KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia rallied to close broadly higher on Wednesday amid strong buying interests mainly in utility and technology stocks, with the benchmark index gaining 0.44 per cent. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 7.13 points to 1,614.09 from Tuesday’s close of 1,606.96. The index opened marginally higher at 1,606.97 and moved between 1,606.53 and 1,616.03 throughout the day. Advancers thumped decliners 727 to 381 on the broader market, with 522 counters unchanged, 781 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover advanced to 3.60 billion units valued at RM3.30 billion versus 3.32 billion units valued at RM3.30 billion on Tuesday.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a broad antitrust probe into Microsoft, scrutinizing its software licensing, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) businesses. The investigation, approved by FTC Chair Lina Khan, comes ahead of her anticipated departure in January.
Key Focus Areas:
Azure Cloud Services:
- Allegations of punitive licensing terms that discourage customers from switching to rival platforms.
- Competitors like Google claim Microsoft imposes a 400% markup for running Windows Server on non-Microsoft clouds.
AI Integration:
- The FTC is examining Microsoft’s AI tools integrated into Office and Outlook and its $650 million deal with Inflection AI.
Monopoly Concerns:
- Microsoft’s dominant position in productivity software and operating systems is under scrutiny.
- NetChoice, representing competitors like Amazon and Google, criticized Microsoft's practices as anti-competitive.
Broader Context:
- Microsoft has largely avoided the intense scrutiny faced by other Big Tech companies like Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Google, the latter of which is battling two high-profile antitrust lawsuits.
- Google has accused Microsoft of monopolistic practices and raised complaints with the European Commission.
Trump Administration Influence:
The probe’s trajectory may shift under President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to appoint a more business-friendly FTC chair. While the Trump administration previously pursued aggressive antitrust actions against Big Tech, Microsoft has historically benefited from Trump-era policies, including winning a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract over Amazon in 2019.
Implications for Microsoft:
- The FTC’s demands for detailed information suggest a comprehensive investigation into Microsoft’s market dominance.
- Any regulatory actions could reshape its business strategies, particularly in cloud computing and AI.
While the outcome remains uncertain, the probe highlights growing concerns over Microsoft’s market power and its potential impact on competition in the tech sector.
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