Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock: SVB Wealth LLC Decreases Position

SVB Wealth LLC cut its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 9.8% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 134,978 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 14,713 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 2.9% of SVB Wealth LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. SVB Wealth LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $50,350,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth $27,338,370,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $18,306,443,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at about $6,928,664,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at about $5,653,812,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at about $4,000,706,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 7,305 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total transaction of $3,984,293.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 555,396 shares in the company, valued at $302,924,086.32. The trade was a 1.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MSFT. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 28th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $570.00 to $625.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, William Blair started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, October 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $609.54.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Azure’s reported 48% growth helped lift Microsoft amid an AI-related tech rebound. Commentary also points to AI demand exceeding available capacity and argues Microsoft can fund its expansion from strong cash flow—an advantage as investors scrutinize rivals’ borrowing and spending. Article: What’s Going on with Microsoft Stock on Tuesday? Article: Why Microsoft Was Rewarded for Spending Less on AI
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s AI tools may reach a broader base of PC users: the company says AI can run on a computer with 8GB of memory, potentially supporting adoption of Copilot and related services. Article: AI on an 8GB PC? Yes, Says Microsoft
• Neutral Sentiment: Xbox’s reveal of a new Elder Scrolls title drew attention to Microsoft’s gaming business, but the article provides no indication of near-term financial impact. Article: Microsoft Stock Rises After The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel Reveal
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha contributor downgraded Microsoft, arguing that the easiest gains may be behind the stock—an assessment that could temper expectations after its recent strength. Article: Microsoft: The Easy Gains Are Already Over (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft’s reported $45.2 billion in quarterly capital spending, largely for AI, underscores the risk that infrastructure costs could weigh on cash flow before returns fully materialize. Reports of buyouts offered to roughly 60,000 employees may also prompt questions about workforce changes. Article: 5 questions to ask if your boss offers you a buyout

Microsoft Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $551.15. The stock has a market cap of $3.87 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a fifty day moving average of $514.06 and a two-hundred day moving average of $438.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.72 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.28% and a net margin of 41.17%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.13 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 19.00%.

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital platforms. Its products and services are used by consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

The company’s principal offerings include the Windows operating system; Microsoft 365 productivity applications such as Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook; Azure cloud computing and infrastructure services; Dynamics business applications; and enterprise security solutions.