Tech stock-movers: Microsoft and Meta fall while Alphabet surges after earnings

In the latest market moves, Microsoft Corporation shares fell ~2.9 % despite beating earnings expectations; the cloud unit grew about 40 % year-on-year. Meanwhile, Alphabet Inc. surged ~8.2 % after posting a 16 % rise in third-quarter revenue driven by strong ad-business and cloud growth. Meta Platforms Inc. dropped ~7.3 % after a large one-time tax charge hit earnings, despite revenue beat. The divergence illustrates how investors penalise heavy spending even when top-line beats occur.