Welcome to Markets Desk, your midday read on what's moving markets and why.
Microsoft delivered a quarter that looked strong on paper — cloud growth accelerating, Copilot adoption climbing — but Wall Street isn't buying it, literally. The stock is sliding because investors see one thing louder than revenue: capital expenditure is rising, and the market is penalizing that AI spending commitment with real skepticism.
That tech drag is visible in the broader tape, where the Nasdaq one hundred is modestly negative while the Dow is outperforming, up nearly three quarters of a percent. Lower crude prices are providing some cushion for the S and P five hundred, which is essentially flat, holding just above the unchanged line as mega-cap earnings deliver a mixed picture for sentiment.
Away from equities, Minted is making a quiet but notable statement in the consumer space, doubling its profitability while posting double-digit revenue growth and setting its sights on three hundred million dollars in revenue for two thousand twenty six. It's a reminder that disciplined, brand-driven retail can still find margin in a crowded digital economy.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
