Microsoft (MSFT) – Research Analysts’ Weekly Ratings Changes

A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) recently:

• 4/16/2026 – Microsoft had its price target lowered by TD Cowen from $610.00 to $540.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 4/15/2026 – Microsoft had its price target lowered by Robert W. Baird from $540.00 to $500.00. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.
• 4/14/2026 – Microsoft had its price target lowered by Mizuho from $620.00 to $515.00. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.
• 4/14/2026 – Microsoft had its price target lowered by Piper Sandler from $600.00 to $500.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 4/10/2026 – Microsoft had its price target lowered by BNP Paribas Exane from $659.00 to $556.00. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.
• 4/1/2026 – Microsoft is now covered by Benchmark Co.. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 3/31/2026 – Microsoft had its price target raised by New Street Research from $670.00 to $675.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 3/25/2026 – Microsoft had its price target lowered by UBS Group AG from $600.00 to $510.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 3/24/2026 – Microsoft was downgraded by Weiss Ratings from “buy (b-)” to “hold (c+)”.
• 3/24/2026 – Microsoft is now covered by Bank of America Corporation. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock.
• 3/9/2026 – Microsoft had its “outperform” rating reaffirmed by William Blair.
• 3/9/2026 – Microsoft had its “overweight” rating reaffirmed by Barclays PLC.
• 3/5/2026 – Microsoft had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by Jefferies Financial Group Inc..
• 3/2/2026 – Microsoft had its “outperform” rating reaffirmed by Royal Bank Of Canada.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors 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 dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.76%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John W. Stanton purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $56,486,322.16. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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).