It’s crucial to know why you own stock. Unfortunately, people might lose sight of why they should invest in Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). Financial media can distract stock traders from important headlines. For top AI technology exposure, choose Microsoft stock.

That said, it’s fine to be aware of the media buzz and chatter surrounding Microsoft. So, let’s see what all the hoopla is about, and then shift to the core discussion about Microsoft.

Pitting Microsoft Against Nvidia
One day not long ago, Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) overtook Microsoft to become the most valuable company in the world. Soon after that, however, Microsoft regained the title of the world’s biggest business.

We like Nvidia stock, and it’s fine to own shares of both companies (Microsoft and Nvidia) if you want to. The financial media is inventing a competition where there really isn’t one. After all, Microsoft is primarily a software company while Nvidia is a hardware provider.

The point is, don’t get caught up in media-driven distractions. An investor’s job isn’t to chase after the most valuable company at any given time.

Microsoft and Nvidia are both AI leaders in their own ways. Microsoft made smart moves by investing in OpenAI’s ChatGPT generative AI technology, and by launching Copilot, a suite of AI-productivity tools.

So, instead of getting caught up in less important news stories, let’s focus on what makes Microsoft such a valuable company.

Microsoft’s ‘Nirvana of Execution’
For what it’s worth, New Street Research analyst Pierre Ferragu doesn’t seem to be distracted by less relevant headlines. He initiated his coverage of Microsoft stock with a “buy” rating and price target of $570.

This implies an eventual $4 trillion market capitalization for Microsoft. That’s not an unrealistic target, given Microsoft’s market-leader position in AI-ready software and services.

With CEO Satya Nadella at the helm, Microsoft has brought OpenAI’s technology to a wide variety of products.

These products include Bing, Word, PowerPoint, CoPilot and Azure. And with AI-enabled Azure, Microsoft is a redoubtable cloud-computing contender of the 2020s.

Microsoft got a lot of things right under Nadella’s forward-looking leadership.

We can’t really blame Ferragu for crediting Microsoft and Nadella with “achieving the nirvana of execution: higher profitability combined with rapid and steady market-share gains.”

Microsoft Stock: Just Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Some financial-media pundits will try to gain your attention by pitting Microsoft against Nvidia. Yet, there’s really no competition here. They’re both fast-growing businesses with in-demand, AI-ready products/services.

For Microsoft’s shareholders, it’s essential to stay focused and pay attention to the company’s top-notch, AI-embedded offerings. With that in mind, it’s not hard to envision Microsoft surpassing a $4 trillion market cap.

Hence, Microsoft stock earns a confident “B” grade and should be appropriate for most investors’ portfolios.

— Louis Navellier and the Investor Place Research Staff

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Source: Investor Place