Microsoft Stock Lags Broader Market But Forecast Remains Strong Despite Premium Valuation

• Microsoft (MSFT) stock fell more than the broader market recently, lagging the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq • MSFT stock is up 1.32% over the past month despite tech sector losses of 0.51% • Analysts forecast MSFT will report strong 14.7% sales and 18.4% EPS growth in upcoming earnings • MSFT trades at a premium 36.34 forward P/E compared to industry average P/E of 29.97 • MSFT holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) based on estimate changes and scores well on proprietary stock rating metrics