By Adam Hejl
Publication Date: 2026-05-19 18:12:00
What Happened?
Shares of technology giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) jumped 3.8% in the afternoon session after reports revealed billionaire investor Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square fund established a new stake in the company, alongside a series of analyst upgrades.
Ackman cited a ‘highly compelling valuation’ following a recent pullback as a key reason for the investment, expressing confidence in Microsoft’s long-term growth in AI and cloud computing. The positive sentiment was reinforced by multiple analysts.
Wedbush raised its price objective to $575, viewing a renegotiated commercial agreement with OpenAI as a net positive. TD Cowen also reiterated a Buy rating, highlighting expected acceleration in Azure’s growth.
Adding to the news, Microsoft announced it was in advanced talks to acquire Inception, a Stanford University AI spin-off, and unveiled a new AI-powered cyber defense system.
After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $422.32, up 3.2% from…
