Microsoft Bulls Still Play Waiting Game

Updated from 7:01 a.m. EDT

A raft of legal settlements, steady quarterly sales growth and the likelihood of higher dividends have thus far failed to breathe life back into Microsoft's (MSFT Quote) stock. The tech bellwether's stock has traded virtually flat from a year ago, as the Goldman Sachs Software Index gained 41.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 38.9%.

So what will it take to revive shares of the world's largest software maker? Investors looking for answers in Thursday's third-quarter earnings report may be disappointed. ...