Microsoft Holds AI Capex Steady, Bucking Industry Trend of Rising Spending

Microsoft kept its capital expenditure forecast unchanged during its Wednesday earnings call, becoming one of the first major data center companies to hold the line on AI spending. The company had previously planned to spend $190 billion this year, but an accounting change now puts the guidance at $175 billion, with actual AI spending plans remaining steady. The decision contrasts sharply with rivals like Alphabet, Tesla, and Meta, which have all raised their capex forecasts recently, leading to stock declines. Microsoft's stock surged about 8% on the news. The article notes that rising AI spending across the industry has been partly driven by soaring memory chip prices, which account for about 45% of capex growth. By keeping its plans unchanged, Microsoft may effectively be pulling back slightly from building new capacity.