Microsoft Passes on $60 Billion Cursor Acquisition
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy MSFT?
Source: CNBC
- Acquisition Intentions Fall Through: Microsoft previously considered acquiring AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion but ultimately chose not to proceed, reflecting the competitive pressure it faces in the AI tools market.
- Intensifying Market Competition: While Microsoft's GitHub Copilot has gained 4.7 million paying subscribers, a 75% increase year-over-year, competitors like Cursor, Anthropic, and OpenAI continue to dominate the market, indicating a need for Microsoft to reassess its investment strategy in AI.
- Changing Financing Landscape: Cursor achieved a $50 billion valuation during its fundraising process, highlighting strong market demand for tools that facilitate rapid website and application development, while SpaceX's acquisition will intensify competition in this space.
- Poor Stock Performance: Microsoft's stock has dropped 10% this year, underperforming the broader market and its cloud peers, suggesting that its strategic approach in the AI sector requires reevaluation to address the escalating competition.
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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: 415.750
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
Current: 415.750
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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- Three-Pillar Strategy: The investment plan is structured around three key pillars: technology, trust, and talent, aiming to enhance the local AI ecosystem through collaborations with Sakura Internet and SoftBank, while establishing stronger cybersecurity partnerships with Japan's National Cybersecurity Office and National Police Agency.
- Talent Development Goals: Microsoft aims to train 1 million engineers and developers by 2030 to address the projected shortage of 3.26 million AI and robotics workers by 2040, further promoting AI adoption in Japan.
- Market Influence Enhancement: Currently, nearly one in five adults in Japan uses generative AI, and 94% of Nikkei 225 companies have adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot, demonstrating Microsoft's strong influence and growth potential in the Japanese market.
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- Declining Gross Margin: The integration of lower-margin acquisitions has led to a drop in SoundHound's gross margin from 69% in 2022 to 42% in 2025, which not only impacts profitability but may also weaken investor confidence in its future performance.
- EBITDA Improvement: Despite facing challenges, SoundHound's adjusted EBITDA improved from negative $73 million in 2022 to negative $58 million in 2025, indicating efforts to narrow losses by reducing cloud infrastructure costs and increasing the share of higher-margin revenues.
- Market Valuation Pressure: With a market cap of $3.3 billion and a sales multiple of 14 times, SoundHound's stock appears pricey, and the lack of insider buying over the past three months could exacerbate investor concerns regarding its growth potential.
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- Declining Gross Margins: The integration of lower-margin businesses and intense competition from larger firms are expected to reduce SoundHound's gross margin from 69% in 2022 to 42% in 2025, which will impact its profitability and market appeal.
- EBITDA Improvement: Despite facing challenges, SoundHound's adjusted EBITDA is expected to improve from negative $73 million in 2022 to negative $58 million in 2025, reflecting the company's efforts in cost control and optimizing its revenue mix.
- Uncertain Market Outlook: Analysts anticipate SoundHound's revenue to grow at a 16% CAGR from 2025 to 2028, but with fewer enterprise customers and acquisitions, its growth may decelerate, leading to a pessimistic outlook for future market performance.
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- Executive Exodus: Several top executives from Salesforce, Snowflake, and Palantir have recently joined OpenAI, highlighting the challenges faced by the software industry amid AI disruption, particularly driven by attractive compensation packages and existing corporate relationships.
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- Growing AI Demand: Despite the high debt and profitability challenges faced by neoclouds, industry analysts note that AI's penetration into commercial workflows is accelerating, with strong client demand for high-performance chips, indicating that market potential remains robust.
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- Spotify User Growth: Morgan Stanley analysts predict that Spotify will surpass 300 million paid users ahead of its next earnings report, driven by continuous innovation in interactive features and an upcoming investor day that will provide the company an opportunity to showcase product improvements, thereby enhancing user engagement and market competitiveness.
- S&P Global Rating Maintained: Although Morgan Stanley lowered its price target for S&P Global from $580 to $556, analysts remain bullish on its unique position in the information services sector, believing that its diversified portfolio and capital return capabilities will drive stock price increases, with shares rising over 6% in the past month.
- Warner Music Group Outlook Positive: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for Warner Music Group to $38, with analysts asserting that the company’s concentrated ownership of music intellectual property in Western markets indicates undervaluation, and they expect revenue and earnings to accelerate, leading to a stock price increase of over 22% in the past month.
- Datadog Strong Business Momentum: Morgan Stanley highlighted that Datadog is entering its earnings report with strong core business momentum, projecting a 30% growth in Q1 and upward revisions for Q2 and FY26, indicating an attractive setup for the company in the current market environment.
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