Microsoft (MSFT) / Bill Gates 02 (Apr 18 - Dec 27)

[winston]

not vested

Microsoft Wins Huge Pentagon Contract for AR Headsets

Microsoft secured a deal for augmented reality headsets that could be valued at nearly $22 billion over 10 years.

by TOM BEMIS

Microsoft (MSFT) - Get Report won a huge Pentagon contract for augmented reality headsets that could be worth nearly $22 billion over the next 10 years.

Microsoft will make 120,000 of the headsets, which are based on its HoloLens technology, CNBC and Reuters reported.

The contract comes as Microsoft's win of a $10 billion deal to provide cloud services to the military remains in dispute. The award of the so-call Jedi contract came during the Trump administration in a win over Amazon.com's (AMZN) - Get Report AWS cloud services.

The headsets will be used to provide increased situational awareness for military personnel by using holograms overlying the actual visual environment, CNBC reported.

Maps, compasses and thermal images can be displayed using the devices, as well as aiming points for weapons carried by the personnel, according to the report.

Microsoft is reportedly in talks to acquire Discord, a gamer communications platform, for $10 billion.

Source: The Street, Inc.

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/mic ... R+Headsets

[winston]

THIS TECH GIANT IS RIDING A 'WAVE' OF TRANSFORMATION

Microsoft (MSFT) is one of the world's biggest tech companies, providing the computers and software we use on a daily basis.

Its popular Microsoft Office software suite is used in more than 1 million workplaces around the globe.

As CEO Satya Nadella said in a recent press release, we're seeing a "second wave of digital transformation." And that has been a major boon for Microsoft...

In the most recent quarter, the company's profits came in at $15.5 billion – up 33% from the same period last year.

As you can see, shares of Microsoft are up roughly 400% over the past five years, including dividends. They recently hit a fresh all-time high.

As long as Microsoft keeps selling the tech we can't live without, expect MSFT to head higher...

Source: Daily Wealth

[winston]

not vested

Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Could Hit $400 This Year

by Mike Stenger

The company just reported an increase of 50% in Azure sales for Q2 2021.

The company beat Amazon to acquiring the U.S. government’s JEDI contract for cloud computing in 2019.

No. 1: Microsoft Will Rule Video Games
No. 2: Microsoft Stock Will Pop on Its HoloLens Deal with the Military

Analysts are giving Microsoft a 21% growth target of $315 from today’s $259. But I’m pulling for the Microsoft stock to hit $400 before the end of the year.

Source: Money Morning

https://dailytradealert.com/2021/04/18/ ... this-year/

[winston]

How will Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce impact their charity?

With 1,600 staff members in offices around the world, the Gates Foundation gives away roughly US$5bil (RM20.61bil) each year in areas like global public health and development.

The foundation says it has spent US$54.8bil (RM225.94bil) since its inception.

More than US$2bil (RM8.24bil) has gone towards fighting malaria alone with the aim of eradicating the mosquito-borne disease “within a generation”.

The charity has also contributed several billion dollars towards a global campaign to end polio through the widespread immunisation of children. It donated more than US$50mil (RM206.15mil) during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.

Dozens of other programs it funds include nutrition, sanitation, maternal and newborn child health and agricultural development.

In total, the foundation says it has spent some US$1.75bil (RM7.21bil) fighting Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Source: AFP

https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-ne ... ir-charity

[winston]

not vested

Stocks to buy: Microsoft (MSFT)
52-Week range: $175.68 – $263.19
Dividend yield: 0.89%
YTD price change: Up about 12%

Technology giant Microsoft announced Q3 FY21 earnings on April 27.

Revenue was $41.7 billion and increased 19% year-over-year (YoY).

Non-GAAP net income came at $14.8 billion, up 38% YoY.

Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.95, up 39% YoY.

Cash and equivalents totaled $13.7 billion, increasing 17% YoY.

The company reports revenue in three segments:
1. Productivity and Business Processes (revenue was $13.6 billion and increased 15%);
2. Intelligent Cloud (revenue was $15.1 billion and increased 23%);
3. More Personal Computing (revenue was $13 billion and increased 19%).

Management emphasized the importance of Intelligent Cloud for the company, their fastest-growing business unit. CFO Amy Hood stated, “The Microsoft Cloud, with its end-to-end solutions, continues to provide compelling value to our customers generating $17.7 billion in commercial cloud revenue, up 33% year over year.”

MSFT stock’s P/E and P/S ratios are 30.3 and 12.02, respectively.

Analysts agree Q3 was a robust quarter. Yet, since the release of earnings, investors have hit the “sell” button and the stock is down about 5%.

Interested investors could regard this drop as a good opportunity to buy Microsoft stock as the long-term structural growth is likely to continue in future quarters.

Source: investor Place

[winston]

"His Womanizing Was Well Known": Flood-'Gates' Open As Biographer Details Microsoft Founder's Salacious Past

BY TYLER DURDEN

The Microsoft co-founder was a hard-partying womanizer who recruited local strippers to attend naked pool parties, and had major issues with infidelity even after marrying Melinda, according to a biography.

They “didn’t report on the wild bachelor parties that Microsoft’s boyish chairman would throw in his Seattle home, for which Gates would visit one of Seattle’s all-nude nightclubs and hire dancers to come to his home and swim naked with his friends in his indoor pool,” Wallace wrote.

It was a continuation from his time at Harvard, where he “did like to frequent Boston’s notorious Combat Zone, with its porn shows, strip joints, and prostitutes,” Wallace wrote. -NY Post.

One of Gates' exes, Ann Winblad, continued having 'weekends away' with the Microsoft executive even after marrying Melinda in 1994.

Source: Zero Hedge

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/his ... t-founders

[winston]

not vested

Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy: Microsoft (MSFT)

52-week range: $176.60 – $263.19
YTD price change: Up about 10.4%
Dividend yield: 0.91%

Next up on this list of blue-chip stocks is Microsoft, which announced Q3 fiscal 2021 metrics in late April.

For the quarter, revenue increased 19% YOY to $41.7 billion and non-GAAP net income came at $14.8 billion, meaning an increase of 38% YOY.

Non-GAAP diluted EPS was also $1.95, or up 39% YOY.

Cash and equivalents totaled $13.7 billion. Finally, investors were also pleased to hear that management is expecting another strong quarter in Q4.

Currently, MSFT’s Intelligent Cloud segment is this company’s fastest-growing business unit; its revenue went up by 23%. On these results, CFO Amy Hood note that, “The Microsoft Cloud, with its end-to-end solutions, continues to provide compelling value to our customers generating $17.7 billion in commercial cloud revenue, up 33% year over year.”

MSFT stock hit an all-time high of $263.19 on Apr. 27. Since then, the shares have come under pressure. Right now, the stock has P/E and P/S ratios of 31.55 and 11.11, pointing to a rich valuation by historical standards.

As such, buy-and-hold investors could see a further decline toward $240 level as a better entry point here. That said, the Street loves Microsoft’s strong balance sheet and wide moat. With a market capitalization of $1.85 trillion, the shares will not likely stay depressed for long.

Source: Investor Place

[winston]

not vested

Stalling Tech Stocks: Microsoft (MSFT)

It’s the biggest loser in today’s session, falling 3.15% at the time of this writing.

The drop is large enough to push MSFT stock below the 50-day moving average and multiple horizontal support zones.

Volume swelled during the last downswing, and it’s increased Monday and today as well.

The uptick in participation qualifies as distribution and suggests institutions are ringing the register.

If it breaks the $285 support level, then a push to $275 becomes likely. I again like bear puts as a smart directional play if you’re willing to bet we see further downside in the days ahead.

Source: Investor Place

[winston]

not vested

Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Could Double Your Money in Just Over 2.5 Years

by Michael A. Robinson

HoloLens headset.

Source: Strategic Tech Investor

https://dailytradealert.com/2021/11/13/ ... 2-5-years/

[behappyalways]

Why Did Satya Nadella Suddenly Dump Half His Microsoft Holdings Last Week?
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/why-d ... -last-week