We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Long-term Stocks to Invest in for High Returns. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) stands against the other best long-term stocks to invest in for high returns.

The global economy seems to be at a point where fiscal ambition intersects with market skepticism, says Oakglen Wealth. Donald Trump’s presidential election and the Republican takeover of the US Senate and retention of the House of Representatives resulted in a complicated mix of policy goals. Notably, the broader market’s initial reaction hints at positivity given Trump’s plans for growth, hinting at the continued outperformance of US assets in the year ahead.

Sectors To Focus on in 2025

Fidelity has an optimistic view of the financial sector, primarily because of steady economic growth for the broader US economy. Since the financial sector is cyclical, the sector’s performance is mainly a function of the strength of the broader economy. The US economy has been showing momentum and a path towards the desired “soft landing,” says Fidelity. Therefore, worries about a mild recession (which could have impacted the financial stocks) are alleviated. One significant difference in market dynamics entering 2025, in comparison to recent years, is the outlook on interest rates.

The H2 2024 began a new rate cycle, with the US Fed cutting rates for the first time since the initial days of the pandemic. Banks might benefit from higher interest rates due to higher NIMs. On the other hand, lower rates can help boost confidence and decrease the pressure on economic growth, which is expected to be beneficial for virtually all industries in this sector, opines Fidelity. Within equities, Franklin Templeton has an optimistic outlook on IT, health care, energy, consumer staples, and industrial sectors.

READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In.

Growth Drivers Amidst Policy Shifts

As per Russell Investments, the US economy is resilient as it enters 2025, but the road ahead is expected to be affected by shifting policy dynamics. On the positive side, tax cuts and deregulation can offer a meaningful growth boost, mainly to domestic and cyclical sectors. The investment firm believes that companies leveraging AI technologies to enhance productivity—mainly in industrials and healthcare— are expected to see material improvements to operating fundamentals.

Even though the mega-cap AI stocks have fueled the market returns over recent years, leadership has been shifting to companies leveraging AI to develop real-world efficiencies. Russell Investments believes that the Trump administration’s policies offer a delicate balancing act. It assumes that the new administration will not aggressively pursue policies that can create inflation risk.

Our Methodology

To list the 12 Best Long-term Stocks to Invest in for High Returns, we sifted through several financial media reports related to the best long-term stocks to buy. After getting an initial list of 20 stocks, we chose the ones which analysts saw the most upside to. Finally, the stocks were ranked in ascending order of their average upside potential, as of February 6. We also mentioned the hedge fund sentiments around each stock, as of Q3 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Average Upside Potential: 21.7%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 279

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) develops and supports software, services, devices and solutions. Analyst Bradley Sills from Bank of America Securities reiterated a “Buy” rating on the shares of the company, keeping the price objective at $510.00. The analyst’s rating stems from a combination of factors, highlighting Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s robust performance and potential for future growth. Even though there have been some execution challenges in the Azure segment, its core growth drivers remain strong, with Office products demonstrating significant strength.

The expected growth in Azure, fueled by AI workloads and large cloud deals, demonstrates a positive outlook for the upcoming quarters. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s strategic focus on AI, mainly through M365 Copilot, can fuel considerable revenue growth, reinforcing its position as a leader in applications and infrastructure. The rating and price target are backed by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s ability to capitalize on the expanding AI market.

Fred Alger Management, an investment management company, released its Q4 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:

“Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a beneficiary of corporate America’s transformative digitization. The company operates through three segments: Productivity and Business Processes (Office365, LinkedIn, and Dynamics), Intelligent Cloud (Server Products and Cloud Services, Azure, and Enterprise Services), and More Personal Computing (Windows, Devices, Gaming, and Search). During the quarter, Microsoft delivered better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter revenues, beating analyst estimates across all three segments. In the Intelligent Cloud business, Azure revenue grew 34% year[1]over-year, slightly above consensus, with AI Services contributing 12% to Azure’s growth, up from 11% in the previous quarter, as demand for AI continues to outpace capacity. However, shares declined after management signaled a potential deceleration in Azure growth for the next quarter and highlighted a negative earnings impact from OpenAI-related losses. Additionally, concerns over significantly increased AI-related capital expenditures (CapEx) raised questions about short-term profitability despite the long-term growth potential. While these near-term challenges led to shares detracting from performance for the quarter, we remain confident in Microsoft’s ability to maintain its leadership in AI.”

Overall MSFT ranks 10th on our list of the best long-term stocks to invest in for high returns. While we acknowledge the potential of MSFT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than MSFT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.