British watchdog seeks tougher terms around Microsoft's dominance of business software

UK CMA proposes designating Microsoft with strategic market status in business software, opening the door to behavioural remedies on bundling, licensing and cloud integration. The consultation runs to 13 November, with a final decision only by February 2027, so near-term earnings impact is limited. Still, the precedent matters: parallel FTC and EU scrutiny could amplify regulatory overhang for Microsoft and rival cloud providers, tempering sentiment toward big-tech software names.