Shares of Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) are up 0.4% to trade at $368.88, after the tech behemoth said it is investing $5.5 billion in Singapore and $1 billion in Thailand AI and cloud infrastructure over the next several years. Also of note, last night Benchmark initiated coverage on MSFT with a "buy" rating and $450 price target.
MSFT has struggled on the charts this year, off 23% for 2026, after just days ago tapping a nearly 52-week low of $356.28. Microsoft stock ended March on a sour note, finishing just nine sessions higher and undertaking a 5.8% loss for the month.
Despite this lackluster price action, bulls remain steadfast, with 45 of the 49 covering brokerages sporting "buy" or "strong buy" ratings. With an average 12-month target price of $591.14 coming in at a nearly 60% premium to current levels, bears could move in.
Options traders have also been extremely optimistic. This is per the security's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 2.76 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) that sits in the highest possible percentile of its annual range.
Options are affordably priced, too, per the stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 29% that stands in the 32nd percentile of annual readings. Plus, MSFT's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) comes in at 79 out of 100, suggesting it has consistently realized higher volatility than its options have priced in over the past 12 months.
