'…Merit a Full and Urgent Review' Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) Slips With Plans to Review its Israeli Operations
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Microsoft will be running an independent review of the cloud computing technology that the Israeli Defense Forces are putting to use, spurred on in large part by not only Microsoft's own employees, but also, outside activists who have been weighing in for some time. A previous investigation from May found that Microsoft's Azure cloud technology had been used by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, but that it had not been used to '…target or harm people in Gaza.'
Recently, Microsoft updated that report, noting that it does not always know how its customers use its products. Under normal circumstances, this makes sense; most of us would not want Microsoft privy to what goes into our spreadsheets or documents, after all. But word from 'anonymous sources' noted that the Israeli Defense Forces were using Azure to 'store troves of data,' including millions of mobile phone calls. This data was used to '…shape…military operations…' in and around Gaza, prompting Microsoft to take a closer look.
Xbox Series X/S Era Ending?
Console gamers have long known that a console generation tends to run about seven years, and with the latest consoles coming out back in 2020, the writing was at least somewhat on the wall. News about the new handheld devices, and the possibility the next Xbox would have Steam support, all suggested that new consoles were a matter of 'when' rather than 'if,' and 'when' looked like 'soon.'
New word from Carl Ledbetter, Partner Head of Design at Xbox, suggested that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S may be coming to a close after all. 'As we wrap up this journey with the Xbox Series X and Series S, the mission behind these consoles echoes everything I've learned over 30 years – to create technology that's powerful, purposeful, and beautifully integrated into people's lives.' So it certainly does look like the end is in sight, a development that most figured was likely anyway, with year six about to start.
Is Microsoft a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on MSFT stock based on 34 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 21.73% rally in its share price over the past year, the average MSFT price target of $623.60 per share implies 21.92% upside potential.
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