Microsoft shares surged 15 % in a single trading session at Wall Street, adding approximately $450 to $480 billion in market capitalization, an absolute record since the 2008 financial crisis. This historic jump follows quarterly results that beat all expectations, with Azure crossing the symbolic $100 billion annual revenue threshold for the first time, posting 43 % growth. Microsoft management now forecasts 45 % growth for the next quarter, above the 41 % analysts had expected, while total revenue exceeded consensus by $2.4 billion. This performance validates the strategy of massive investment in AI data centers, unlike other tech groups such as Alphabet whose free cash flow dropped to -$5.86 billion during the same period.
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