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Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Microsoft logo
$535.07 0.00 (0.00%)
Closing price 10/9/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$536.50 +1.43 (+0.27%)
As of 05:32 AM Eastern
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Microsoft - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
2
Hold
4
Buy
42

Based on 48 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Microsoft in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 48 analysts, 2 have given a sell rating, 4 have given a hold rating, and 42 have given a buy rating for MSFT.

Consensus Price Target

$578.73
8.16% Upside
According to the 48 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Microsoft, the average price target is $578.73. The highest price target for MSFT is $870.00, while the lowest price target for MSFT is $440.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 8.16% from the current price of $535.07.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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MSFT Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/12/25 to 10/12/26
1 Month Ago
9/12/25 to 9/12/26
3 Months Ago
7/14/25 to 7/14/26
1 Year Ago
10/12/24 to 10/12/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
42 Buy rating(s)
42 Buy rating(s)
41 Buy rating(s)
31 Buy rating(s)
Hold
4 Hold rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
Sell
2 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$578.73$564.27$559.84$618.47
Forecasted Upside8.16% Upside13.85% Upside45.44% Upside21.04% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

MSFT Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

MSFT Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Microsoft Stock vs. The Competition

TypeMicrosoftTechnology CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.83
2.23
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside8.16% Upside728.40% Upside19.60% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent MSFT News
Positive News
Positive News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/8/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
3 of 5 stars
 UpgradeHold (C+) ➝ Buy (B-)
10/5/2026
Scotiabank logo
Scotiabank
4 of 5 stars
Patrick Colville
Patrick Colville
2 of 5 stars
Boost TargetOutperform$510.00 ➝ $615.00+16.81%
10/5/2026
BNP Paribas Exane logo
BNP Paribas Exane
5 of 5 stars
DowngradeStrong-Buy ➝ Hold
10/5/2026UpgradeUnderperform ➝ Outperform
10/5/2026 Initiated CoverageOutperform
10/5/2026 Initiated CoverageBuy
10/5/2026UpgradeMarket Outperform ➝ Buy
10/5/2026DowngradeOverweight ➝ Negative
10/5/2026Initiated CoverageOutperform
10/5/2026DowngradeBuy ➝ Market Perform
10/5/2026Set TargetHold ➝ Buy$665.00+28.49%
10/1/2026Boost TargetOverweight$700.00 ➝ $725.00+41.35%
9/30/2026Boost TargetOverweight$550.00 ➝ $610.00+19.85%
9/28/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy
9/23/2026DowngradeOutperform ➝ Hold
9/23/2026 Initiated CoverageBuy
9/23/2026 DowngradeModerate Buy ➝ Strong Sell
9/22/2026UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$530.00 ➝ $575.00+15.46%
9/22/2026Boost TargetOutperform$515.00 ➝ $570.00+13.63%
9/21/2026 Set Target$440.00-10.89%
9/21/2026Boost TargetOverweight$522.00 ➝ $608.00+23.13%
9/15/2026Reiterated RatingMarket Outperform$550.00+8.82%
9/10/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform
9/3/2026 Reiterated RatingOverweight
9/1/2026Boost TargetBuy$500.00 ➝ $600.00+18.28%
8/10/2026Set Target$660.00+29.22%
8/5/2026Boost TargetBuy$680.00 ➝ $690.00+41.02%
8/3/2026 DowngradeStrong-Buy ➝ Moderate Buy
7/30/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy$640.00+63.88%
7/30/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform
7/30/2026Lower TargetOverweight$545.00 ➝ $512.00+31.10%
7/30/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$550.00+23.69%
7/30/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$540.00+21.44%
7/27/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$586.00+53.52%
7/24/2026Reiterated RatingBuy
7/22/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$575.00+47.84%
7/20/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy
7/15/2026Lower TargetOutperform$515.00 ➝ $490.00+27.30%
7/10/2026Lower TargetBuy$620.00 ➝ $510.00+32.23%
5/13/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform$575.00+42.90%
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5/7/2026 Lower Target$678.00 ➝ $573.00+36.13%
5/5/2026 Boost TargetBuy$730.00 ➝ $870.00+110.34%
5/4/2026 Lower TargetBuy$630.00 ➝ $550.00+32.72%
4/30/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy
4/30/2026 Lower TargetBuy$675.00 ➝ $600.00+47.14%
4/30/2026 Lower Target$593.00 ➝ $571.00+40.03%
4/30/2026 Boost TargetBuy$500.00 ➝ $520.00+22.51%
4/15/2026Lower TargetOutperform$540.00 ➝ $500.00+27.21%
2/4/2026 Lower TargetBuy$630.00 ➝ $600.00+45.91%
7/31/2025Reiterated RatingHold
7/24/2025Boost TargetBuy$550.00 ➝ $600.00+17.05%
5/1/2025Boost TargetBuy$475.00 ➝ $490.00+13.29%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Monday at 05:27 AM ET.


Should I Buy Microsoft Stock? MSFT Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Microsoft pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Microsoft
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Microsoft:

  • Microsoft recently received a significant upgrade from Melius Research, which moved its rating from Hold to Buy and set a price target of $665.00, implying a potential upside of over 26% from the current stock price of $529.30. The firm argues that Microsoft is the "adults in charge" of AI, suggesting that rising concerns over AI safety and governance will drive increased demand for its Azure cloud services and enterprise security products.
  • The company demonstrated strong financial performance in its most recent quarterly report, beating analyst estimates with an EPS of $4.74 compared to a consensus of $4.24. Revenue reached $90.01 billion, exceeding expectations of $87.62 billion, with year-over-year revenue growth of 17.7%. This consistent beat-and-rise pattern, combined with a net margin of 40.31%, indicates robust operational efficiency and strong cash generation capabilities.
  • Microsoft's Copilot ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with reports indicating 30 million paid seats. The platform is integrating new capabilities, such as a Wood Mackenzie connector for energy intelligence, which supports broader enterprise adoption. This growth in AI-driven productivity tools positions Microsoft to capture significant value from the ongoing digital transformation of businesses, creating a new revenue stream beyond traditional software licensing.
  • Investor sentiment remains positive, with the stock trading at $529.30, well above its 52-week low of $349.20 and approaching its 52-week high of $553.72. The consensus rating from analysts is "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $578.73, suggesting that the market still perceives substantial value in the company's growth trajectory and market leadership in the software and cloud sectors.
  • Microsoft benefits from a strong balance sheet and low leverage, with a debt-to-equity ratio of only 0.07. This financial stability allows the company to invest heavily in AI infrastructure and research without taking on excessive risk. The low debt level provides a safety cushion for investors, especially in a volatile market environment where companies with high debt loads may face pressure.

Microsoft
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Microsoft for these reasons:

  • There is significant insider selling activity, with insiders selling 143,009 shares valued at approximately $71.4 million over the last three months. Notably, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares in September 2026, and CFO Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares in the same month. While insider sales can be part of routine financial planning, the volume and timing may signal a lack of confidence in near-term stock appreciation or a desire to lock in gains.
  • Microsoft faces intense competition in the AI sector, as evidenced by Amazon hiring longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei to help build its own coding and workplace AI products. This loss of key talent to a major rival highlights the competitive pressure Microsoft faces in retaining top AI minds and maintaining its technological edge in a rapidly evolving market.
  • Investors are concerned about Microsoft's large AI infrastructure requirements and the associated capital expenditures. There are questions about the company's ability to convert its sizable backlog of AI-related projects into revenue and cash flow efficiently. If AI spending outpaces monetization, it could pressure margins and limit near-term upside, especially as data-center environmental concerns and costs continue to rise.
  • The stock's valuation, with a P/E ratio of 29.47, may be considered high relative to its growth rate, particularly if the market becomes more cautious about AI-driven growth. The price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 suggests that investors are paying a premium for Microsoft's growth, which could be vulnerable to any slowdown in revenue growth or increased competition from other tech giants.
  • Microsoft is reportedly steering employees away from Anthropic's Claude toward its own AI tools, which may reduce internal spending on external AI models. While this could lower costs, it also highlights the uncertainty and competition in the AI model market. The shift may indicate that Microsoft is still refining its AI strategy and may face challenges in ensuring that its in-house models are competitive and meet the needs of enterprise customers.

MSFT Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 48 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Microsoft is $578.73, with a high forecast of $870.00 and a low forecast of $440.00.

48 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Microsoft in the last year. There are currently 2 sell ratings, 4 hold ratings and 42 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" MSFT shares.

According to analysts, Microsoft's stock has a predicted upside of 8.16% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Microsoft's stock had 7 upgrades and 6 downgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Microsoft more than other "technology" companies. The consensus rating for Microsoft is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "technology" companies is Hold. Learn more on how MSFT compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Microsoft analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 10/8/2026.
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