Major Averages Close Lower as Oil Surges Above $90
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 24 2026
0mins
Should l Buy MSFT?
The major averages closed lower following yesterday's gains. The bounce yesterday was driven by headlines suggesting a de-escalation with Iran, but that narrative is already fraying. Oil has turned higher again, climbing back above $90 for the WTI benchmark as optimism fades and the reality of disrupted supply through the Strait of Hormuz reasserts itself.Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon intends to deploy 3,000 Airborne U.S. soldiers to the Middle East. A written order to deploy the unit is expected later Wednesday, officials told The Journal.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Estee Lauderconfirmed it is inwith Puig BrandsSmithfield Foodsreportedand provided FY26 revenue guidanceNetgearsurged following reports that the FCC hasSumitomo Mitsuiis considering a potential takeover of Jefferies,Ares Managementsaid it isin the Ares Strategic Income fund2. WALL STREET CALLS:UBSJFrogto Buy after 30% AI-driven selloffCoreWeaveat Buy at BofACitiRalph Laurento Buy on post-selloff opportunityJPMorganXencoron a lack of "needle-moving" catalystsUltragenyxto Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs3. AROUND THE WEB:OpenAI is set to raise about $10B from venture investors, Bloomberg reportsCulper Research is short Adma Biologics, saying the company's reported growth is "a fiction"Microsoftto rent data center project in Texas dropped by Oracle, Bloomberg saysSouth Korean AI startup Upstage is in talks to acquire 10K AMDMI355 chips, in a bid to "diversify to other chips" as "we have a lot of Nvidiachips," Bloomberg reportsPalantirhas been awarded a three-month contract by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority to analyze sensitive internal data in an effort to combat financial crime, sparking concerns about the U.S. firm's expanding role in the British state, The Guardian says4. MOVERS:Applied Optoelectronicsincreased after receiving afrom a hyperscale customerSM Energygained after Truistcoverage of the stock with a Buy ratingHesaislipped afterand providing guidance for Q1Ocugenfell afterfrom its ArMaDa trial of OCU410Trade Deskwas lower afterthat Omnicomis auditing Trade Desk's fees5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:Core & Mainand provided guidance for Q1 and FY26, with CEO Mark Witkowski commenting, "Fiscal 2025 marked our 16th consecutive year of sales growth"Concentrix, with EPS missing consensusAchieve Life Sciences, with EPS in-line with consensusCore LaboratoriesprovidedNeurogene, with EPS higher year-over-yearINDEXES:The Dow fell 84.41, or 0.18%, to 46,124.06, the Nasdaq lost 184.86, or 0.84%, to 21,761.90, and the S&P 500 declined 24.63, or 0.37%, to 6,556.37.
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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: 411.220
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
Current: 411.220
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
About MSFT
Microsoft Corporation is a technology company. The Company develops and supports software, services, devices, and solutions. The Company’s segments include Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. The Productivity and Business Processes segment consists of products and services in its portfolio of productivity, communication, and information services. This segment primarily comprises: Office Commercial, Office Consumer, LinkedIn, and Dynamics business solutions. The Intelligent Cloud segment consists of server products and cloud services, including Azure and other cloud services, SQL Server, Windows Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs), and Nuance and GitHub; and Enterprise Services, including enterprise support services, industry solutions and Nuance professional services. The More Personal Computing segment primarily comprises Windows, Devices, Gaming, and search and news advertising.
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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- Cloud Computing Growth Driver: Azure's revenue surged by 39%, making it the largest growth driver for the company; however, Microsoft's lag in custom chip development compared to rivals may hinder its competitive edge in the cloud market.
- AI Investment Commitments: Following a restructuring of its investment with OpenAI, Microsoft added $250 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPOs), bringing the total to $625 billion, indicating significant long-term growth potential in the AI sector.
- Competitive Market Pressures: While Microsoft's 365 solutions remain integral to enterprise software, it faces competitive pressures from products like Google Workspace, which could impact its market share and customer loyalty.
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- Improved Investor Sentiment: Influenced by economic data and corporate earnings, investor confidence has rebounded, driving the stock market higher and indicating expectations for future economic growth.
- Increased Trading Activity: As indices rise, market trading activity has noticeably increased, suggesting a positive response from investors to the current market environment, potentially signaling broader investment trends.
- Economic Data Impact: While specific data was not provided, heightened attention to upcoming economic indicators and corporate earnings reports may further influence index movements.
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- Nvidia Model Launch: On 'World Quantum Day', Nvidia unveiled the Ising open-source model aimed at accelerating quantum computing adoption, with CEO Jensen Huang stating that AI will serve as the operating system for quantum machines, enhancing their feasibility and reliability.
- Accelerated Tech Investment: The U.S. government and tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are heavily investing in quantum computing, which is expected to drive rapid advancements in the coming years, despite the current market size being around $31 billion.
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- Nvidia's Model Launch: On 'World Quantum Day', Nvidia unveiled the Ising open-source AI model aimed at accelerating quantum computing adoption, with CEO Jensen Huang stating that AI is crucial for making quantum computing practical, potentially transforming the operation of quantum machines.
- Investment Surge: The U.S. government and tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are heavily investing in quantum computing, and although the market remains small at around $31 billion, its transformative potential in areas like drug discovery has garnered significant attention.
- Technical Milestone: IonQ announced it successfully linked two remote quantum computers, marking an important technical milestone, and secured a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, further solidifying its position in the quantum computing sector.
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- Strong Financial Performance: In Q2 of fiscal 2026, Microsoft reported revenues of $81.3 billion, a 17% year-over-year increase, with adjusted EPS rising 24% to $4.14, yet the stock has fallen over 20% year-to-date, reflecting market concerns about future growth.
- Cloud Computing Growth Driver: Azure's revenue surged by 39%, making it the largest growth driver for the company; however, Microsoft's lag in custom chip development compared to rivals may hinder its competitive edge in the cloud market.
- AI Investment Commitments: Following a restructuring of its investment with OpenAI, Microsoft added $250 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPOs), bringing the total to $625 billion, indicating significant long-term growth potential in the AI sector.
- Competitive Market Pressures: While Microsoft's 365 solutions remain integral to enterprise software, it faces competitive pressures from products like Google Workspace, which could impact its market share and customer loyalty.
See More
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- Partnership Expansion: Stellantis is expanding its long-term cooperation with Microsoft to implement over 100 artificial intelligence initiatives aimed at enhancing consumer experience, operational efficiency, and engineering capabilities, reflecting the company's commitment to digital transformation.
- Technology Integration: The collaboration will integrate Microsoft's AI, cybersecurity, and Azure cloud services to help Stellantis establish a global cyber defense center, thereby strengthening its competitive edge in the smart automotive sector.
- Muted Market Reaction: Despite the announcement, market reaction has been muted with Stellantis shares remaining relatively unchanged, indicating investor caution regarding the plan's potential to improve financial performance, especially given the company's struggles in 2025.
- Strategic Shift: Following a $22 billion cut to its electric vehicle plans, Stellantis is adjusting its strategy by aiming to reduce data center operations by 60% by 2029 and equipping employees with AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance overall operational efficiency.
See More
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- Market Recovery: In late morning trading on Thursday, all three major US stock indices showed gains, reflecting investor optimism about market prospects, although specific gains were not disclosed.
- Improved Investor Sentiment: Influenced by economic data and corporate earnings, investor confidence has rebounded, driving the stock market higher and indicating expectations for future economic growth.
- Increased Trading Activity: As indices rise, market trading activity has noticeably increased, suggesting a positive response from investors to the current market environment, potentially signaling broader investment trends.
- Economic Data Impact: While specific data was not provided, heightened attention to upcoming economic indicators and corporate earnings reports may further influence index movements.
See More
Quantum Computing Stocks Surge Amid Nvidia's AI Models Launch
- Stock Surge: Since the beginning of the week, shares of IonQ and D-Wave Quantum have skyrocketed by 50%, while Rigetti Computing and Quantum Computing have each surged over 20%, reflecting strong market enthusiasm and investment in quantum computing.
- Nvidia Model Launch: On 'World Quantum Day', Nvidia unveiled the Ising open-source model aimed at accelerating quantum computing adoption, with CEO Jensen Huang stating that AI will serve as the operating system for quantum machines, enhancing their feasibility and reliability.
- Accelerated Tech Investment: The U.S. government and tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are heavily investing in quantum computing, which is expected to drive rapid advancements in the coming years, despite the current market size being around $31 billion.
- IonQ Milestone: IonQ announced the successful linking of two remote quantum computers, calling it a 'foundational technical milestone', and secured a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, further solidifying its leadership position in the quantum computing space.
See More
Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 4.7 AI Model with Enhanced Capabilities
- Model Launch: Anthropic announced the release of Claude Opus 4.7 in New Delhi, claiming improvements in software engineering and instruction execution, although its cybersecurity capabilities are less advanced than Claude Mythos Preview, showcasing the company's ongoing innovation in AI.
- Enhanced Security: The new model includes safeguards that automatically detect and block high-risk cybersecurity requests, aiming to learn from real-world deployment to facilitate a broader release of Mythos-class models in the future, reflecting Anthropic's commitment to safe AI.
- Market Positioning: While Claude Opus 4.7 outperforms its predecessor Claude Opus 4.6 in various industry benchmarks, Anthropic remains focused on safe and responsible AI deployment, striving to establish a unique brand identity in a competitive market.
- Collaboration Opportunities: Anthropic encourages security professionals to apply through a formal verification program to use Claude Opus 4.7, indicating the company's desire to collaborate with the industry to promote legitimate cybersecurity applications and further solidify its leadership in the AI space.
See More
Quantum Computing Stocks Surge Following Nvidia's AI Announcement
- Stock Surge: This week, shares of IonQ and D-Wave Quantum skyrocketed by 50%, while Quantum Computing and Rigetti Computing saw gains of over 20%, reflecting strong market confidence in the future of quantum computing.
- Nvidia's Model Launch: On 'World Quantum Day', Nvidia unveiled the Ising open-source AI model aimed at accelerating quantum computing adoption, with CEO Jensen Huang stating that AI is crucial for making quantum computing practical, potentially transforming the operation of quantum machines.
- Investment Surge: The U.S. government and tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are heavily investing in quantum computing, and although the market remains small at around $31 billion, its transformative potential in areas like drug discovery has garnered significant attention.
- Technical Milestone: IonQ announced it successfully linked two remote quantum computers, marking an important technical milestone, and secured a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, further solidifying its position in the quantum computing sector.
See More
