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MODEL · T08

Will Microsoft report a company-wide gross margin percentage for the quarter ending June 30, 2027 that is at least 100 basis points above the same quarter of fiscal 2025, as disclosed in its SEC filings?

Falling cost per served token outpaces token price declines, so hyperscaler-reported gross margins expand despite surging AI inference volume and depreciation from the capex buildout.

Questions 6Open 6Call held 0Call missed 0

Cost per token falls faster than price

Hardware generation gains, inference software optimization (batching, caching, routing, distillation) and volume leverage cut cost per token faster than list prices fall, while agentic workloads inflect token volume. Reported cloud and company-level gross margins widen, the AI capex ROI overhang narrows, and reinvestment is funded from operating cash flow rather than margin sacrifice.

2 voices

The case against it

Tight compute supply combined with declining token pricing, so compressed margins or reduced investment returns for AI model developers. Introduction of real inference costs that scale with customer usage instead of marginal cost approaching zero, so traditional J-curve where customer lifetime value rises with retention no longer holds; retained customers become more expensive to serve, compressing margins. It would show first if hyperscaler gross margin percentage declines year over year while AI revenue grows, with management citing inference cost or depreciation.

5 voices

The questions

  1. Settles Oct 28open

    Will Microsoft's research and development spending reach at least 10.8 percent of revenue for the quarter ending September 30, 2026?

  2. Settles Oct 28open

    Will Microsoft's research and development spending reach at least 11.3 percent of its revenue in the quarter ended September 30, 2026?

  3. Settles Oct 28open

    Will Microsoft's research and development spending reach at least 11.9 percent of its revenue in the quarter ended September 30, 2026?

  4. Settles Oct 28open

    Will Alphabet's research and development spending reach at least 14.8 percent of its revenue in the quarter ended September 30, 2026?

  5. Settles Oct 28open

    Will Alphabet's R&D spending for Q3 2026 be at least 15.3% of its revenue?

  6. Settles Oct 28open

    Will Alphabet's R&D spending hit at least 15.9% of revenue in Q3 2026?

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