Microsoft's Stock Drop Weighs on S&P 500
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2h ago
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Microsoft's Performance Decline: Microsoft shares fell about 10% on Thursday, primarily due to high capital expenditures and underwhelming performance from its Azure cloud business, leading to concerns about future growth and dragging down the software sector, which fell approximately 7% that day.
- Apple's Earnings Reaction: Following its earnings report, Apple shares initially rose 4% but closed up only 1%, despite beating earnings and revenue estimates, indicating a cautious market sentiment towards tech stocks and investor concerns about future growth prospects.
- Strong Energy Stock Performance: ExxonMobil and Chevron both reached new highs, with respective gains of 20% and 10% over the past three months, driven by Brent crude futures rising above $70, fueled by market expectations of a potential U.S. military action against Iran.
- New CEOs in Retail Giants: Walmart and Target are set to welcome new CEOs, with Walmart shares up 5.4% in 2026 while Target is down 27% from its January 2025 peak, highlighting the mixed challenges and opportunities facing the retail sector.
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Analyst Views on META
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 824.71 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
44 Analyst Rating
37 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 668.730
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 668.730
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
About META
Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.
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.
Meta's Earnings Beat Expectations, Analysts Raise Price Targets
- Strong Earnings: Meta reported fourth-quarter earnings of $8.88 per share and revenue of $59.89 billion, both exceeding market expectations, indicating that AI-driven advertising monetization is alleviating concerns over rising operating and capital expenditures.
- Robust Guidance: The company expects first-quarter sales to range between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, significantly above the consensus estimate of $51.41 billion, suggesting strong growth momentum in its advertising business that reinforces its market position.
- AI Investment Returns: Despite a $6.02 billion operating loss from Reality Labs, analysts remain optimistic about Meta's AI investments, believing that the growth in its advertising business will offset these losses, with benefits from AI expected to materialize by 2026.
- Analyst Optimism: Several Wall Street analysts raised their price targets for Meta, with Barclays increasing its target to $800, implying a 20% upside, reflecting confidence in Meta's long-term growth potential.
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Dolby Laboratories Exceeds Q1 Earnings Expectations
- Earnings Beat: Dolby Laboratories reported Q1 revenue of $347 million and non-GAAP EPS of $1.06, both exceeding the high end of prior guidance, primarily due to earlier deal timing and a $7 million shipment true-up, reflecting strong market performance.
- Cash Flow and Buybacks: The company generated approximately $55 million in operating cash flow, repurchased $70 million in stock, and declared a $0.36 dividend, up 9% year-over-year, indicating a proactive approach to capital management and shareholder returns.
- Growth Potential: Dolby raised its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to $1.4 to $1.45 billion and non-GAAP EPS to $4.30 to $4.45, implying a 50 to 100 basis point improvement in operating margins, showcasing strong growth potential in automotive and television markets.
- Tech Partnerships and Innovation: Dolby's partnership with Qualcomm integrates its Atmos and Vision technologies into Qualcomm's automotive platform, expanding collaborations with over 35 OEMs, which is expected to enhance its market share in automotive entertainment and streaming.
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