Stock Market Today, March 30: Microsoft Rises on Copilot Expansion and New AI Product Launches

Microsoft (MSFT +0.63%), a global software and services provider, closed Monday at $358.96, up 0.61%. The stock moved as investors weighed commentary on its weak year-to-date performance against fresh AI product updates, Copilot expansion, and signals of strong institutional demand while watching how AI-driven spending affects cloud margins and valuation.

The company’s trading volume reached 41 million shares, which is nearly 16% above compared with its three-month average of 35.3 million shares. Microsoft went public in 1986 and has grown 369113% since its IPO.

How the markets moved today

S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.39%) slipped 0.39% to 6,343.72, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.73%) fell 0.73% to 20,794.64 during Monday’s session. Within software – infrastructure, peers were mixed as Apple (AAPL 0.87%) closed at $246.63, down 0.87%, and Alphabet (GOOGL 0.30%) finished at $273.14, down 0.23%, reflecting ongoing cautious regarding AI-related spending.

What this means for investors

Microsoft shares rose slightly as rising AI spending continued to offset gains in bookings and Copilot adoption, keeping pressure on cloud margins. Expanding AI tools across Microsoft 365 and other enterprise products supports long-term demand, but the scale of investment is limiting near-term earnings growth.

Meanwhile, the stock’s steep decline this year and lower valuation near recent lows suggest some of that risk is already priced in, helping stabilize shares despite broader tech weakness. The continued rollout of Copilot highlights Microsoft’s push to turn AI into paid adoption across its platform, though results will depend on how quickly usage converts into revenue. Investors will be watching whether AI-driven sales can grow fast enough to keep profits from being squeezed by higher spending.

Eric Trie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft and is short shares of Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.