Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) Tips Up With New Scam-Fighting Coalition

Tech giant Microsoft MSFT +0.62% ▲ knows the kind of impact that scammers can have on people, and has decided to take the fight to the scammers directly. It is joining a coalition effort of 11 major technology and retail operations to fight back, which is the kind of thing that should help public perception immensely. Investors were a bit skeptical, though, and gave Microsoft shares a fractional boost in Monday afternoon’s trading.

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Tech providers are discovering, likely to their collective dismay, that scammers are getting increasingly organized, and they are putting both online forums and artificial intelligence (AI) to work on their behalf. Thus, tech providers are starting to reconsider how best to protect their own user bases, and the coalition known as the “Industry Accord Against Online Scams & Fraud” was created.

The coalition looks to establish “…expectations for how signatories will work across online services to counter scammers,” while also looking to “…drive a united industry response alongside governments, law enforcement, NGOs, and others working to combat fraud and scams.” If that sounds remarkably generalized, bear in mind these are early-stage efforts. However, several efforts are planned for near-term execution, including information sharing with law enforcement and the development and deployment of new tools.

Shove an AI in It

New reports suggest that gamers will be next to feel the impact of Copilot included in their platform of choice, as current-generation consoles will soon have access to Gaming Copilot. Previously available as a beta option, the complete version will go live before the end of this year, reports note.

This move will reportedly help users “…get to the fun, faster” by offering recommendations for new purchases and even personalized coaching. However, given reports that the system may represent a violation of European rights under the GDPR, the Copilot system may not be a smooth addition for everybody.

Is Microsoft a Buy, Hold or Sell?

Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on MSFT stock based on 33 Buys and three Holds assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 1.76% rally in its share price over the past year, the average MSFT price target of $594.02 per share implies 48.9% upside potential.

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