When Microsoft reported killer fourth-quarter earnings for its fiscal 2026 year (which ended June 30), it tucked in an interesting little tidbit about how its investments in the two biggest, and competing, AI labs are doing.

Microsoft’s Azure grew 43% and passed $100bn for the year, its backlog hit $678bn, and the stock rose 2%. But AI capital spending keeps climbing.

The memo cited "important progress in key areas" like Azure and Microsoft 365 Copilot. These businesses have faced pressure amid generative AI boom.