Microsoft a Screaming Buy Under $500 Per Share?

Microsoft’s stock has had a rocky 2026, sliding after fiscal 2026 second-quarter results (ended Dec. 31) but rebounding on strong fiscal Q4 results on July 29. Even with that rally, the shares are essentially flat for the year, while the S&P 500 is up more than 12%. The question for investors is whether Microsoft is attractive below a “$500 per share” threshold. The analysis points to 30 million paid seats for Copilot and 43% last-quarter Azure growth as AI and cloud tailwinds, but notes Microsoft’s forward P/E is still a premium versus peers like Nvidia, Alphabet, and Amazon.