Microsoft Stock Has Grown Roughly 15-Fold Since Satya Nadella Became CEO in 2014, a 27% Annual Growth Rate That Ended 14 Years of Near-Zero Growth. Can That Pace Continue Under Heavy AI Spending?

Few can dispute the success that Satya Nadella has had as CEO of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) . Since he took the top job at the company in February 2014, its stock price has increased by about 1,360%. Factor in the value of reinvested dividends during that time, and Microsoft's total return was about 1,670%. Nonetheless, thanks to the massive capital expenditures required to stay competitive in the AI and cloud computing realms, its near-term outlook seems more unpredictable. Should investors expect lower returns in the years to come, or could that heavy spending maintain or accelerate this cloud stock 's gains? Image source: The Motley Fool.