By Zev Fima
Publication Date: 2026-10-14 20:05:00
Microsoft has climbed back to record highs after a turbulent year for the tech giant’s stock. Those who held on should briefly enjoy the view — and then find lessons from the rocky ride to make money again in the future. Before Tuesday, it had been almost a year since Microsoft last closed at a record: Oct. 28, 2025, at $542.07 a share. The next evening, Microsoft signaled that its spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure would accelerate in the coming quarters, sending shares down about 3% in response. In that moment, it was impossible for investors to know what awaited them: a brutal, monthslong decline that saw shares lose more than one-third of their value, driven in part by some existential questions about the company’s future in an AI-first world. Fast forward to present, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Microsoft has rallied back to secure its first record close in nearly 12 months, ending Tuesday’s session at $543.45. Though it pulled back nearly 2%…