Anthropic, the company behind the Claude chatbot, has launched its own spreadsheet software, Claude Sheets, along with Claude Whiteboards, both now in beta. The tools, released on November 10, 2026, offer basic spreadsheet functionality and collaborative features, though they are still in early development. Anthropic acknowledges that Claude Sheets is not yet a full replacement for Microsoft Excel, suggesting users export files to .xlsx or CSV formats for more advanced needs.
Microsoft's Excel is a key component of Microsoft 365, which generated around $111 billion in revenue for fiscal 2026. Microsoft 365 accounts for roughly a third of Microsoft's total revenue, making it a critical segment for the company. Despite a recent 2.2% drop in Microsoft's stock price to $533, shares are still up about 10% for the year.
The growth in paid Microsoft 365 commercial seats has slowed to 5% in the latest quarter, down from 7% a year earlier. While revenue per user has increased due to upgrades to premium plans, the slower seat growth could be a concern if competitors like Anthropic start attracting Microsoft's customers. Microsoft's CFO, Amy Hood, attributed some of the slowdown to weaker sales execution in standard plans.
Analysts suggest that while Claude Sheets is not yet a reason to sell Microsoft stock, it highlights the importance of monitoring Microsoft 365's performance. The stock's current price of around 30 times adjusted earnings leaves little room for further declines in seat growth, making it a less attractive entry point for new investors.