Microsoft (MSFT) Stock: What to Know Before the U.S. Market Opens on 22/12/2025

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) heads into the December 22, 2025 session with investors balancing two powerful—and sometimes conflicting—narratives: a mega-cap software leader with premium pricing power and an AI-fueled cloud engine, versus a company spending at historic levels to secure scarce AI computing capacity. With a holiday-shortened trading week likely to compress liquidity and amplify headline-driven swings, MSFT is a name many traders and long-term investors will keep on their “first 15 minutes” watchlist.

Below is what matters most before the opening bell, including the latest Microsoft-specific news, the evolving OpenAI backdrop, regulatory developments, and where analysts’ forecasts sit right now.

MSFT at a glance heading into the open

• Last traded price: about $485.92. ^[1]
• 52-week range: roughly $344.79 to $555.45. ^[2]
• Next dividend: Microsoft declared a $0.91/share quarterly dividend, payable March 12, 2026, with shareholders of record (and ex-dividend date) Feb….