Mag 7 Earnings Scoreboard: Was Microsoft Crash Overreaction?
Four of the Mag 7 have reported earnings this week, and the divergence is getting very real.
Meta surged +10% against the tape. Microsoft wiped out $357B in market cap, the 2nd-largest single-session value drop in stock market history. Tesla and Apple were underwhelming. Little price reaction.
Let’s break down the scoreboard for these four mega-cap tech giants.
🏆 The Winners
$Apple(AAPL)$: “Ecosystem Dominance at Scale”
Revenue $143.8B, EPS $2.84 — a clean beat across the board.
Why it’s on the winners list: Ultra-high user loyalty powered iPhone revenue +23%. Even more impressive, Greater China revenue flipped sharply higher to +38% YoY, crushing market concerns.
A record 48.2% gross margin proves Apple’s unmatched ability to leverage its supply chain and protect profitability.
$Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$: The Ad King’s AI Magic
Revenue $59.9B, with ad revenue growth hitting +23%.
AI is making Meta’s ad targeting insanely efficient. Even with aggressive 2026 capex plans, Meta’s 1Q revenue guidance came in far above consensus — the “re-acceleration” story fully outweighed fears around spending.
💀 The Underperformers
$Microsoft(MSFT)$: Azure “Tiny Slowdown” That Triggered a Bloodbath
Revenue and EPS both beat expectations, but Azure growth slowed to 38%, with next-quarter guidance slipping further to 37%–38%. Two straight quarters of deceleration raised a brutal question: Is AI monetization lagging the pace of GPU buildout?
$Tesla Motors(TSLA)$ : A Crossroad With an Unclear Narrative
Auto gross margin (ex-credits) rebounded to 17.9%.
Tesla unexpectedly announced a $2B investment into xAI, sparking related-party concerns. Meanwhile, FSD subscription penetration is still far from Musk’s target, leaving the “2026 margin recovery” story unfinished.
Why Did Microsoft Crash? Was It a “Wrongful Kill”?
In the market’s eyes, owning Microsoft means buying growth acceleration.
So when Azure guidance slid from ~40% to ~37%, investors didn’t see “still growing.” They saw a sign that growth could be peaking.
That kind of marginal slowdown is exactly what triggers a high-multiple reset.
Cash Flow Tells the Real Story: Operating cash flow came in strong at $35.8B. But free cash flow dropped to only $5.9B, sharply down QoQ. Next-quarter gross margin guidance also dropped to 65%, adding more pressure.
The “Boosted” Profit From OpenAI: Microsoft’s net income this quarter included $7.6B of non-operating gains tied to its OpenAI investment. If you strip that out, the core operating profit quality looks far less impressive — and the market noticed.
Questions for the community:
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Would you buy Microsoft here — yes or no? Is $400 a good “dip-buy” level?
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Can Meta still be chased higher after the +10% move?
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Apple says memory cost inflation is “not a concern”… so why isn’t the stock moving?
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Will Tesla’s long-term narrative actually deliver in 2026 — or keep slipping?
Leave your comments to win tiger coins~
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Meta $Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$ is the clearest winner for me. The +10% move is supported by real ad re-acceleration and visible AI-driven efficiency gains. I wouldn’t chase after a vertical rally, but on consolidation or pullbacks, this still looks like a stock you want to own.
Apple $Apple(AAPL)$ delivered objectively strong results, yet the stock is flat because expectations were already high and no new growth narrative emerged. Tesla’s $Tesla Motors(TSLA)$ long-term AI & autonomy vision remains compelling, but with execution delays & mixed signals, it’s still more promise than proof for now.
@Tiger_comments @TigerStars @TigerClub
$Microsoft(MSFT)$ Is $400 a good "dip-buy" level? Wall Street analysts maintain a "Strong Buy" consensus, with an average price target of over $600 for the next 12 months, implying significant upside potential from current levels. The lowest analyst price target is around $450, so while $400 is below that specific floor, the overall sentiment is that the current price is a strong entry point given the long-term forecasts and continued Azure cloud growth.
$Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$ Can it still be chased higher? Analysts are extremely bullish, viewing the AI spending not as a risk, but as a major growth catalyst that is already improving ad efficiency and engagement. Price targets have been raised across the board, with some as high as $1,144. The consensus is that the fundamental narrative has shifted, supporting further upside.
meta don't chase la. wait for dip then buy.
Apple I ignore. not interested.
Tesla I KIV. looks like it's not a car company anymore