Nasdaq Posts Best Day Since June on Microsoft Azure Revenue Surge

U.S. stock markets rebounded sharply on Thursday, with the Nasdaq Composite surging 2.6% to its best day since mid-June. Microsoft led the rally, jumping 16.4% after reporting $90 billion in quarterly revenue and 43% Azure cloud growth, proving that AI investments are generating real returns. While semiconductor stocks celebrated alongside Microsoft, Meta Platforms declined 9.2% after missing earnings expectations and reporting a 91% collapse in free cash flow, highlighting the contrast between profitable and unprofitable AI spending strategies.