Microsoft (MSFT) stock got a boost on Thursday after its Xbox division may have leaked the release date for the upcoming Forza Horizon 6 video game. Several outlets have reported a pop-up screen that appears in Forza Horizon 5 that lists the release date for the next game in the series as May 19, 2026, with early access starting on May 15.
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It comes as no surprise that Xbox is working on a new Forza Horizon, as the racing game has become one of the brand’s staple series. Another question that fans of the series have concerns Sony’s (SONY) PlayStation brand. The Forza Horizon series made the jump to PlayStation last year as part of Xbox’s plan to focus more on multi-console releases, rather than keep games exclusive to its consoles. Now fans are curious if Forza Horizon 6 will see a simultaneous release on Xbox and PlayStation consoles this year.
Gamers and investors will learn more about Xbox’s game plan for 2026 next week. The company has scheduled a Developer_Direct on Jan. 22, 2026 to offer insight into the various games set to release this year, including Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation.
Microsoft Stock Movement Today
Microsoft stock was up slightly on Thursday but remained down 4.96% year-to-date. Despite this dip, the shares have rallied 8.2% over the past 12 months.
MSFT stock saw muted trading activity today, as some 135,000 shares changed hands. For comparison, the stock’s three-month daily average trading volume is about 21.07 million units.
Is Microsoft Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, the analysts’ consensus rating for Microsoft is Strong Buy, based on 32 Buy and two Hold ratings over the past three months. With that comes an average MSFT stock price target of $631.36, representing a potential 37.2% upside for the shares.
