• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

2

He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead

3

Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline

1

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

2

He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead

3

Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
TechMicrosoft

Tariffs are tanking tech stocks, so why is Microsoft escaping the worst of the bloodbath?

Sharon Goldman
By
Sharon Goldman
Sharon Goldman
AI Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Sharon Goldman
By
Sharon Goldman
Sharon Goldman
AI Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 4, 2025, 3:37 PM ET
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary Friday with a Seattle event spotlighting its latest AI developments, investors are likely breathing a sigh of relief: the company’s stock has weathered the tariff tidal wave far better than its peers. Among the so-called Magnificent 7 cohort of tech companies, Microsoft shares have experienced the smallest decline since Trump’s global tariff announcement Thursday, with some analysts pointing to its cloud computing offerings, and its broad base of enterprise customers, as being more protected from the worst impacts of the tariffs.

Recommended Video

Microsoft’s stock price is down roughly 5.8% from its closing price on Wednesday, the evening of the tariff announcement. By contrast, Meta, Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, and Tesla have all suffered double-digit percentage declines, plunging between 10% and 16% and erasing tens of billions of dollars in market value. Only Google-parent company Alphabet has fared almost as well as Microsoft among the Mag 7, with shares selling off 7% over the past two days.

Analysts told Fortune that Microsoft has an edge because it doesn’t deal much in physical or consumer products—so it has less direct exposure to tariffs. What’s more, Microsoft’s focus on enterprise customers means that a big portion of its revenue streams are tied to long-term contracts, giving Microsoft extra stability. In Microsoft’s fiscal year 2024, its cloud segment, which includes Azure, was the company’s largest revenue contributor, generating about 43% of the company’s total revenue. 

The companies that have low exposure to tariffs and higher enterprise revenue mix will likely be “safe havens,” Daniel Newman, CEO of analyst firm The Futurum Group, told Fortune. “Microsoft is among the best.”

Rishi Jaluria, managing director, software equity research at RBC Capital Markets, pointed out that Microsoft is not immune to tariffs, but it should be generally well-positioned. “The largest piece of their business is enterprise software, where they’re selling cloud applications and infrastructure to corporate customers,” he said. “Even if there were reciprocal tariffs, I don’t know how you would tariff proper software services.”

Apple, on the other hand, would be heavily impacted by the tariffs if, say, iPhones become very expensive and the U.S. economy slips into a recession, said Patrick Moorhead, founder and chief analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy. Meanwhile, he said, “Amazon buys most of its products from China. Big tariff risk.” 

Microsoft, whose main hardware products are the xBox gaming console and various laptop models, sells “so few products that it isn’t spelled out in detail on their income statement,” he added. 

The company does invest, of course, in physical infrastructure like massive data centers to serve its Azure cloud, and Microsoft recently made headlines for pulling back on dozens of those investments around the world. But semiconductors, along with pharmaceuticals, lumber, bullion, and certain minerals, are currently excluded from the 32% reciprocal tariffs announced by President Trump. 

Reduced corporate spending by Microsoft’s customers could become a challenge, analysts agreed. But while it’s difficult to say what will happen over the coming weeks and months, even if there are more reciprocal tariffs that trigger a recession, Microsoft should still be more protected than consumer-focused companies, Jaluria said. Many of the services Microsoft sells to enteprise customers are important for running their businesses, and not easily cut.

In addition, Futurum Group’s Newman argued that AI is deflationary—meaning it can reduce costs by automating tasks—which is something Microsoft is deeply invested in through its Copilot software and Azure AI services.

“I expect companies to continue to invest in AI for agents and other tools that will enable them to lower operating expenses and reduce or manage headcount,” Newman said.

Update: This story has been updated since it published to reflect Friday’s closing prices.

About the Author
Sharon Goldman
By Sharon GoldmanAI Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Sharon Goldman is an AI reporter at Fortune and co-authors Eye on AI, Fortune’s flagship AI newsletter. She has written about digital and enterprise tech for over a decade.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Man in glasses gesturing
Big TechMicrosoft
Microsoft’s cloud just hit a new milestone—Azure crosses $100 billion in annual revenue
By Amanda GerutJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Southeast Asia is ‘hungry for innovation’ and eager to leapfrog, says SAP’s new APAC president Verena Siow
AISAP
Southeast Asia is ‘hungry for innovation’ and eager to leapfrog, says SAP’s new APAC president Verena Siow
By Angelica AngJuly 29, 2026
3 hours ago
Inside China’s two-speed economy: Why goods consumption is slumping even as exports and services boom
EconomyAsia Agenda
Inside China’s two-speed economy: Why goods consumption is slumping even as exports and services boom
By Nicholas GordonJuly 29, 2026
3 hours ago
Trump, Sam Altman, and Demis Hassibis at the G7.
AIOpenAI
More than 1,200 AI workers across Anthropic, DeepMind, OpenAI, and Meta are asking for Washington’s help building an AI slowdown plan
By Beatrice NolanJuly 29, 2026
4 hours ago
sam altman looks down while reporters ask questions
CybersecurityOpenAI
Hugging Face drops in-depth hack report, while OpenAI gives us 7 bullets. Here’s what we know now, and what remains a mystery
By Emily ForliniJuly 29, 2026
7 hours ago
Photo of humanoid robot waving Chinese national flags
InnovationChina
China’s robot makers shipped 25x more units than U.S. rivals in 2025, so America banned them
By The Associated Press and Chan Ho-HimJuly 29, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
Law
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago
He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead
Success
He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead
By Preston ForeJuly 29, 2026
9 hours ago
Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
Retail
Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
By Sydney LakeJuly 29, 2026
10 hours ago
Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a 'brutally hard' childhood game
C-Suite
Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a 'brutally hard' childhood game
By Sarah GlodekJuly 29, 2026
17 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
5 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
15 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.