Wedbush Views Microsoft (MSFT)’s Restructured OpenAI Partnership As Net Positive Rather Than Strategic Failure With a short float of 1.08% and upside potential of 36.80%, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) earns a place on our list of the best cloud stocks to buy as Azure…
owth hits 40%. RoSonic/ Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s restructured OpenAI partnership raised concern among investors, with the stock down roughly 15% so far this year
However, not everyone saw the restructuring through a bearish lens. On May 13, 2026, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives stood behind Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) with an “Outperform” rating and a $575 price target, viewing the revised deal as a net positive rather than the strategic failure the market appears to be treating it as. Under the restructuring, OpenAI’s revenue share to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is now capped at $38 billion through 2030, a reduction from the previous arrangement.
However, the removal of OpenAI’s prior option to defer payments to 2032 means Microsoft actually receives more in the near term, approximately $6 billion this year, versus the $4 billion previously expected. The analyst cited other key tailwinds: IP rights to OpenAI’s models are locked in through 2032, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) stays on as OpenAI’s primary cloud provider, the equity stake survives into what could be a significant IPO, and the revenue-sharing requirement on Azure sales of OpenAI models is dropped entirely. Bill Ackman read the situation similarly, stating: “We view Microsoft’s recent decision to restructure its OpenAI partnership not as a concession but as part of a deliberate pivot toward a more open, multi-model architecture that better serves enterprise customers.” The underlying business momentum reinforced both views.