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Jul 20, 2018
Cloud Helps Microsoft Rake in $100 Billion Sales

Cloud Helps Microsoft Rake in $100 Billion Sales

Thanks to its cloud services business, Microsoft clocked its first $100 billion sales year.

For the fiscal year 2018 ending in June, the company generated $110 billion in sales - which is +14% higher compared to the previous year. A major driver was its cloud computing segment which registered a +53% year-over-year surge in sales in the last quarter.

CEO Satya Nadella’s strategy of prioritizing the firm’s cloud services (over Windows) seems to be paying off. What’s more, Microsoft recently signed a five-year cloud services deal with Walmart – a partnership that rival-in-common Amazon might need to watch out for.

With worldwide spending on public cloud services and infrastructure projected  to touch $160 billion in 2018 and burgeon to $277 billion by 2021(according to the International Data Corporation), Microsoft’s not so ‘cloudy’ ambitions could be its potential trump card.

Related Ticker: WMT

WMT in upward trend: price expected to rise as it breaks its lower Bollinger Band on June 25, 2026

WMT may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options. In of 32 cases where WMT's price broke its lower Bollinger Band, its price rose further in the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .

Price Prediction Chart

Technical Analysis (Indicators)

Bullish Trend Analysis

The RSI Indicator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where WMT's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, of 16 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .

The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 1 day, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.

Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where WMT advanced for three days, in of 375 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .

Bearish Trend Analysis

The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on June 25, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on WMT as a result. In of 70 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for WMT turned negative on June 26, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 46 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .

WMT moved below its 50-day moving average on May 21, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.

The 10-day moving average for WMT crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on May 28, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 18 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where WMT declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)

The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 62, placing this stock better than average.

The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.

The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.

The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.

The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. WMT’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.

The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (9.881) is normal, around the industry mean (7.447). P/E Ratio (41.261) is within average values for comparable stocks, (37.479). WMT's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (4.613) is slightly higher than the industry average of (2.785). Dividend Yield (0.008) settles around the average of (0.015) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.294) is also within normal values, averaging (1.021).

Notable companies

The most notable companies in this group are Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT), Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ:COST), Target Corp (NYSE:TGT), Dollar General Corp (NYSE:DG), Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR).

Industry description

Companies in the discount stores industry specialize in offering substantial discounts on a vast array of retail products. Some companies in this industry also operate general merchandise warehouse clubs. Products sold at discount stores are typically similar to those of any department store, but the pricing of the goods is generally much lower (and hence the name “discount”). Think Dollar General Corporation, Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. Many discount stores target low-income households and/or price-sensitive consumers as their potential market. Discount stores’ profitability could hinge on factors like competitive pricing, sufficient locations, healthy revenue per square foot, and effective advertisement. These store operators could have an edge over other retailers during financial crises or recessions, when many consumers could be looking for less expensive alternatives.

Market Cap

The average market capitalization across the Discount Stores Industry is 163.22B. The market cap for tickers in the group ranges from 1.78K to 912B. WMT holds the highest valuation in this group at 912B. The lowest valued company is TUEMQ at 1.78K.

High and low price notable news

The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the Discount Stores Industry was 1%. For the same Industry, the average monthly price growth was 3%, and the average quarterly price growth was 9%. DLTR experienced the highest price growth at 9%, while OLLI experienced the biggest fall at -2%.

Volume

The average weekly volume growth across all stocks in the Discount Stores Industry was 70%. For the same stocks of the Industry, the average monthly volume growth was -24% and the average quarterly volume growth was 166%

Fundamental Analysis Ratings

The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows

Valuation Rating: 77
P/E Growth Rating: 61
Price Growth Rating: 48
SMR Rating: 49
Profit Risk Rating: 62
Seasonality Score: 38 (-100 ... +100)
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Cloud Helps Microsoft Rake in $100 Billion Sales