Peter Thiel Reduces Holdings in Apple and Microsoft
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy MSFT?
Source: Fool
- Apple's Strong Performance: Apple reported a 16% revenue increase to $144 billion in Q1, driven by double-digit growth in iPhone and services, with a notable 38% surge in iPhone 17 sales in Greater China, indicating robust market demand, although Thiel's reduction suggests concerns over future margins.
- Microsoft's Solid Financials: Microsoft achieved a 17% revenue growth to $81 billion in the December-ended fiscal quarter, with non-GAAP net income rising 24% to $4.14 per share, reflecting strong momentum in enterprise software and cloud services, despite increasing market worries about AI investment returns.
- Market Analysis and Target Prices: Analysts set a median target price of $303 for Apple, implying an 11% upside, while Microsoft's target is $600, indicating a 49% upside; despite Thiel's exit, investors should reassess the investment potential of both stocks.
- AI Strategic Development: Apple plans to leverage Alphabet's Gemini models for future AI features, which, although not a major selling point currently, is expected to bring significant changes in upcoming product updates, including a revamped Siri anticipated in 2026, enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
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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: 401.720
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
Current: 401.720
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 Stock Soars 680% Over Past Decade
- Impressive Stock Performance: Microsoft's stock has surged approximately 680% over the past decade, transforming a $10,000 investment into $78,010, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 260% return, highlighting its strong market appeal and investment value.
- Strong Cloud Growth: Microsoft's Azure cloud segment achieved a 39% year-over-year revenue growth in the latest quarter, with a backlog of $625 billion, indicating its leadership in the generative AI space and a high-margin business model that investors favor.
- Valuation Adjustments Impact: Microsoft recently lost its premium status, now trading at a market-matching P/E ratio, which has affected investor confidence regarding its future growth, particularly due to valuation fluctuations from its 27% stake in OpenAI.
- Optimistic Future Growth Outlook: Despite recent stock sell-offs, Wall Street analysts project a 16% revenue growth for this fiscal year and 15% for the next, suggesting that the company's robust performance in AI infrastructure will continue to support its long-term growth potential.
See More
OpenAI Secures $110B Funding Round, Impacts Microsoft and Oracle
- Massive Funding Round: OpenAI's announcement of securing $110 billion in funding at a pre-money valuation of $730 billion and a post-money valuation of $840 billion alleviates concerns about its ability to pay bills, positively impacting Microsoft and Oracle.
- Contract Funding Assurance: The new capital will support OpenAI's $250 billion compute contract with Microsoft and $300 billion contract with Oracle, ensuring its funding needs for the coming years and further solidifying its market position.
- Microsoft Valuation Boost: Analysts expect a significant increase in the value of Microsoft's stake in OpenAI, estimating that if diluted, Microsoft's ownership could be worth around $200 billion, or about 7% of its market cap, making its current valuation multiples more attractive.
- Oracle's Execution Challenge: While the funding round initially seems positive for Oracle, analysts express concerns about its ability to execute contracts effectively, especially as discussions shift to the ROI of AI and the growing commitment between OpenAI and Amazon Web Services.
See More
OPENAI: UNVEILING $110 BILLION IN NEW FUNDING WITH A $730 BILLION PRE-MONEY VALUATION
- Investment Announcement: OpenAI has announced a significant investment of $110 billion.
- Valuation Context: This investment comes at a pre-money valuation of $730 billion.
- Major Contributors: The funding includes $30 billion from SoftBank, $30 billion from NVIDIA, and $50 billion from Amazon.
- Strategic Implications: This substantial financial backing highlights the growing interest and confidence in AI technologies and OpenAI's potential.
See More
Peter Thiel Liquidates Positions in Apple and Microsoft
- Apple's Strong Earnings: Apple reported a 16% revenue increase to $144 billion in Q1, driven by double-digit growth in iPhone and services, with a notable 38% surge in iPhone 17 sales in Greater China, indicating robust market demand despite rising memory chip prices.
- Microsoft's Solid Performance: Microsoft achieved a 17% revenue growth to $81 billion in the December-ended fiscal quarter, with non-GAAP net income rising 24% to $4.14 per share, showcasing strong momentum in commercial software and cloud services, exceeding expectations according to the CFO.
- Thiel's Exit Reasons: Peter Thiel liquidated his positions in Apple and Microsoft in Q4, despite analysts deeming them undervalued, primarily due to concerns over shrinking margins for Apple products from rising memory chip costs and potential AI disruptions impacting Microsoft's software sector.
- Future Outlook: While Thiel has exited these stocks, both Apple and Microsoft maintain strong market positions and growth potential, particularly Microsoft's investments in cloud computing and AI, which could yield significant returns in the coming years.
See More
Peter Thiel Reduces Holdings in Apple and Microsoft
- Apple's Strong Performance: Apple reported a 16% revenue increase to $144 billion in Q1, driven by double-digit growth in iPhone and services, with a notable 38% surge in iPhone 17 sales in Greater China, indicating robust market demand, although Thiel's reduction suggests concerns over future margins.
- Microsoft's Solid Financials: Microsoft achieved a 17% revenue growth to $81 billion in the December-ended fiscal quarter, with non-GAAP net income rising 24% to $4.14 per share, reflecting strong momentum in enterprise software and cloud services, despite increasing market worries about AI investment returns.
- Market Analysis and Target Prices: Analysts set a median target price of $303 for Apple, implying an 11% upside, while Microsoft's target is $600, indicating a 49% upside; despite Thiel's exit, investors should reassess the investment potential of both stocks.
- AI Strategic Development: Apple plans to leverage Alphabet's Gemini models for future AI features, which, although not a major selling point currently, is expected to bring significant changes in upcoming product updates, including a revamped Siri anticipated in 2026, enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
See More
Tech Stocks on Sale: Strong Buying Opportunities Ahead
- Microsoft Price Drop: Microsoft shares are currently down nearly 30% from their all-time high, trading at a forward P/E ratio of 23, which, despite the overall market's strong performance, indicates an attractive valuation reflecting its robust market position.
- Meta Platforms Undervalued: Meta Platforms trades at a forward P/E of 21.1, below the S&P 500's valuation, which is surprising given the company's strong growth, suggesting that the market may be undervaluing its future potential.
- Amazon Investment Opportunity: Amazon's forward P/E ratio stands at 27, and while its valuation is relatively high, the current price mirrors levels seen during the 2025 tariff sell-off, presenting a buying opportunity as the stock is likely to rebound in the future.
- Market Sentiment and Buying Timing: Despite generally positive market sentiment, the pullback in large tech stocks offers a rare buying opportunity, as historical data shows that purchasing these tech giants during dips often yields substantial returns.
See More
Microsoft Stock Soars 680% Over Past Decade
- Impressive Stock Performance: Microsoft's stock has surged approximately 680% over the past decade, transforming a $10,000 investment into $78,010, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 260% return, highlighting its strong market appeal and investment value.
- Strong Cloud Growth: Microsoft's Azure cloud segment achieved a 39% year-over-year revenue growth in the latest quarter, with a backlog of $625 billion, indicating its leadership in the generative AI space and a high-margin business model that investors favor.
- Valuation Adjustments Impact: Microsoft recently lost its premium status, now trading at a market-matching P/E ratio, which has affected investor confidence regarding its future growth, particularly due to valuation fluctuations from its 27% stake in OpenAI.
- Optimistic Future Growth Outlook: Despite recent stock sell-offs, Wall Street analysts project a 16% revenue growth for this fiscal year and 15% for the next, suggesting that the company's robust performance in AI infrastructure will continue to support its long-term growth potential.
See More
OpenAI Secures $110B Funding Round, Impacts Microsoft and Oracle
- Massive Funding Round: OpenAI's announcement of securing $110 billion in funding at a pre-money valuation of $730 billion and a post-money valuation of $840 billion alleviates concerns about its ability to pay bills, positively impacting Microsoft and Oracle.
- Contract Funding Assurance: The new capital will support OpenAI's $250 billion compute contract with Microsoft and $300 billion contract with Oracle, ensuring its funding needs for the coming years and further solidifying its market position.
- Microsoft Valuation Boost: Analysts expect a significant increase in the value of Microsoft's stake in OpenAI, estimating that if diluted, Microsoft's ownership could be worth around $200 billion, or about 7% of its market cap, making its current valuation multiples more attractive.
- Oracle's Execution Challenge: While the funding round initially seems positive for Oracle, analysts express concerns about its ability to execute contracts effectively, especially as discussions shift to the ROI of AI and the growing commitment between OpenAI and Amazon Web Services.
See More
OPENAI: UNVEILING $110 BILLION IN NEW FUNDING WITH A $730 BILLION PRE-MONEY VALUATION
- Investment Announcement: OpenAI has announced a significant investment of $110 billion.
- Valuation Context: This investment comes at a pre-money valuation of $730 billion.
- Major Contributors: The funding includes $30 billion from SoftBank, $30 billion from NVIDIA, and $50 billion from Amazon.
- Strategic Implications: This substantial financial backing highlights the growing interest and confidence in AI technologies and OpenAI's potential.
See More
Peter Thiel Liquidates Positions in Apple and Microsoft
- Apple's Strong Earnings: Apple reported a 16% revenue increase to $144 billion in Q1, driven by double-digit growth in iPhone and services, with a notable 38% surge in iPhone 17 sales in Greater China, indicating robust market demand despite rising memory chip prices.
- Microsoft's Solid Performance: Microsoft achieved a 17% revenue growth to $81 billion in the December-ended fiscal quarter, with non-GAAP net income rising 24% to $4.14 per share, showcasing strong momentum in commercial software and cloud services, exceeding expectations according to the CFO.
- Thiel's Exit Reasons: Peter Thiel liquidated his positions in Apple and Microsoft in Q4, despite analysts deeming them undervalued, primarily due to concerns over shrinking margins for Apple products from rising memory chip costs and potential AI disruptions impacting Microsoft's software sector.
- Future Outlook: While Thiel has exited these stocks, both Apple and Microsoft maintain strong market positions and growth potential, particularly Microsoft's investments in cloud computing and AI, which could yield significant returns in the coming years.
See More
Peter Thiel Reduces Holdings in Apple and Microsoft
- Apple's Strong Performance: Apple reported a 16% revenue increase to $144 billion in Q1, driven by double-digit growth in iPhone and services, with a notable 38% surge in iPhone 17 sales in Greater China, indicating robust market demand, although Thiel's reduction suggests concerns over future margins.
- Microsoft's Solid Financials: Microsoft achieved a 17% revenue growth to $81 billion in the December-ended fiscal quarter, with non-GAAP net income rising 24% to $4.14 per share, reflecting strong momentum in enterprise software and cloud services, despite increasing market worries about AI investment returns.
- Market Analysis and Target Prices: Analysts set a median target price of $303 for Apple, implying an 11% upside, while Microsoft's target is $600, indicating a 49% upside; despite Thiel's exit, investors should reassess the investment potential of both stocks.
- AI Strategic Development: Apple plans to leverage Alphabet's Gemini models for future AI features, which, although not a major selling point currently, is expected to bring significant changes in upcoming product updates, including a revamped Siri anticipated in 2026, enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
See More
Tech Stocks on Sale: Strong Buying Opportunities Ahead
- Microsoft Price Drop: Microsoft shares are currently down nearly 30% from their all-time high, trading at a forward P/E ratio of 23, which, despite the overall market's strong performance, indicates an attractive valuation reflecting its robust market position.
- Meta Platforms Undervalued: Meta Platforms trades at a forward P/E of 21.1, below the S&P 500's valuation, which is surprising given the company's strong growth, suggesting that the market may be undervaluing its future potential.
- Amazon Investment Opportunity: Amazon's forward P/E ratio stands at 27, and while its valuation is relatively high, the current price mirrors levels seen during the 2025 tariff sell-off, presenting a buying opportunity as the stock is likely to rebound in the future.
- Market Sentiment and Buying Timing: Despite generally positive market sentiment, the pullback in large tech stocks offers a rare buying opportunity, as historical data shows that purchasing these tech giants during dips often yields substantial returns.
See More
