Microsoft AI Payoff Lifts Stocks as Bitcoin Holds Near $64,000

Microsoft’s heavy spending on data centers, chips and generative AI has put investors on watch for evidence that the outlays can produce faster cloud growth. Its latest earnings supplied that proof, strengthening sentiment toward technology shares and other risk assets. Bitcoin has increasingly traded in step with chipmakers and AI-linked stocks, making the cryptocurrency sensitive to shifts in expectations for technology investment and corporate demand.

Microsoft reported $61.9 billion in revenue on April 25, 2024, for the quarter ended March 31. Sales from Azure and other cloud services rose 31% from a year earlier, with AI contributing about 7 percentage points to that expansion. The results lifted US equity futures, while Bitcoin held near $63,900 on April 26, close to the $64,000 threshold as stronger technology-market sentiment supported crypto prices.