European Union is poised to bring fresh antitrust charges against Microsoft Corporation, with concerns centered around the tech giant's videoconferencing app, Teams, according to a report from the Financial Times on Monday.

EU Set To Issue New Antitrust Charges Against Microsoft Over Teams App

Apple-OpenAI pact appears to be done deal, laying AI foundation for iPhone 16: Wedbush

Microsoft possibly faces EU antitrust charges over Teams: report

QQQ: Never Bet Against The Market

OpenAI unveils GPT-4o, its latest 'flagship model' as free to all

The tech industry is thriving due to advancements like high-speed 5G, generative AI in applications, IoT integration, and ongoing innovations that enhance consumer experiences. Given this backdrop, should investors buy Microsoft (MSFT) or Alphabet (GOOGL) to secure profits this May? Let's compare their fundamentals to determine which tech giant will be the better investment... In today's tech-driven world, internet applications and software services have seamlessly integrated, driving automation and digitalization across sectors.
The increasing use of generative AI and demand for IoT, along with the rise of social commerce, contribute to the growth of the software and internet sectors. In 2023, Statista states that global internet users <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/273018/number-of-internet-users-worldwide/">reached 5.4 billion</a>, up from 5.3 billion in 2022, covering almost 67% of the world's population. Gartner predicts that spending on software will increase by 12.7% over the prior year to <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/01-17-2024-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-it-spending-to-grow-six-point-eight-percent-in-2024">$1.03 trillion</a> this year.
The growth is driven by fast 5G, blockchain, cloud services, remote work trends, and collaborative tools, boosting internet utilization and increasing demand for unified software services and products. The internet services market is predicted to reach $733.79 billion by 2031, with a <a href="https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/internet-service-market-104518">4.4% CAGR</a>.
Furthermore, the global business software and services market is forecasted to grow at a <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/business-software-services-market">CAGR of 11.9%</a> until 2030.
Given this backdrop, let's compare the stocks Microsoft Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/MSFT/">MSFT</a>) and Alphabet Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/GOOGL/">GOOGL</a>) to understand why GOOGL is a better buy.
The Case for Alphabet Inc. Stock
Alphabet Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/GOOGL/">GOOGL</a>) offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments.
GOOGL's stock has gained 5.6% over the past month to close the last trading session at $164.81. In addition, GOOGL has gained 47.6% over the past year.
GOOGL's EBIT grew at a CAGR of 25% over the past three years. Its revenue grew at a CAGR of 17.4% over the past three years. Moreover, its EBITDA grew at a CAGR of 20.3% during the same period.
In terms of forward non-GAAP PEG, GOOGL is trading at 1.18x, 13.4% lower than the industry average of 1.36x. However, its forward EV/Sales is trading at 5.81x, 216.8% higher than the 1.83x industry average.
In terms of the trailing-12-month EBITDA margin, GOOGL's 34.49% is 87.4% higher than the 18.41% industry average. Likewise, its 11.94% trailing-12-month CAPEX / Sales is 239% higher than the industry average of 3.52%. Moreover, its 17.31% trailing-12-month levered FCF margin is 118.3% higher than the 7.93% industry average.
For the fiscal first quarter that ended March 31, 2024, GOOGL's revenues rose 15.4% year-over-year to $80.54 billion. Its operating income came in at $25.47 billion, up 46.3% over the prior year quarter. The company's net income rose 57.2% year-over-year to $23.66 billion. In addition, its EPS rose 61.5% from the year-ago value to $1.89.
Analysts expect GOOGL's EPS and revenue for the quarter ending June 30, 2024, to increase 27.7% and 12.5% year-over-year to $1.84 and $83.95 billion, respectively.
GOOGL's stock is trading above its 100-day and 200-day moving averages of $147.88 and $140.41, respectively.
GOOGL's <a href="https://stocknews.com/powr-ratings/">POWR Ratings</a> reflect its bright prospects. It has an overall rating of B, which translates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting.
It has an A grade for Sentiment and a B for Quality. Within the B-rated <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/internet/">Internet</a> industry, it is ranked #7 out of 53 stocks. Beyond what we stated above, we also have given GOOGL grades for Growth, Value, Momentum, and Sentiment. Get all the GOOGL ratings <a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/GOOGL/">here</a>.
The Case for Microsoft Corporation Stock
Microsoft Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/MSFT/">MSFT</a>) develops and supports software, services, devices and solutions worldwide. The company's segments include Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud segment, and More Personal Computing.
MSFT's stock has gained 31.8% over the past year to close the last trading session at $411.68. On the other hand, the stock has declined 2.8% over the past month.
MSFT's revenue grew at a CAGR of 13.9% over the past three years. Its levered FCF grew at a CAGR of 17.5% over the past three years.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, MSFT is trading at 35.06x, 49.8% higher than the industry average of 23.41x. In addition, the stock's forward EV/Sales of 12.69x is 352.9% higher than the industry average of 2.80x.
In terms of the trailing-12-month <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/ebit.asp">EBIT</a> margin, MSFT's 44.70% is 909.7% higher than the 4.43% industry average. Its 36.43% trailing-12-month net income margin is significantly higher than the 2.40% industry average. However, the stock's 0.55x trailing-12-month asset turnover ratio is 9.9% lower than the 0.61x industry average.
MSFT's total revenue for the fiscal third quarter that ended March 31, 2024, increased 17% year-over-year to $61.86 billion. Its operating income rose 23.4% year-over-year to $27.58 billion. Moreover, the company's net income and EPS rose 19.9% and 20% year-over-year to $21.94 billion and $2.94, respectively.
Street expects MSFT's EPS for the quarter ending June 30, 2024, to increase 9% year-over-year to $2.93. Its revenue for the same quarter is expected to increase 14.6% year-over-year to $64.41 billion. It surpassed the consensus EPS and revenue estimates in three of the trailing quarters.
MSFT' s stock is trading above its 10-day and 50-day moving averages of $405.15 and $413.75, respectively.
MSFT's mixed fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. It has an overall rating of C, equating to a Neutral in our proprietary rating system.
It has a C grade for Growth, and Momentum. Within the <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/software-business/">Software - Business</a> industry, MSFT is ranked #19 out of 43 stocks. To see the additional grades of MSFT for Value, Stability, Sentiment, and Quality, <a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/MSFT/">click here</a>.
MSFT vs GOOGL: Which Tech Giant Will Drive May Profits?
The internet has seamlessly integrated into our daily routines, enabling digitalization across various sectors. Mobile and computer software are essential in corporate and consumer communication, entertainment, e-commerce, and risk management, demonstrating promising growth in these areas.
Businesses have notably enhanced customer services by effectively utilizing advanced technologies, software automation, and fast connectivity, resulting in greater convenience and efficiency. Tech giants like MSFT and GOOGL stand to gain from the growing demand for software solutions and the transformative impact of high-speed internet on how we interact with and experience software applications.
Both MSFT and GOOGL have strong fundamentals and historical growth, but GOOGL appears to be a better choice than MSFT due to its solid price performance, robust profitability, and slightly discounted valuation compared to MSFT.
Our research shows that the odds of success increase when one invests in stocks with an Overall Rating of Strong Buy or Buy. View all the top-rated stocks in the Internet industry <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/internet/">here</a>. In addition, <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/software-business/">click here</a> to access all the top-rated stocks in the Software - Business industry.
What To Do Next?
43 year investment veteran, Steve Reitmeister, has just released his 2024 market outlook along with trading plan and top 11 picks for the year ahead.
<a href="https://report.stocknews.com/sign-up/stock-market-outlook-2024/?formplacement=artbotad_smo24_rep">2024 Stock Market Outlook &gt;</a>

<hr />
MSFT shares were trading at $414.06 per share on Monday afternoon, down $0.68 (-0.16%). Year-to-date, MSFT has gained 10.31%, versus a 9.84% rise in the benchmark S&amp;P 500 index during the same period.
<hr><div style="clear:both;"></div> <h2>About the Author: Abhishek Bhuyan</h2> <img src='https:/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ABhuyan.jpg' style="float:left; padding:5px;width:125px;">Abhishek embarked on his professional journey as a financial journalist due to his keen interest in discerning the fundamental factors that influence the future performance of financial instruments.<a href="https://stocknews.com/authors/?author=abhishek-bhuyan">More...</a>The post <a href=https://stocknews.com/news/msft-googl-which-tech-giant-will-drive-may-profits-alphabet-googl-or/>Which Tech Giant Will Drive May Profits: Alphabet (GOOGL) or Microsoft (MSFT)?</a> appeared first on <a href=https://stocknews.com/>StockNews.com</a>

Which Tech Giant Will Drive May Profits: Alphabet (GOOGL) or Microsoft (MSFT)?

<a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a>
Apple (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/aapl-stock-quote/">AAPL</a>) is best known for its consumer electronic products that develop a cult-like following. In fact, the tech stock is a formidable chipmaker. The <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/01/how-apple-makes-its-own-chips-for-iphone-and-mac-edging-out-intel.html">very first in-house chip</a> appeared in the iPhone 4 way back in 2010. Yet today, all Apple computers run on their own processors.



Apple&rsquo;s chips are for its own consumption though. They don&rsquo;t sell them to others. And because it relies upon its own designs, it is no longer beholden to other chipmakers for supply. Now Apple isn&rsquo;t a foundry. It doesn&rsquo;t physically make its own processors. As so many others do, it turns that function over to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/tsm-stock-quote/">TSM</a>).



But currently, Apple is looking to expand. A recent report in The Wall Street Journal said the tech giant was developing its own chips that are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/apple-is-developing-ai-chips-for-data-centers-seeking-edge-in-arms-race-0bedd2b2">designed to run artificial intelligence</a> (AI) software in data center servers.



Apple Chips in Data Centers are codenamed ACDC. These processors will target AI inference rather than AI training. The difference between them is with training, the processors develop and refine AI algorithms while inference, take already-trained AI algorithms to use real-world data.



Apple isn&rsquo;t alone. Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/msft-stock-quote/">MSFT</a>) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/meta-stock-quote/">META</a>) are developing custom inference chips to minimize reliance on third-party chipmakers. But with the field growing more crowded which are the best chipmaker stocks to buy? The three companies below easily make the cut.



<h2>Nvidia (NVDA)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/stocks-to-buy-nvda1600-300x169.png" alt="Nvidia logo seen on smartphone which is placed on pile of US dollar bills. Concept. Selective focus. Stocks to buy like Nvidia"><div>Source: Ascannio / Shutterstock.com</div></div>There is no question Nvidia (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/nvda-stock-quote/">NVDA</a>) has to top the list. Its graphics processing units (GPU) dominate right now with a <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/05/hey-nvidia-stock-investors-why-may-22-could-be-a-make-or-break-date-for-nvda/">98% share of the data center market</a>, according to Wells Fargo. Although that is expected to drop to between 94% and 96% as rivals bring their own processors to market, Nvidia will still be the industry leader.



Nvidia&rsquo;s GPUs target the training side of the equation. Its original Tesla and Ampere GPUs were designed to tackle the vast computational challenges AI presented. Its next-generation Hopper GPUs took it to the next level. Those had an ability to deliver sixfold more performance than the Ampere chips. The H100 chips are still seen as the foundational base that other chipmakers aspire to teach AI models. Now the latest iteration is the <a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-hopper-superchip/">GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip</a> which triples the bandwidth the H100 offered.



But, it is much more expensive, so adoption may not be as quick. For unparalleled power, hyperscalers may choose the GH200. Yet it opens up a wedge for competitors to offer lower cost chips that can more than get the job done. Still, Nvidia remains the premiere AI chipmaker stock to buy.



<h2>Arm Holdings (ARM)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/arm1600-3-300x169.png" alt="ARM company logo or ARM Holding plc logo on smartphone hardware. is a British semiconductor and software design company owned by SoftBank group"><div>Source: Poetra.RH / Shutterstock.com</div></div>British chip stock Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/arm-stock-quote/">ARM</a>) is not exactly a chipmaker. Rather it develops a chip architecture and a set of instructions that it licenses to customers. Apple&rsquo;s chips are all ARM processors. The two signed an agreement last year that is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/06/apple-and-arm-sign-deal-for-chip-technology-that-goes-beyond-2040.html">extends through 2040 and beyond</a>.



Apple and Arm&rsquo;s other clients include Qualcomm (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/qcom-stock-quote/">QCOM</a>) and Amazon (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/amzn-stock-quote/">AMZN</a>). These companies pay royalties to Arm Holdings on each unit shipped.&nbsp;



ARM&rsquo;s low power needs have made the chips exceptionally popular with mobile handset manufacturers. Also, it made them in demand for data centers, where <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/04/3-stocks-most-at-risk-of-ais-alarming-energy-consumption/">energy consumption is increasingly a concern</a>. The large language model chips from Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon all run on Arm&rsquo;s newest V9 technology. While the primary functions of data centers are performed by GPUs, Arm Holdings chips will run alongside them. So, they will benefit from the growth AI is creating in data center demand.



Indeed, because of Nvidia&rsquo;s data cen<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/-stock-quote/"></a>ter dominance, you could see ARM become an integral part of data center architecture. Nvidia&rsquo;s latest, most advanced chip Grace Blackwell Superchip integrates the chipmaker&rsquo;s GPUs with Arm Holding&rsquo;s central processing units (CPUs). ARM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rene Haas <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4691023-arm-holdings-plc-arm-q4-2024-earnings-call-transcript">told analysts</a>, &ldquo;I think now with Nvidia&rsquo;s most recent announcement, Grace Blackwell, you are going to see an acceleration of ARM of the data center in these AI applications.&rdquo;



Since Arm Holdings works, well, arm-in-arm with these chipmakers it will be a <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/04/chinas-chip-crackdown-2-semiconductor-stocks-to-dump-1-primed-to-pop/">top stock to buy</a>.



<h2>Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/tsm1600-300x169.png" alt="TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) logo displayed on mobile phone screen"><div>Source: Piotr Swat / Shutterstock.com</div></div>If Nvidia and other chipmakers are going to benefit from the rise of AI in data centers, then it&rsquo;s clear the manufacturer they turn to to actually make the chips must be included as well. As their business grows, so will Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.



As noted above, Apple isn&rsquo;t making its own chips. TSM makes them. The same is true for Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/amd-stock-quote/">AMD</a>), Broadcom (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/avgo-stock-quote/">AVGO</a>) and Qualcomm. TSM is the world&rsquo;s largest chip foundry pureplay. Because of <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/04/nvidia-who-3-ai-plays-destined-to-outshine-the-industry-giant/">&ldquo;insatiable&rdquo; demand</a> for AI chips, the company forecast sales will grow by low- to mid-20% rates this year with AI accounting for low-teen percentages of revenue.



Supply chain issues and capacity constraints have actually held the chipmaker back over the past few years. However, it is building new factories to meet demand. But a second manufacturing plant in Arizona has been put on hold as rising costs and lack of skilled labor dent progress.



Still, TSM just reported a 60% year-over-year (YOY) surge in April sales that also grew 20% jump from March, indicating business is still strong. That makes Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing one of the best chipmaker stocks to buy.



On the date of publication, Rich Duprey did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com <a href="https://investorplace.com/corporate/investorplace-publishing-guidelines/">Publishing Guidelines</a>.
<div>Rich Duprey has written about stocks and investing for the past 20 years. His articles have appeared on Nasdaq.com, The Motley Fool, and Yahoo! Finance, and he has been referenced by U.S. and international publications, including MarketWatch, Financial Times, Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cheddar News, The Boston Globe, L&rsquo;Express, and numerous other news outlets.</div><h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
		<ul><li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/10/no-1-ai-investment-might-be-this-company-youve-never-heard-of/?cid=MKT764787&amp;eid=MKT802110">The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You&rsquo;ve Never Heard Of</a>
					</li>
																<li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/07/elon-musks-project-omega-stuns-silicon-valley-insiders/?cid=MKT738510&amp;eid=MKT766411">Musk&rsquo;s &ldquo;Project Omega&rdquo; May Be Set to Mint New Millionaires. Here&rsquo;s How to Get In.</a>
					</li>
																<li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/04/legendary-investor-predicts-forget-a-i-this-technology-is-the-future/?cid=MKT794457&amp;eid=MKT802109">Legendary Investor Predicts: &ldquo;Forget A.I. THIS Technology Is the Future&rdquo;</a>
					</li>
									</ul><div>
			<div></div>
						<div></div>
					</div>
	
The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/05/now-even-apple-wants-to-make-data-center-chips-which-are-the-3-best-chipmaker-stocks-to-buy/">Now Even Apple Wants to Make Data Center Chips! Which Are the 3 Best Chipmaker Stocks to Buy?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.

Now Even Apple Wants to Make Data Center Chips! Which Are the 3 Best Chipmaker Stocks to Buy?

Earlier today, Microsoft-backed OpenAI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) introduced its newest artificial intelligence model, GPT-4o. This version is faster than GPT-4...

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT), Short Interest Report

People Also Watch