Should iShares Russell Top 200 ETF (IWL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 19 2024
0mins
Should l Buy MSFT?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Overview of iShares Russell Top 200 ETF (IWL): Launched in 2009 and sponsored by Blackrock, IWL is a passively managed ETF with over $1.48 billion in assets, focusing on large-cap blend stocks, primarily in the Information Technology sector, with a low expense ratio of 0.15% and a trailing dividend yield of 1.09%.
Performance and Comparison: As of September 2024, IWL has gained approximately 19.80% year-to-date and 28.54% over the past year, while holding a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold); it is compared to similar ETFs like IVV and SPY, which have lower expense ratios but larger asset bases.
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Analyst Views on MSFT
Wall Street analysts forecast MSFT stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
32 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 401.840
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
Current: 401.840
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
About MSFT
Microsoft Corporation is a technology company that develops and supports software, services, devices, and solutions. Its Productivity and Business Processes segment consists of products and services in its portfolio of productivity, communication, and information services, spanning a variety of devices and platforms. It comprises Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services; Microsoft 365 Consumer products and cloud services; LinkedIn, and Dynamics products and cloud services. The Intelligent Cloud segment consists of its public, private, and hybrid server products and cloud services. It comprises server products and cloud services, including Azure, and enterprise and partner services, including Enterprise Support Services. Its More Personal Computing segment primarily comprises Windows and Devices, including Windows OEM licensing; Gaming, including Xbox hardware and Xbox content; Search and news advertising, comprising Bing and Copilot, Microsoft News, and Microsoft Edge.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- User Growth Data: Microsoft revealed that Copilot reached 15 million paying users in its latest earnings call, reflecting a 160% year-over-year growth, although this figure appears small compared to its 450 million Microsoft 365 paid users, indicating potential market demand.
- Market Competition Analysis: While Copilot's conversion rate stands at approximately 3.3%, lower than ChatGPT's 5%, Microsoft's existing user base provides a solid opportunity for future growth through cross-selling, especially as AI tools become more mainstream.
- Revenue Potential Outlook: Should Microsoft achieve another 160% growth in users over the next year, it could generate an additional $8.6 billion in revenue, which represents nearly 3% of its projected $328 billion revenue for fiscal year 2026, highlighting Copilot's commercial value.
- Strategic Positioning and Competitive Advantage: With significant equity stakes in both OpenAI and Anthropic, Microsoft can leverage AI to enhance Microsoft 365's competitiveness, thereby maintaining its leadership in the office software market and mitigating competitive pressures in the future.
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- Stock Valuation Decline: Microsoft's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has fallen to 25, nearing its lowest level in three years, reflecting market caution regarding its growth prospects, despite analysts' price target of $596 suggesting a 48% upside.
- Investor Sentiment Weakens: Following the earnings report on January 28, Microsoft's stock has dropped 16%, leading to investor doubts about the returns from its AI infrastructure investments, although the low valuation may present a buying opportunity in the long run.
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- Record Backlog: The company's backlog for AI switches has surpassed $10 billion, reflecting robust market demand amid ongoing AI data center buildouts, which further solidifies Broadcom's position in the industry.
- Differentiated Product Offering: Broadcom has launched the industry's first Wi-Fi 8 access point and switch system, designed to enhance security and speed for enterprises utilizing AI, thereby increasing its competitive edge and attracting more customers.
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- Quantum Market Potential: Analysts from Boston Consulting Group estimate that the global opportunity for quantum computing could reach between $450 billion and $850 billion by 2040, indicating significant investor interest despite the market being in its infancy.
- Historical Investment Review: Amazon's purchase of 6,671 shares of IonQ stock worth nearly $300,000 in Q4 2025 follows a complete divestment of 854,207 shares in Q3, highlighting its focus on short-term gains and response to market fluctuations.
- Changing Competitive Landscape: With giants like Amazon and Microsoft launching their own quantum processing units, IonQ's market leadership is under threat, prompting investors to carefully assess its future profitability and sustainability of market share.
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- Cloud Services Driving Profitability: Microsoft’s cloud revenue grew 26% year-over-year, surpassing $51 billion, with adjusted net income up 21% year-over-year, and despite heavy investments in AI, it returned 32% of its free cash flow in dividends, showcasing strong profitability.
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See More
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- User Growth Data: Microsoft revealed that Copilot reached 15 million paying users in its latest earnings call, reflecting a 160% year-over-year growth, although this figure appears small compared to its 450 million Microsoft 365 paid users, indicating potential market demand.
- Market Competition Analysis: While Copilot's conversion rate stands at approximately 3.3%, lower than ChatGPT's 5%, Microsoft's existing user base provides a solid opportunity for future growth through cross-selling, especially as AI tools become more mainstream.
- Revenue Potential Outlook: Should Microsoft achieve another 160% growth in users over the next year, it could generate an additional $8.6 billion in revenue, which represents nearly 3% of its projected $328 billion revenue for fiscal year 2026, highlighting Copilot's commercial value.
- Strategic Positioning and Competitive Advantage: With significant equity stakes in both OpenAI and Anthropic, Microsoft can leverage AI to enhance Microsoft 365's competitiveness, thereby maintaining its leadership in the office software market and mitigating competitive pressures in the future.
See More
Microsoft Faces Intensifying Competition in Cloud Computing
- Cloud Competition: Microsoft faces fierce competition in the cloud computing sector from Amazon and Alphabet, with Azure's revenue growth of 39% lagging behind Google Cloud's 48%, indicating market share pressures.
- Rising Infrastructure Costs: The company's increasing infrastructure costs have raised concerns among investors, as CFO Amy Hood noted a direct correlation between capital expenditures and Azure's revenue, potentially impacting future returns on investment.
- Stock Valuation Decline: Microsoft's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has fallen to 25, nearing its lowest level in three years, reflecting market caution regarding its growth prospects, despite analysts' price target of $596 suggesting a 48% upside.
- Investor Sentiment Weakens: Following the earnings report on January 28, Microsoft's stock has dropped 16%, leading to investor doubts about the returns from its AI infrastructure investments, although the low valuation may present a buying opportunity in the long run.
See More
Broadcom's Rise in the AI Sector
- Surging AI Revenue: Broadcom reported a 74% year-over-year increase in AI semiconductor revenue for the latest quarter, with projections indicating that first-quarter revenue will double to $8.2 billion, driven by strong demand for custom accelerators and AI Ethernet switches, significantly boosting overall performance.
- Record Backlog: The company's backlog for AI switches has surpassed $10 billion, reflecting robust market demand amid ongoing AI data center buildouts, which further solidifies Broadcom's position in the industry.
- Differentiated Product Offering: Broadcom has launched the industry's first Wi-Fi 8 access point and switch system, designed to enhance security and speed for enterprises utilizing AI, thereby increasing its competitive edge and attracting more customers.
- Unique Market Positioning: Broadcom's XPUs are custom chips tailored for specific purposes, differentiating them from Nvidia and AMD's general-purpose GPUs, allowing the company to carve out a niche in the competitive AI market and enhancing its strategic positioning for future growth.
See More
Amazon Reinvests in IonQ, But Future Looks Uncertain
- Portfolio Dynamics: As of the end of 2025, Amazon's investment portfolio totals $3.5 billion, and while its stake in quantum computing is relatively small, it reflects a strategic interest in emerging technologies that could influence its long-term positioning.
- Quantum Market Potential: Analysts from Boston Consulting Group estimate that the global opportunity for quantum computing could reach between $450 billion and $850 billion by 2040, indicating significant investor interest despite the market being in its infancy.
- Historical Investment Review: Amazon's purchase of 6,671 shares of IonQ stock worth nearly $300,000 in Q4 2025 follows a complete divestment of 854,207 shares in Q3, highlighting its focus on short-term gains and response to market fluctuations.
- Changing Competitive Landscape: With giants like Amazon and Microsoft launching their own quantum processing units, IonQ's market leadership is under threat, prompting investors to carefully assess its future profitability and sustainability of market share.
See More
Microsoft and Broadcom: Long-Term Dividend Growth Investment Opportunities
- Microsoft Dividend Growth: Microsoft's dividend yield stands at 0.84%, below the S&P 500's 1%, yet its dividend has more than doubled over the past decade, translating to an annualized growth rate of about 10%, indicating robust cash flow and potential for continued dividend increases.
- Cloud Services Driving Profitability: Microsoft’s cloud revenue grew 26% year-over-year, surpassing $51 billion, with adjusted net income up 21% year-over-year, and despite heavy investments in AI, it returned 32% of its free cash flow in dividends, showcasing strong profitability.
- Broadcom's Market Positioning: Broadcom offers a 0.70% dividend yield, but its dividend has increased over tenfold in the last decade to $2.36 per share, with significant growth expected over the next 20 years, particularly driven by strong demand in the AI data center market.
- Strong Cash Flow: Broadcom generated $27 billion in free cash flow over the past year, representing a 42% margin on revenue, and has increased its dividend for 15 consecutive years, recently announcing a 10% increase, demonstrating its ongoing dividend payment capability.
See More
OpenAI Hires Top AI Developer, Potentially Benefiting These Stocks.
- OpenAI's New Hire: OpenAI has recruited the founder of OpenClaw, a leading independent AI project in recent months.
- Implications for Companies: This development is seen as positive for companies like Oracle, CoreWeave, and Microsoft, which are looking for a successful IPO from the AI startup.
See More
