Microsoft has become the next $4 trillion company
Microsoft's shares (MSFT) jumped nearly 4.5% after the market opened on Thursday, pushing its intraday valuation to $4.01 trillion. The company's shares have risen roughly 28% since the start of this year.
The milestone comes just a year and a half after Microsoft reached a $3 trillion valuation. The company first cracked the $1 trillion mark in April 2019. It follows Nvidia into the $4 trillion valuation club, which hit the mark earlier this month.
Microsoft forecast a record $30 billion in capital spending for the current fiscal first quarter to fuel its AI ambitions, and reported booming sales in its Azure cloud computing business on Wednesday. Wall Street analysts also noted that Microsoft's Copilot AI chatbot appears to have driven meaningful growth in its Microsoft 365 enterprise software business.
Microsoft's move to $3 trillion was more measured than other tech giants, Nvidia (NVDA) and Apple (AAPL), with AI bellwether Nvidia tripling its value in just about a year and clinching the $4 trillion milestone before any other company on July 9. Apple was last valued at $3.12 trillion.
Lately, breakthroughs in trade talks between the US and its trading partners ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline have buoyed stocks, propelling the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to record highs.
Microsoft, the second largest US company, has rebounded nearly 50% from its April 2025 lows, when global markets were rattled by Trump's tariff offensive.
Microsoft's multibillion-dollar bet on OpenAI is proving to be a game-changer, powering its Office Suite and Azure offerings with cutting-edge AI and fueling the stock to more than double its value since ChatGPT's late-2022 debut.
Armed with exclusive access to OpenAI's models, Microsoft has raced to the front of the generative AI pack — supercharging its Azure cloud business, now the company's top revenue driver, and solidifying its dominance in the tech landscape, compared to Google's cloud and Amazon's web services.
Wall Street's surging confidence in the company comes on the heels of back-to-back record revenues for the tech giant since September 2022.
The stock's rally had also received an extra boost as the tech giant trimmed its workforce and doubled down on AI investments — determined to cement its lead as businesses everywhere race to harness the technology.
While sweeping US tariffs had investors bracing for tighter business spending, Microsoft's strong earnings have shown that the company's books are yet to take a hit from the levies.
But despite its meteoric rise, Microsoft has been streamlining its workforce in recent months. The company said earlier this month that it would cut around 9,000 employees, approximately 4% of its staff, its largest reduction since 2023. Those layoffs came after the company cut 6,000 workers in May.
A company spokesperson said the July cuts were, in part, a reflection of new technologies that have made employees more productive. While AI wasn't mentioned specifically, the cuts came as Silicon Valley giants deploy the technology they're building to make their workers more efficient. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said earlier this year that 20% to 30% of the company's code was being generated by AI, and it's is pouring billions into AI infrastructure investments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gold Pares Gains After Kremlin Confirms Meeting With Trump
(Bloomberg) -- Gold pared gains as markets weighed prospects for a truce in Ukraine after the Kremlin confirmed Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump would hold talks in the next few days. All Hail the Humble Speed Hump Mayor Asked to Explain $1.4 Billion of Wasted Johannesburg Funds Three Deaths Reported as NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Spreads Major Istanbul Projects Are Stalling as City Leaders Sit in Jail PATH Train Service Resumes After Fire at Jersey City Station Bullion traded near $3,373 an ounce after earlier rising as much as 0.8%. Russia's announcement came a day after Putin met with Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, for almost three hours as the US pushed for an end to the Ukraine war. Bloomberg earlier reported that the Kremlin is considering options including an air truce, falling short of committing to a total ceasefire. Any easing of geopolitical tensions can curb demand for haven assets, pulling gold prices down. Traders are also watching US relations with global trading partners — marked this week by tariff hikes on Indian goods — and the likely nomination of a temporary Federal Reserve governor who may be more aligned with Trump's monetary agenda. Lower rates typically boost gold, which doesn't pay interest. Bullion has climbed almost 30% this year, though the bulk of those gains occurred in the first four months as geopolitical and trade tensions rattled the market. Spot gold rose 0.1% to $3,372.70 an ounce as of 12:05 p.m. in London. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index slipped 0.1%. Silver and palladium gained, while platinum fell. The Pizza Oven Startup With a Plan to Own Every Piece of the Pie Russia's Secret War and the Plot to Kill a German CEO AI Flight Pricing Can Push Travelers to the Limit of Their Ability to Pay A High-Rise Push Is Helping Mumbai Squeeze in Pools, Gyms and Greenery Government Steps Up Campaign Against Business School Diversity ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's tariff war: Canada's sovereignty is the real issue, trade expert warns
U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada is ultimately about America's neighbour to the north giving up some of its sovereignty to the United States, according to a trade expert from accounting and consulting giant Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC). The United States has imposed levies on Canadian steel, aluminum, copper, and certain automotive products. Last week, Trump hit Canada with a 35 per cent tariff on all goods not covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which he signed during his first presidency in 2018. That's up from 25 per cent last month. Canada's central bank estimates 95 per cent of non-energy exports are compliant with CUSMA, which is due for renegotiation next year. On Sunday, Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump are set to speak in the coming days. Michael Dobner, PwC's Canadian national leader of economics and policy practice, warns Trump's now well-worn claim that Canada should become 'the 51st state' is far more than negotiation table bluster. 'There is no real trade issue,' he told Yahoo Finance Canada on Tuesday. 'It's clear [Trump] is not willing to do a deal with Canada, and I think the reason for that is his aspirations regarding Canada are not the same as the EU and Japan.' We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where they'll just pay tariffs. It's not really a negotiation.U.S. President Donald Trump speaking to reporters at the White House on July 25 According to Yale University's Budget Lab, 'Canada has borne the brunt of the damage from U.S. tariffs so far,' with its long-run economy 2.1 per cent smaller since the start of 2025, by its analysis. Statistics Canada's June trade figures show Canadian exporters did more business with the United States last month, even as tariffs increased. The federal agency says Canada's trade surplus with the U.S. grew to $3.9 billion in June, from $3.5 billion in May. In June of 2024, that figure was $8.4 billion. RBC assistant chief economist Nathan Janzen expects plunging export volumes to 'substantially subtract' from Canada's gross domestic product growth when second-quarter figures are released later in August. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly offered to convert Canada from a sovereign nation to 'the 51st state' during his second term as U.S. president. The move would enhance America's access to critical minerals largely controlled by China, and pave the way for U.S. access to new ocean shipping lanes in Canada's Arctic being created by melting sea ice. 'Full alignment' Dobner sees this as the crux of Trump's vision for future U.S.-Canada relations. He says this includes 'full alignment' on issues involving the economy and defence. 'We will stay Canada. You can look at the EU as a potential model here,' Dobner said. 'That means that Canada would, in this kind of arrangement, lose some of its independence in one way or another.' 'That's the big issue, not trade,' he added. With the clock ticking down to CUSMA's expiration, Dobner says PwC's business clients are scrambling to certify products under the agreement. At the same time, he says prolonged uncertainty between Canada and its largest trading partner has 'frozen' capital spending. Linda Hasenfratz, CEO of Guelph, Ont.-based autoparts manufacturer Linamar ( is on the front lines of the Canada-U.S. trade war. In a recent interview with Yahoo Finance Canada, she said if the U.S. were to apply tariffs to CUSMA-compliant autoparts, it would 'bring the industry to its knees,' as many of these items cross the border multiple times before installation in a finished vehicle. 'The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement has thus far been key to Canada's perceived safety net,' CIBC Capital Markets chief economist Avery Shenfeld wrote in a report last week. 'Canada's edge tied to the USMCA carve-out is also only as durable as the USMCA itself, and it has to be extended by all parties or it expires in 2026. That cloud of uncertainty will hang over capital spending plans in a broad range of Canadian export sectors.' 'Whether any of this lasts will depend on Trump's word,' Shenfeld added. 'We've seen how shaky that foundation can be.' Dobner ultimately sees two paths for Canada: One, suffer the wrath of the Trump administration without a deal in place in the hopes that his successor will favour free trade, while businesses attempt to diversify their customer base. 'The other option is to get to some kind of economic union that is not a full annexation, so to speak, by the United States,' he said. 'Is it possible? Yes, I think it is. It depends how big the hardships that the U.S. administration is willing to put on Canada to push it towards that.' Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on X @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kiora Pharmaceuticals to Showcase Its Retinal Disease Therapeutic Pipeline at The H.C. Wainwright 5th Annual Ophthalmology Virtual Conference
Encinitas, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 7, 2025) - Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPRX) today announced that its President and CEO, Brian M. Strem, Ph.D., will showcase the Company's pipeline of therapies targeting inherited and inflammatory retinal diseases at the H.C. Wainwright 5th Annual Ophthalmology Virtual Conference. Presentation Details Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 Time: 7:00 am Eastern Daylight Time Link: The replay will be available on-demand for 90 days on Kiora's investor relations website. About Kiora Pharmaceuticals Kiora Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing advanced therapies for retinal disease. We target critical pathways underlying retinal diseases using innovative small molecules to slow, stop, or restore vision loss. KIO-301 is being developed for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, choroideremia, and Stargardt disease. It is a molecular photoswitch that has the potential to restore vision in patients with inherited and/or age-related retinal degeneration. KIO-104 is being developed for the treatment of retinal inflammation. It is a next-generation, non-steroidal, immuno-modulatory, and small-molecule inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). In addition to news releases and SEC filings, we expect to post information on our website, and social media accounts that could be relevant to investors. We encourage investors to follow us on X and LinkedIn as well as to visit our website and/or subscribe to email alerts. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking" statements include statements relating to, among other things, Kiora's ability to execute on development and commercialization efforts and other regulatory or marketing approval efforts pertaining to Kiora's development-stage products, including KIO-104 and KIO-301, as well as the success thereof, with such approvals or success may not be obtained or achieved on a timely basis or at all, the sufficiency of existing cash and short-term investments on hand to fund operations for specific periods, and the ability to timely complete planned initiatives for 2025, including Phase 2 clinical development of KIO-301 and KIO-104. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from the statements set forth in this press release, including, among other things, the ability to conduct clinical trials on a timely basis, market and other conditions and certain risk factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Kiora's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 25, 2025 or described in Kiora's other public filings. Kiora's results may also be affected by factors of which Kiora is not currently aware. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Kiora expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. Contact: investors@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
