Latest news with #NannaLouiseLinde
Entrepreneur
22-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Microsoft Could Rally as EU Antitrust Case Nears Resolution
The latest catalyst for Microsoft is news of a potential resolution in its long-standing antitrust case with the Europena Union regarding Microsoft Teams This story originally appeared on MarketBeat It didn't really need much boosting, but Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) stock got more good news in a week when the market is looking for direction. The latest catalyst for the stock is news that the company is likely to avoid fines from the European Union's (EU) antitrust case regarding Microsoft Teams. [content-module:CompanyOverview|NASDAQ:MSFT] At issue were allegations that Microsoft had abused its market dominance by incorporating Microsoft Teams into its Office suite, which includes signature applications such as Word, Excel, and Outlook. Microsoft has proposed offering the Office suite without Teams at a lower price than when Teams is included. In a blog post, Microsoft VP for European Government Affairs Nanna-Louise Linde described the proposal as a 'clear and complete resolution' to its rivals' concerns and that Europeans would have more choice. However, the EU says it will seek feedback from Microsoft rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept the offer. Interested parties have a month to provide feedback. The First Successful Attack on Microsoft's Walled Garden? This case has been ongoing since 2020, so it's not top-of-mind for many investors. However, lawsuits of any duration can weigh on earnings expectations. Microsoft has already paid the EU more than 2 billion euros, or roughly $2.67 billion, over the past several years. So at a time when earnings may be under pressure, it's good for Microsoft to put this case behind it. That's why, based on the headline proposal alone, it's reasonable to wonder why this should take so long. The price difference between the two suites is 8 euros, or about $9. While the headline draws attention, it's the details that make the story more compelling. Under Microsoft's proposal, competitors would be able to interoperate with certain Microsoft products and services for specific functions. They would also be able to embed Office applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) in their own products and integrate their products into Microsoft's productivity applications. That's significant because the Windows operating system dominates the market and has increasingly drawn the ire of competitors for creating a 'walled garden' effect because it lacks open communication with other platforms. This reputation has been amplified with the introduction of Teams and, more recently, its AI initiatives with OpenAI. The deal with the EU, which would span 10 years, is one step toward, perhaps, a more open and inviting Office suite. Does MSFT Stock Have Short-Term Momentum? Like many technology stocks, Microsoft stock gapped up sharply after its earnings report on May 1. However, the stock was already off the 52-week low it made in March and April. Microsoft has been experiencing positive momentum as analysts are bullish about the company's strategic investments in AI and cloud computing. [content-module:Forecast|NASDAQ:MSFT] However, naysayers believe much of that growth is priced in, and MSFT stock is headed back to its April lows. The fact that the stock is trading at overbought levels reinforces that. A pullback on May 21 stopped its move to the all-time high it made last summer. It may also end a seven-day win streak and break the stock's momentum. Further support for a move lower is the stock's P/E ratio around 36x, which is a slight premium to its historical average. Also, Microsoft's estimated earnings per share (EPS) growth of 11.35% is below its three-year average of 15.9%. From a technical standpoint, the move lower on May 21 dropped the stock below its 50- and 200-day simple moving averages, which may be a sign that a reversal is in place. While short-term volatility exists, Microsoft's strong fundamentals and market position suggest a favorable outlook for investors. Analysts continue to bid the stock higher. The Microsoft analyst forecasts on MarketBeat give MSFT stock a Moderate Buy rating with a $512.63 price target that marks a 13% upside from its price on May 21. Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. Our team has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and none of the big name stocks were on the list. They believe these five stocks are the five best companies for investors to buy now... See The Five Stocks Here
Free Malaysia Today
16-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Microsoft offers to price Office without Teams cheaper to end antitrust probe
Microsoft said if its pricing offer is accepted, it would align the options and pricing for its suites and Teams service globally. (AFP pic) BRUSSELS : Microsoft has offered to sell its Office product without Teams at a lower price than Office with Teams, as well as offer rivals better interoperability access to its services and products, EU antitrust regulators said today. The European Commission said it was now going to seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept the offer. Reuters was the first to report the move earlier this week. If accepted, Microsoft's offer would bring an end to a long-running case triggered by a 2020 complaint by Salesforce-owned Slack, which could have resulted in a hefty antitrust fine for the US tech giant. Microsoft's vice-president for European Government Affairs Nanna-Louise Linde said in a blogpost that the proposal was a clear and complete resolution to concerns raised by rivals and would give Europeans more choice. 'Microsoft's offer would allow Europeans to buy Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites without Teams at a lower price than that for corresponding suites that include Teams,' the EU competition enforcer said. 'Rivals could get access to and have effective interoperability with certain Microsoft products and services for specific functionalities and could also embed Office Web Applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) in their own products, and they could prominently integrate their products in Microsoft's core productivity applications,' the EU said. Customers in Europe would be able to extract their Teams messaging data for use in competing solutions. The pricing offer would be valid for seven years and interoperability for 10 years. Microsoft said if its pricing offer is accepted, it would align the options and pricing for its suites and Teams service globally. Interested parties have a month to provide feedback. Salesforce said it would carefully scrutinise the offer.
CNA
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Microsoft makes Office-Teams offer to avert EU antitrust fine
BRUSSELS :Microsoft has offered to make its Office product without Teams cheaper than when sold with Teams, EU antitrust regulators said on Friday, which could spare the company a big fine and ease tensions with the United States. The European Commission said it would seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept the offer. Reuters was the first to report the proposal earlier this week. If accepted, it would end a long-running case triggered by a 2020 complaint from Salesforce-owned Slack, which could have resulted in a massive antitrust fine for the U.S. tech giant. Germany's alfaview also complained. Microsoft's Vice President for European Government Affairs Nanna-Louise Linde said in a blogpost the proposal was a clear and complete resolution to concerns raised by rivals and would give Europeans more choice. Its offer would allow Europeans to buy Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites without Teams for less than corresponding suites that include Teams, the EU competition enforcer said. Microsoft said the maximum price differential between the two suites would be 8 euros ($9). The proposal would also allow rivals to inter-operate with certain Microsoft products and services for specific functionalities, embed Office web applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in their own products, and integrate their products in Microsoft's core productivity applications. Customers in Europe would be able to extract their Teams messaging data for use in competing solutions. The pricing offer would be valid for seven years and interoperability for 10 years. Microsoft, which has accrued 2.2 billion euros in EU antitrust fines in past years, said it would align the options and pricing for its suites and Teams service globally if the EU regulator accepts its offer. "We are hopeful that following the market test, the European Commission will conclude that the proposed commitments resolve its concerns and in the following months adopt a final decision closing its investigation," Microsoft's Linde said. Interested parties have a month to provide feedback. Salesforce said it would scrutinise the offer. ($1 = 0.8933 euros)
Zawya
16-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Microsoft offers to price Office without Teams cheaper to end antitrust probe
Microsoft has offered to sell its Office product without Teams at a lower price than Office with Teams, as well as offer rivals better interoperability access to its services and products, EU antitrust regulators said on Friday. The European Commission said it was now going to seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept the offer. Reuters was the first to report the move earlier this week. If accepted, Microsoft's offer would bring an end to a long-running case triggered by a 2020 complaint by Salesforce-owned Slack, which could have resulted in a hefty antitrust fine for the U.S. tech giant. Microsoft's Vice President for European Government Affairs Nanna-Louise Linde said in a blogpost that the proposal was a clear and complete resolution to concerns raised by rivals and would give Europeans more choice. Microsoft's offer would allow Europeans to buy Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites without Teams at a lower price than that for corresponding suites that include Teams, the EU competition enforcer said. Rivals could get access to and have effective interoperability with certain Microsoft products and services for specific functionalities and could also embed Office Web Applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) in their own products, and they could prominently integrate their products in Microsoft's core productivity applications, the EU said. Customers in Europe would be able to extract their Teams messaging data for use in competing solutions. The pricing offer would be valid for seven years and interoperability for 10 years. Microsoft said if its pricing offer is accepted, it would align the options and pricing for its suites and Teams service globally. Interested parties have a month to provide feedback. Salesforce said it would carefully scrutinise the offer. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
CNA
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Microsoft offers to price Office without Teams cheaper to end antitrust probe
BRUSSELS :Microsoft has offered to sell its Office product without Teams at a lower price than Office with Teams, as well as offer rivals better interoperability access to its services and products, EU antitrust regulators said on Friday. The European Commission said it was now going to seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept the offer. Reuters was the first to report the move earlier this week. If accepted, Microsoft's offer would bring an end to a long-running case triggered by a 2020 complaint by Salesforce-owned Slack, which could have resulted in a hefty antitrust fine for the U.S. tech giant. Microsoft's Vice President for European Government Affairs Nanna-Louise Linde said in a blogpost that the proposal was a clear and complete resolution to concerns raised by rivals and would give Europeans more choice. Microsoft's offer would allow Europeans to buy Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites without Teams at a lower price than that for corresponding suites that include Teams, the EU competition enforcer said. Rivals could get access to and have effective interoperability with certain Microsoft products and services for specific functionalities and could also embed Office Web Applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) in their own products, and they could prominently integrate their products in Microsoft's core productivity applications, the EU said. Customers in Europe would be able to extract their Teams messaging data for use in competing solutions. The pricing offer would be valid for seven years and interoperability for 10 years. Microsoft said if its pricing offer is accepted, it would align the options and pricing for its suites and Teams service globally.
