In This Article:
It may surprise many people to know that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is now more valuable than the darling FANG stocks. With a market capitalization of $961 billion, this exceeds ecommerce giant Amazon.com, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) $897 billion, Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) $789 billion. Microsoft stock really is in a class of its own.
Source: Shutterstock
The market has rewarded MSFT as the Company has demonstrated to the world that they still are a force to be reckoned with. Those who wrote them off for dead have been having a serious case of ‘what could have been.’
Microsoft is the exception rather than the norm. It took a major shuffle at top management and several years to get the necessary turnaround, but the company’s strategies to stay relevant have worked. Other major tech companies that were at the forefront of the dot com boom (and subsequent bust) never rose again to their former glory, but Microsoft has done it.
InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips
Microsoft stock performance is up over 200 percent compared to just 84 percent for the Nasdaq over the last five years. Year to date, Microsoft has continued its upward momentum and outperformed major indices by a wide margin. With catalysts forthcoming in cloud and gaming products, it seems like an effortless climb to $150 per share.
The Future of Gaming
Leading up to the much anticipated E3 2019, a gaming expo known for big announcements on games and next-generation consoles, and an overall showcase. Notably, Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE) will not be attending because it wants to “experiment with new ways to delight gamers.” If Sony and its PlayStation team are not there to present, Microsoft has a good chance of stealing the show.
Even for those who are not of the gaming community, the event is pretty exciting. This is when Microsoft will probably lay out more specific timing for the rollout of the various games and consoles in development for this year and 2020. In a category where they have lagged, they have a big chance to turn the tide.
At last year’s E3 conference, Phil Spencer, Head of Gaming at Microsoft, disclosed that the company had added five more creative teams to the Microsoft Studios family. He revealed that his teams were designing the architecture for the next generation of Xbox consoles. This year, Spencer should be unveiling the progress as a result of these additions.
Expect big things.
Microsoft Stock and Project Scarlett
Project Scarlett is the collective name for two next-generation Xbox consoles, one codenamed Anaconda and the other Lockhart. Anaconda is rumored to be the more powerful console with a solid state drive, while Lockhart will be priced lower and likely use the xCloud game streaming service.