What's Going On With Microsoft Stock Thursday?

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) stock traded slightly lower Thursday as technology stocks declined amid cautious market sentiment. The Nasdaq fell 0.48%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.20%.

Gaming Empire Faces Fresh EU Probe

Separately, Reuters reported that Italy’s antitrust authority launched an EU-backed investigation Thursday into several Microsoft-owned gaming companies, including Activision Blizzard, over their use of in-game virtual currencies.

The probe focuses on whether complex currency conversions obscure the actual cost of digital purchases and violate EU consumer protection rules, particularly those protecting minors. Italy will lead the investigation alongside regulators from Norway and Denmark.

The investigation forms part of a broader initiative coordinated by the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network. Last month, the network launched actions against nine gaming companies, including Riot Games Inc., a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings Limited (OTC:TCEHY), Ubisoft Entertainment SA (OTC:UBSFY) and Supercell Oy, also owned by Tencent.

It had previously initiated a separate action involving Activision Blizzard, a subsidiary of Microsoft.

Microsoft Stock Shows Overbought Signals

Microsoft remains in a long-term uptrend, trading above its major moving averages.

The stock is 4.4% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) of $508.55 and 22.4% above its 200-day SMA of $433.80.

A golden cross formed in August, reinforcing the bullish trend.

However, Microsoft’s relative strength index (RSI) stands at 70.76. Readings above 70 indicate overbought conditions, suggesting a potential pullback or consolidation.

Key resistance stands at $553.50, near the 52-week high of $553.72. Investors are watching support around the 50-day SMA of $498.94, followed by $486.

Earnings And Analyst Outlook

Microsoft is scheduled to report quarterly earnings Oct. 28.

Analysts expect earnings of $4.73 per share, up from $4.13 a year earlier. Revenue is projected to reach $90.64 billion, compared with $77.67 billion a year ago.

The stock carries a Buy consensus rating, with an average price forecast of $578.32.

Evercore ISI raised its price forecast to $635 on Oct. 7, Scotiabank increased its forecast to $615 on Oct. 5, and Wells Fargo lifted its forecast to $725 on Oct. 1.

Benzinga Edge Rankings Highlight Strong Growth

Microsoft’s Benzinga Edge rankings show a Growth score of 96.91, Momentum score of 89.49 and Quality score of 86.67.

However, its Value score of 19.3 suggests a relatively expensive valuation, potentially increasing downside risks during market declines.

ETF Exposure

Microsoft has significant weightings in several ETFs, including the Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSE:VUG) at 9.59%, Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund at 9.83%, and iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF (NASDAQ:IUSG) at 9.75%.

As a result, changes in investor demand for these ETFs can influence Microsoft shares.

MSFT Stock Price Action

MSFT Stock Price Activity: Microsoft shares were down 0.09% at $529.26 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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