Microsoft Corporation $MSFT is Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s 7th Largest Position

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co decreased its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,139,676 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 23,700 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up about 3.3% of Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $551,170,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Altrius Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc now owns 675 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Sun Financial Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at $2,466,000. Sagace Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Sagace Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,014 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $490,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA now owns 13,750 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $6,650,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cypress Point Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. Cypress Point Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $879,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expected to showcase new AI tools for developers at its Build conference, including software for PCs and the cloud, which could reinforce its lead in enterprise AI and cloud computing. Microsoft expected to showcase new PC, cloud AI tools at developer conference
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s AI momentum remains a major bullish theme, with reports highlighting Copilot adoption and accelerating Azure growth as key drivers for the stock. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Microsoft, Dell, Thermo Fisher,Village Super Market and Comstock
• Positive Sentiment: Shares rose after Nvidia unveiled an AI-focused PC chip developed with Microsoft, reinforcing optimism around Microsoft’s Windows and AI PC ecosystem. Microsoft, Dell, and HP stocks rise as Nvidia announces new AI chip for personal computers
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are pointing to Microsoft as a top long-term AI beneficiary, with upbeat notes on its cloud franchise and software comeback. Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Extends Rally as Analysts Back ‘Compelling Vision of AI Sovereignty’
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft Build 2026 is set to begin, and investors are watching for product announcements that could move the stock further. Dear Microsoft Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for June 2
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted internal employee-sentiment changes and higher performance pressure, but this appears more like a background operating issue than a near-term stock driver. Internal Microsoft employee surveys reveal how sentiment is changing inside the software giant
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern persists around insider selling, which can temper enthusiasm even as the AI narrative improves. Microsoft Stock Analysis: Buy or Sell?

Microsoft Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $460.52 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The company has a 50-day moving average of $403.52 and a 200 day moving average of $433.78. The firm has a market cap of $3.42 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.41, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.11. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $356.28 and a 1 year high of $555.45.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The software giant reported $4.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $82.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $81.44 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.34% and a return on equity of 31.94%. Microsoft’s quarterly revenue was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.46 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on MSFT. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday. They set a “market outperform” rating for the company. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Microsoft from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Dbs Bank lowered their price target on shares of Microsoft from $678.00 to $573.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, China Renaissance lowered their price target on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $550.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Forty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $561.20.

Insider Transactions at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, EVP Amy Coleman sold 1,262 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.34, for a total transaction of $519,111.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,922,874.02. This trade represents a 2.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft develops, licenses and supports a broad range of software products, services and devices for consumers, enterprises and governments worldwide. Its operations span personal computing, productivity software, cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications, developer tools and gaming.

Microsoft’s product portfolio includes the Windows operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity and collaboration tools (Office apps, Outlook, Teams).