Stifel Upgrades Microsoft to Buy from Hold
Fintel reports that on September 23, 2026, Stifel upgraded their outlook for Microsoft (NASDAQGS:MSFT) (LSE:0QYP) from Hold to Buy.
This rating action follows a prior action by Stifel on September 4, 2026, when the firm maintained its Hold rating. Other recent analyst activities include Oppenheimer maintaining an Outperform rating on September 22, 2026, and Cantor Fitzgerald maintaining an Overweight rating on September 21, 2026. Additionally, Citizens reiterated a Market Outperform rating on September 15, 2026, and B of A Securities maintained a Buy rating on September 1, 2026.
Microsoft Corporation, headquartered in the United States, is a premier entity in the technology sector, primarily focused on software development, cloud computing, and related services. The global leader operates through three core segments: Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. Key projects include the development and expansion of its Azure cloud services, enhancing the Office 365 productivity suite, and advancing AI capabilities across its product line. The company also invests significantly in research for quantum computing and uses its technologies to support various industries such as healthcare, finance, and retail.
On September 23, 2026, the latest close for the stock was $500.59, following a pre-action close of $498.00 on September 22, 2026. The stock recorded a price change of +2.10% over one week, relative to a baseline close of $490.30 on September 16, 2026. Over a one-month period, the price change was +3.59% from a baseline close of $483.24 on August 21, 2026.
In its latest earnings report on July 29, 2026, Microsoft reported actual earnings per share of 4.74, compared to the estimated earnings per share of 4.3274, representing an EPS surprise of +9.53%. The company reported actual revenue of $90,007,000,000.00, compared to the estimated revenue of $89,373,722,644.00.
As of September 15, 2026, the current consensus target mean for the stock was $585.37, with a median target of $568.65, representing an implied change of +16.94%. This compares to a prior consensus target mean of $582.20 as of August 28, 2026, reflecting a consensus target revision of +0.54%. The current recommendation period as of September 1, 2026, shows 23 strong buy, 41 buy, and 5 hold recommendations, totaling 69. These figures represent 92.8% positive and 7.2% hold recommendations, which are identical to the prior recommendation period of August 1, 2026.
Recent analyst actions
| Date | Analyst | Prior | Latest recommendation | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 23, 2026 | Stifel | Hold | Buy | upgrade |
| September 22, 2026 | Oppenheimer | Outperform | Outperform | maintained |
| September 21, 2026 | Cantor Fitzgerald | Overweight | Overweight | maintained |
| September 15, 2026 | Citizens | Market Outperform | Market Outperform | reiterated |
| September 4, 2026 | Stifel | Hold | Hold | maintained |
| September 1, 2026 | B of A Securities | Buy | Buy | maintained |
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.