Building Long-Term Wealth with Dividend Stocks
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
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Should l Buy MSFT?
Source: Fool
- Dividend Stock Advantages: According to Ned Davis Research, from 1973 to 2024, dividend growers and payers have an average annual total return of 10.24%, significantly outperforming non-payers at 4.31%, highlighting the compelling nature of dividend stocks for long-term investment.
- Microsoft's Growth Potential: Microsoft (MSFT) has averaged a 24% annual gain over the past decade, and despite a 17% decline year-to-date, its dividend yield has risen to 0.9%, with annual dividends increasing from $1.89 in 2019 to $3.64 in 2023, reflecting strong profitability and ongoing shareholder returns.
- Medtronic's Stable Returns: Medtronic (MDT) has raised its dividend by an average of 6% annually over the past decade and has increased its dividend for 48 consecutive years, currently yielding 2.8%, while its second-quarter revenue rose 7% year-over-year, demonstrating robust performance in the medical device sector.
- ETF Investment Opportunity: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) offers a 3.5% dividend yield and tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, which includes 100 stocks that have paid dividends for at least 10 years, with a low annual fee of just 0.06%, providing investors with a cost-effective diversified investment option.
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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.
Microsoft's Copilot User Growth and Market Potential
- 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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- 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.
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- Capital Expenditure Forecast Sparks Panic: The company forecasts a staggering $200 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, while its operating cash flow for 2025 is only $139.5 billion, up 17%, prompting conservative investors to flee amid fears of potential negative free cash flow.
- Accelerating AWS Business Growth: Despite high spending, AWS's revenue growth rate accelerated from 20% in Q3 to 24% in Q4, indicating strong market demand and suggesting continued growth momentum in the coming years.
- Diversified Customer Base: AWS's diverse customer base mitigates risk; although OpenAI is a client, its future commitment to AWS is only $3.8 billion, a small fraction of Amazon's $244 billion backlog, underscoring Amazon's solid position and long-term growth potential in the cloud computing market.
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Mark Cuban Warns of Transformation in Traditional Software Industry
- End of Traditional Software: Mark Cuban warns on a podcast that the era of static software is ending, as businesses will need to adapt to software limitations, with future solutions being customized to specific business needs in real-time.
- Rise of Implementation Opportunities: While traditional SaaS faces threats, Cuban sees a significant opportunity in providing AI implementation solutions for 33 million small-to-medium-sized businesses, urging students to focus on applying AI in companies rather than just creating new models.
- New Career Prospects: By bridging complex data with real-world problems, young professionals can modernize business economics faster than ever, with Cuban asserting this will be the primary job market for graduates.
- Shift Among Industry Giants: Cuban notes that even industry leaders like Microsoft are recognizing the importance of transitioning to unique usage, indicating a growing demand for personalized solutions in the market.
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- Intensifying Tech Competition: Analyst Rory Green warns that China's rapid advancements in AI are breaking the U.S. tech monopoly, with predictions that most of the world may rely on a Chinese tech stack within the next 5 to 10 years, significantly impacting the U.S. market.
- National AI Fund Launched: China launched a 60.06 billion yuan ($8.69 billion) national AI fund last year and initiated the 'AI+' program to integrate AI technology across its economy and society, further accelerating its technological development.
- Cost Advantage Emerges: By leveraging massive Huawei chip clusters and abundant low-cost energy, China is narrowing the gap with the U.S. in AI model development, making its low-cost tech offerings attractive to developing economies and potentially reshaping the global tech landscape.
- U.S. Investment Return Concerns: U.S. tech giants announced capital expenditures of up to $700 billion in AI, raising concerns about returns and leading to a $1 trillion loss in market caps, reflecting growing doubts about the U.S.'s competitive edge against China.
See More
Microsoft's Copilot User Growth and Market Potential
- 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
OpenAI and Alphabet CEOs Set to Participate in AI Summit in India
AI Impact Summit in New Delhi: Top tech executives will convene in New Delhi, India, for an AI Impact Summit starting Monday.
Previous Summits: This event follows government-led summits on artificial intelligence that have taken place in the U.K., South Korea, and France.
See More
Amazon's Q4 Earnings Report Triggers Stock Sell-Off
- Significant Stock Decline: Following its Q4 earnings report, Amazon (AMZN) saw its stock drop 23% below all-time highs, trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.8, which is near its lowest valuation in modern history, reflecting investor concerns over future cash flows.
- Capital Expenditure Forecast Sparks Panic: The company forecasts a staggering $200 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, while its operating cash flow for 2025 is only $139.5 billion, up 17%, prompting conservative investors to flee amid fears of potential negative free cash flow.
- Accelerating AWS Business Growth: Despite high spending, AWS's revenue growth rate accelerated from 20% in Q3 to 24% in Q4, indicating strong market demand and suggesting continued growth momentum in the coming years.
- Diversified Customer Base: AWS's diverse customer base mitigates risk; although OpenAI is a client, its future commitment to AWS is only $3.8 billion, a small fraction of Amazon's $244 billion backlog, underscoring Amazon's solid position and long-term growth potential in the cloud computing market.
See More
Mark Cuban Warns of Transformation in Traditional Software Industry
- End of Traditional Software: Mark Cuban warns on a podcast that the era of static software is ending, as businesses will need to adapt to software limitations, with future solutions being customized to specific business needs in real-time.
- Rise of Implementation Opportunities: While traditional SaaS faces threats, Cuban sees a significant opportunity in providing AI implementation solutions for 33 million small-to-medium-sized businesses, urging students to focus on applying AI in companies rather than just creating new models.
- New Career Prospects: By bridging complex data with real-world problems, young professionals can modernize business economics faster than ever, with Cuban asserting this will be the primary job market for graduates.
- Shift Among Industry Giants: Cuban notes that even industry leaders like Microsoft are recognizing the importance of transitioning to unique usage, indicating a growing demand for personalized solutions in the market.
See More
China's Tech Shock Threatens U.S. AI Monopoly
- Intensifying Tech Competition: Analyst Rory Green warns that China's rapid advancements in AI are breaking the U.S. tech monopoly, with predictions that most of the world may rely on a Chinese tech stack within the next 5 to 10 years, significantly impacting the U.S. market.
- National AI Fund Launched: China launched a 60.06 billion yuan ($8.69 billion) national AI fund last year and initiated the 'AI+' program to integrate AI technology across its economy and society, further accelerating its technological development.
- Cost Advantage Emerges: By leveraging massive Huawei chip clusters and abundant low-cost energy, China is narrowing the gap with the U.S. in AI model development, making its low-cost tech offerings attractive to developing economies and potentially reshaping the global tech landscape.
- U.S. Investment Return Concerns: U.S. tech giants announced capital expenditures of up to $700 billion in AI, raising concerns about returns and leading to a $1 trillion loss in market caps, reflecting growing doubts about the U.S.'s competitive edge against China.
See More
