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What happened Shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) were rallying above the market today, reaching gains as high as 2.5% before reverting to a 2.2% gain as of 1:28 p.m. EST.

Investors poured billions of dollars into dividend paying stocks and ETFs last year as these companies usually weather market downturns better than others. They may grow their payouts and realize capital appreciation and can therefore provide some inflation protection ove

What happened Shares of customer relationship management software giant Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) slumped in early trading Wednesday, losing 1.8% of its share price through 10 a.m. ET.

After the worst year, the technology sector showed a strong comeback at the start of 2023. Hopes that the Fed will soon wrap up its inflation-fighting campaign have bolstered the risk appetite. Optimism over cooling inflation has compelled investors to buy beaten-up techn

In early trading on Wednesday, shares of Dow topped the list of the day's best performing Dow Jones Industrial Average components, trading up 2.2%. Year to date, Dow registers a 14.5% gain.

Well, that didn't take long. Just weeks after OpenAI launched ChatGPT, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is now reportedly working on a way to incorporate it into its Bing search engine.

Shares of TD SYNNEX Corp. SNX surged 4.7% after reporting fourth quarter fiscal 2022 adjusted earnings per share of $3.44, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.92.Shares of Albertsons Companies Inc. ACI gained 1.8% after posting third quarter fiscal 2022 adjusted

Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.

Cloud computing has become one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative industries over the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the market's growth as more companies looked to move their businesses to the cloud, adopting digital services that made work

The Schwab U.S. LargeCap Growth ETF (SCHG) was launched on 12/11/2009, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Technology - Software segment of the equity market, the iShares Expanded TechSoftware Sector ETF (IGV) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 07/10/2001.

Investing in the stock market isn't easy, especially during periods of volatility. The last year has been rough for many investors, and right now can be a daunting time to buy.However, now could actually be the buying opportunity of the decade. Some stocks are seeing their lowest

Global stock markets have been on a rollercoaster ride since the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world. After closing at a record high on February 19, 2020, the U.S. stock market crashed due to the instability caused by an unprecedented pandemic. But, the stock market staged an unexpected comeback very soon and a bull market started on hopes of recovery and government stimulus. Tech stocks enjoyed a strong rally in 2020 as certain businesses, like e-commerce and cloud computing, gained immensely from pandemic-led tailwinds. In contrast, tech stocks were battered in 2022 amid high interest rates and fears of a looming recession.   Let’s take a look at the stocks of six tech giants and see where they stand compared to their pre-COVID highs (we’ll consider stock prices until February 19, 2020, for pre-COVID highs).   Amazon (AMZN) Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) stock has plunged from its pre-COVID high of $109.30. The stock closed at $89.87 on January 10, 2023, reflecting nearly 46% decline over the past year. It fell out of the trillion-dollar market cap club in November. Amazon shares skyrocketed in 2020 as consumers extensively depended on e-commerce retailers for various goods. However, as the economy reopened gradually, consumers started returning to physical stores, which led to a slowdown in Amazon’s revenue growth. Amazon stock rose just above 2% in 2021, lagging its FAANG peers. While the company’s Amazon Web Services cloud computing division has been resilient and helped in offsetting the weakness in retail business this year, investors are concerned about the deceleration in AWS and the overall revenue growth.     Is Amazon a Buy, Hold, or Sell? Wall Street remains bullish about Amazon’s long-term growth prospects based on its dominance in the e-commerce and cloud computing markets. The Street’s Strong Buy consensus rating is based on 36 Buys and three Holds. The average AMZN stock price target of $137.50 implies 53% upside potential.     Apple (AAPL) Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) stock, which closed at $130.73 on January 10, 2023, has appreciated compared to its pre-COVID high of $81.96. Shares rose about 35% in 2021, following an 82% rally in 2020. Work, play, and learn-from-home trends drove solid demand for Apple’s Mac and iPads during the pandemic. However, iPhone sales declined in Fiscal 2020 (ended September 26, 2020) in anticipation of newer models. Despite supply chain issues, Apple’s iPhone sales bounced back strongly in Fiscal 2021. The company’s sales grew over 33% in Fiscal 2021, with strength across all product categories and Apple’s Services business. With fading pandemic tailwinds, persistent supply chain bottlenecks, and the impact of macro pressures on consumer spending, Apple’s sales growth slowed down to 7.8% in Fiscal 2022 (ended September 24, 2022).     What is the Target Price for Apple Stock? While Apple stock has fallen nearly 25% over the past year, Wall Street continues to be bullish about one of the world’s most innovative companies. The Strong Buy consensus rating for Apple is backed by 22 Buys and five Holds. At $174.71, the average AAPL stock price target implies 33.6% upside potential.     Meta Platforms (META) Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META , formerly Facebook) stock has fallen significantly from its pre-COVID high of $224.20 to $132.99 on January 10, 2023. The leading social media platform benefited from high ad spending during the pandemic as businesses rushed to reach a growing online customer base. However, a slowdown in ad spending following the economic reopening, growing competition from TikTok, and the shift to lower monetization products like Reels have weighed on Meta’s revenue in 2022. Furthermore, Apple’s iOS privacy changes have impacted Meta’s ability to target ads and have cost it billions of dollars. Investors are also concerned about the huge investments made by the company in its Metaverse projects.         Is Meta a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Wall Street is cautiously optimistic about Meta Platforms, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 29 Buys, eight Holds, and three Sells. At $148.08, the average Meta stock price target suggests upside potential of 11.4%. META stock has fallen more than 60% in the past 52 weeks. Microsoft (MSFT) Trading at $228.85 as of writing, Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) stock has advanced when compared to its pre-COVID high of $190.70. Nonetheless, the stock has declined over 27% in the past year. Microsoft has a diversified business model and is well known for its widely used Office 365 software, Windows operating system, hardware offerings, and Azure cloud computing platform. The company gained from rapid digitization and accelerated shift to the cloud triggered by work-from-home mandates during the pandemic. With the waning of COVID-led favorable trends, MSFT’s revenue growth has slowed down due to a deceleration in Azure growth and lower Windows revenue owing to weakness in the personal computers (PC) market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy? Despite near-term headwinds, Wall Street is positive about Microsoft’s multiple revenue streams and solid fundamentals. The Strong Buy consensus rating for Microsoft stock is backed by 26 Buys and three Holds. The average MSFT stock price target of $286.13 implies 25% upside potential. Alphabet (GOOGL) (GOOG) Shares of Google parent Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) ( GOOG ) are trading above their pre-COVID high of $76.54 (for GOOGL). Alphabet’s overall revenue grew 41% in 2021 compared to 13% rise in 2020, driven by strength in ad spending during the pandemic. However, high inflation and macro pressures led to a pullback in ad spending this year and impacted revenue from YouTube and Google’s search ads.         Is Alphabet Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Wall Street is highly bullish about Alphabet based on 32 unanimous Buys. Analysts are confident that the company’s dominant position in the digital ads space will support long-term growth. Additionally, the rapid growth in Google Cloud revenue is worth paying attention though the business is not profitable yet. At $125.94, the average GOOGL stock price target implies 42.4% upside potential. GOOGL stock has tumbled 37% over the past year. Tesla (TSLA) We finally discuss electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA ), which is often considered a tech stock by several investors and Tesla bulls. Supply chain and production disruptions triggered by the COVID-19 resurgence in China and macro pressures have dragged down Tesla stock this year. Also, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition and the subsequent distraction have shaken investor confidence. Tesla was one of the worst-performing stocks of 2022. It has plunged over 66% in the past 52 weeks to $118.85, as of January 10, 2023. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the EV leader’s stock is still trading at a better level than the pre-COVID high of $64.60. What is the Average Price Target for Tesla? Despite ongoing economic pressures, several analysts are still optimistic about Tesla’s strong prospects in the lucrative EV market. The consensus Moderate Buy rating for TSLA stock is based on 20 Buys, nine Holds, and two Sells. The average TSLA stock price prediction of $251.48 indicates nearly 111.6% upside potential. Conclusion Among the six stocks discussed above, Amazon and Meta Platforms are trading below their pre-COVID highs. Wall Street analysts are looking beyond the near-term macro pressures and are highly optimistic about Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet. Meanwhile, they are cautiously optimistic about Tesla and Meta Platforms. Disclosure

Microsoft stock (NASDAQ: MSFT) has lost 6.7% in the last week, underperforming the S&P 500 (up 1.2%). In addition, the same trend was observed over the last ten days (-8% vs 0.5%) and one month (-8.2% vs -1.5%). 

Microsoft (US:MSFT) is exploring a significant investment in OpenAI, the wildly popular ChatGPT app creator. The $10 billion deal, which includes contributions from other venture firms, would put OpenAI's valuation at a whopping $29 billion, the website Semafor reported on Tuesda

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in talks to invest $10 billion in OpenAI, the owner of ChatGTP. Here is a breakdown of the news, what it means for Microsoft stock, and how it could affect competitors like Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN).

U.S. stocks ended solidly higher on Tuesday, led by a 1% gain in the Nasdaq, on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy.

U.S. stocks edged higher in afternoon trading Tuesday, led by big growth shares, on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy.

NEW YORK (Reuters Breakingviews) - Microsoft is mulling a heads-I-win, tails-I-also win, AI deal. A mooted $10 billion investment, reported by Semafor, in the maker of the popular ChatGPT, could reshape Microsoft’s software business. Even