Microsoft AI Startup Deal Investigated by FTC: What To Know

Microsoft (MSFT) shares are trading lower Thursday on news the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is probing whether the tech giant structured its recent deal with artificial intelligence (AI) startup Inflection AI to avoid an antitrust review, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In March, Microsoft hired Inflection AI's co-founder and nearly all of its employees, agreeing to pay the startup approximately $650 million as part of a licensing deal to resell its technology, the WSJ said. 

However, Microsoft did not acquire the company outright, so the FTC is trying to determine if the deal was structured so that MSFT can take control of Inflection AI without a full review of the transaction by the regulatory agency, the report added, citing a person familiar with the matter and records viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

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If the FTC finds that Microsoft should have reported the transaction and submitted it for review, it could bring enforcement action, which could include a fine or suspension of the transaction while it conducts a full investigation. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is confident it complied with antitrust laws.

Inflection AI, a prominent name in artificial intelligence and the creator of the Pi chatbot, raised over $1.3 billion in a funding round led by Microsoft and top AI stock Nvidia (NVDA) back in June 2023.

In January, the FTC announced an investigation into Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI, as well as other large technology companies with investments in generative AI companies. 

"History shows that new technologies can create new markets and healthy competition," FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a January 25 statement. "As companies race to develop and monetize AI, we must guard against tactics that foreclose this opportunity. Our study will shed light on whether investments and partnerships pursued by dominant companies risk distorting innovation and undermining fair competition."

Where does Microsoft stock stand with analysts?

Microsoft is one of the best-performing Dow Jones stocks this year, up nearly 13%. The company's long-term gains are even more impressive and if you invested $1,000 in MSFT stock 20 years ago, you'd be sitting on a handsome return. 

Unsurprisingly, then, analysts are very bullish on the blue chip stock. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the consensus analyst target price for MSFT stock is $482.21, representing implied upside of about 14% to current levels. Meanwhile, the consensus recommendation is a Strong Buy.

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