Chancellor Financial Group WB LP ve druhém čtvrtletí nově investovala přibližně 11,482 milionu USD do akcií společnosti Microsoft nákupem 30 780 akcií.
Chancellor Financial Group WB LP bought a new stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 30,780 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $11,482,000. Microsoft comprises about 7.1% of Chancellor Financial Group WB LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding.
Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth $370,802,000. Balanced Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $692,000. Avaii Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at about $925,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at about $4,922,000. Finally, Vista Cima Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at about $4,226,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity In other Microsoft news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week: Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Microsoft Stock Up 2.4% Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $535.07 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.79, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a fifty day moving average of $501.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $434.73. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $553.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have commented on MSFT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $550.00 to $610.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $660.00 price objective on Microsoft in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Melius Research set a $665.00 target price on Microsoft and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Forty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Get Our Latest Research Report on MSFT
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 13,195 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $4,922,000.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Vista Cima Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,226,000. Pacific Sun Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,132,000. Stevens Capital Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,556,000. Altiora Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,626,000. Finally, BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $4,647,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling In other news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently issued reports on MSFT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Forty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73. Get Our Latest Report on MSFT
Microsoft News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Microsoft Trading Up 2.4% Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $535.07 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $501.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $434.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.97 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Microsoft ve fiskálním roce 2026 zvýšil kapitálové výdaje na 116 mld. USD, zatímco celkové tržby vzrostly meziročně o 17 % a tržby Microsoft Cloud o 27 %.
Few can dispute the success that Satya Nadella has had as CEO of Microsoft (MSFT +2.38%). Since he took the top job at the company in February 2014, its stock price has increased by about 1,360%. Factor in the value of reinvested dividends during that time, and Microsoft's total return was about 1,670%.
Nonetheless, thanks to the massive capital expenditures required to stay competitive in the AI and cloud computing realms, its near-term outlook seems more unpredictable. Should investors expect lower returns in the years to come, or could that heavy spending maintain or accelerate this cloud stock's gains?
Image source: The Motley Fool.
One need only look at the trend in its capex figures to become concerned about this issue. In Microsoft's fiscal 2026 (which ended June 30), its capex was $116 billion, well above the $65 billion in the prior fiscal year or the $44 billion in fiscal 2024.
This rapidly climbing spending is not unique to Microsoft, which has the second-largest share of the global cloud infrastructure market. Its largest cloud competitor, Amazon, is on track to spend $220 billion in capex in 2026, while Alphabet, owner of third-place player Google Cloud, plans to spend approximately $200 billion.
However, in Microsoft's case, the improvements may be marginal. In fiscal 2026, revenue increased by 17%. That was only slightly above its 15% gain in fiscal 2025.
Moreover, Microsoft Cloud increased revenue by 27% year over year in fiscal 2026, a level unchanged from the prior year. And despite those gains, Microsoft's share price performance is on track to lag the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.59%) for a third straight year.
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Microsoft's revenue growth also compares unfavorably with its peers, at least so far this fiscal year. In the first half of 2026, Amazon Web Services' revenue grew by 31% year over year, compared with 17% growth in the first two quarters of 2025. During the same periods, Google Cloud experienced a 73% revenue gain, far above its 30% increase in the prior-year period.
To be fair, Microsoft has not published Azure's revenue growth in the past, something it plans to do in the future. Nonetheless, we know that it has surpassed $100 billion for the first time on an annual basis, and in fiscal Q4, it increased by 43%. That indicates its investment may have gained more traction than the Microsoft Cloud numbers imply.
In terms of P/E ratios, Microsoft is the highest, though Amazon's and Alphabet's earnings multiples were skewed lower by one-time benefits relating to their gains on investments in other companies. Microsoft's forward P/E is the lowest at 27, but given the fact that its peers trade at only a slight premium, that may not be enough to lead investors to choose Microsoft stock.
CompanyP/E Ratio (TTM)P/E Ratio (Forward)Microsoft3027Amazon2131Alphabet1829 Data source: YCharts. TTM = trailing 12 months.
Microsoft's AI spending Given the effects of AI spending, investors should probably expect continued increases, though not at the same pace. Indeed, its growth rates remain brisk, and early indications suggest Microsoft has seen some increases.
However, Microsoft has underperformed the S&P 500 in recent years. Additionally, given the numbers revealed to the public, one has to assume Amazon and Alphabet have gained more traction from their AI spending. When their valuations are factored in, Microsoft's largest cloud peers are likely better buys right now.
Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 19.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,099 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 3,671 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 1.8% of Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $8,243,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. Gould Capital LLC raised its stake in Microsoft by 19.9% in the second quarter. Gould Capital LLC now owns 12,223 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $4,560,000 after buying an additional 2,029 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 4.6% during the second quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 169,135 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $63,091,000 after acquiring an additional 7,479 shares during the last quarter. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at about $328,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 5.2% during the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 273,833 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $102,145,000 after acquiring an additional 13,583 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. now owns 6,814 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,542,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Insiders Place Their Bets In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This trade represents a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes MSFT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $586.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, July 27th. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Microsoft
Microsoft Trading Up 2.4% Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $535.07 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The business has a 50 day moving average of $501.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $434.73. The company has a market capitalization of $3.97 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.79, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.27%.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Alphabet Introduces Gemini Agent—Can It Trigger a Breakout? Palantir’s Rally Puts Wall Street in Catch-Up Mode Ahead of November Earnings Tilray Finds a Path to Growth Without Waiting on U.S. Cannabis Reform Arista Networks Plugs Into All-Time Highs Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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SummaryAzure grew 43%, but Microsoft’s $115.9 billion FY2026 capex increasingly makes AI infrastructure economics the central investment question.Hybrid intelligence could shift inference toward customer-owned hardware while Microsoft monetizes Copilot, identity, security, data, and enterprise workflows.Microsoft’s model-agnostic architecture makes compute increasingly replaceable, potentially improving AI revenue generated per dollar of company-owned infrastructure.At $530, MSFT trades around 26.4 times FY2027 earnings, with my scenarios ranging from approximately $400 to $702. tupungato/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Microsoft (MSFT) has traditionally been seen as a rather straightforward investment in AI: build expensive infrastructure, grow Azure, generate cash through Copilot, and then let operating leverage do the rest. I believe that recent developments suggest
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Microsoft ve čtvrtletí vykázal tržby ve výši 90,01 miliardy USD, což představuje meziroční nárůst o 17,7 %, a zisk na jednu akcii 4,74 USD, oproti odhadu 4,24 USD.
Investor s Fiduciary Advisor Network LLC cut its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 6.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 32,040 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 2,354 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up about 4.1% of Investor s Fiduciary Advisor Network LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Investor s Fiduciary Advisor Network LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $11,951,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its stake in Microsoft by 56,160.8% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,338,370,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 64,375,360 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $24,013,297,000 after buying an additional 543,172 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $18,306,443,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,426,862,000 after acquiring an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Microsoft Stock Down 1.3% Shares of MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $499.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $434.03. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. The company has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Insider Activity In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $586.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, July 27th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Argus lowered their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a research report on Monday. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
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Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Microsoft Corporation NASDAQ: MSFT stock is closing in on familiar territory. Shares traded around $530 this week. That puts MSFT within 5% of its 52-week high of $553.72.
Microsoft Today
$534.94 +12.33 (+2.36%)
As of 12:37 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
$349.20▼
$553.720.73%
29.78
$578.73
That's a remarkable turnaround. Microsoft gained about 37% in the third quarter of 2026. It was the company's best quarterly performance since 1998. In late June, shares were trading around $372.
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But the easy part of this rally may be over. The next leg is less about Microsoft's business and more about investor psychology.
MSFT peaked near $555 in October 2025. It then spent roughly eight months falling. At the bottom, a $10,000 investment made at the peak was worth about $6,510. Many of those investors are finally close to breaking even.
That creates a different kind of test for MSFT stock. Investors tend to sell winners too early and hold losers too long. When a losing position finally gets back to even, the urge to sell can be overwhelming.
Microsoft's fundamentals have earned this rally. Now the stock has to work through a wall of breakeven sellers. And it has to do that heading into an earnings report where expectations are much higher than they were three months ago.
Q4 Turned a Pariah Into Wall Street's DarlingIt's hard to overstate how fast the narrative changed. Heading into July, the story around Microsoft was capital expenditures (CapEx) fatigue. Investors questioned whether its massive AI spending would ever earn an adequate return.
Then Microsoft reported fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 results on July 29. Revenue came in at $90 billion, up nearly 18% year-over-year. Azure crossed $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time. Earnings per share (EPS) of $4.74 topped the $4.24 consensus estimate.
The stock jumped about 15% the next day. It was Microsoft's biggest single-day gain since 2008.
Analysts have followed the price higher. Stifel upgraded MSFT to Buy in late September. On Oct. 5, Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 price target. Scotiabank raised its target to $615 from $510.
This is the same company, with largely the same AI strategy, that investors were avoiding in the spring. What changed was perception. In other words, the numbers gave investors permission to believe again.
Why $555 Is a Psychological Level, Not Just a Technical OneMost investors will see $553.72 as resistance on a chart. That's true, but it misses the behavioral story behind the number.
Think about who owns MSFT at that level. Many bought during the AI enthusiasm of late 2025. Some added on the way down, convinced the sell-off was overdone. Others simply held through a drawdown of roughly 35%.
Behavioral economists call the tendency to sell winners and hold losers the disposition effect. A related bias, sometimes called "get-evenitis," keeps investors anchored to their purchase price. Once a stock gets back there, the relief of not losing money often beats the hope of more gains.
That doesn't mean Microsoft can't break through. It means the stock needs a reason to absorb that supply. Momentum alone may not be enough. A fresh catalyst usually does the job. For Microsoft, that catalyst is its Q1 earnings report for fiscal year 2027 (FY2027).
Earnings Will Have to Clear a Higher BarMicrosoft hasn't confirmed its next earnings date, but the report date is estimated for Oct. 28. The headline number will be Azure growth. Management guided for growth of about 45% in the quarter.
Three months ago, a number like that would have looked like upside. Now it's closer to the baseline. With the stock up nearly 40% in a quarter, investors may want more than a match.
There's also some fine print in last quarter's beat. The $4.74 EPS figure included a $3.2 billion gain on Microsoft's Anthropic stake. That's a real gain, but it isn't a repeatable operating result.
Spending remains part of the debate, too. Quarterly capital expenditures roughly doubled year-over-year, and free cash flow fell about 23%. Management also expects CapEx to grow again in fiscal 2027.
None of this breaks the bull case. CFO Amy Hood said in July that demand still exceeds available capacity. But it does mean the stock has less room for a merely good quarter.
Chasing MSFT at $530 Is a Different TradeFor long-term investors, Microsoft's story looks stronger than it did six months ago. Its AI investments are showing up in revenue, and Wall Street sentiment has turned firmly bullish.
But buying MSFT at $530 isn't the same trade as buying it at $372. At roughly 30x trailing earnings, the stock is priced for steady execution. The margin for error is thinner.
Investors who want exposure may be better served by scaling in. A pullback toward $500, where the stock consolidated in late September, would offer a more comfortable entry. A decisive close above $553.72 on strong volume would confirm a breakout.
If MSFT stalls near its old high, don't read it as a verdict on the business. It may simply be breakeven investors heading for the exits. Once they're gone, the path higher could get a lot easier.
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GitHub je přibližně ze 60 % migrován na Azure, aby vyřešil kapacitní problémy po nárůstu využívání AI agentů; v září zaznamenal 7,38 miliardy potvrzení změn.
GitHub COO Kyle Daigle, who now also leads developer marketing for all of Microsoft, speaks at GitHub Universe last year. (Microsoft Photo) GeekWire is profiling over the next few weeks some of the people and teams that are shaping the evolution of Microsoft in what we’re calling its “Microsoft 2.5” era.
A delicate dance: In August 2025, Microsoft moved to integrate GitHub into the mothership, under its CoreAI division, after having allowed it to run as a quasi-independent entity since acquiring it in 2018. At the same time, GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke announced he would leave the company at the end of the year.
A number of developers feared the worst: GitHub would become just another arm of Microsoft and lose the community-mindedness that had made it attractive to developers of all stripes, and especially open-source ones.
GitHub Chief Operating Officer Kyle Daigle — a 13-plus-year GitHub veteran — had been one of the main champions of the need to “keep GitHub GitHub.” He maintained that stance even after he added the “Chief Marketing Officer of Developer” title for all of Microsoft to his COO role in January 2026.
So, how has Microsoft done this past year with managing GitHub? In an interview with GeekWire, Daigle acknowledged that GitHub’s relationship with Microsoft has changed since the end of the standalone CEO era. But the goal is no longer just “don’t break GitHub.” It’s to export GitHub’s community, developer-first ethos and learnings across Microsoft.
GitHub has influence beyond just the GitHub product set now, Daigle said. And the fact that Microsoft opted to consolidate its developer-facing messaging and community outreach under Daigle, someone who came from GitHub, not from Microsoft’s traditional DevDiv organization, gives weight to his claim.
“Bringing teams together — engineering teams and marketing teams and everyone that wasn’t talking to each other before — has been a really big part of the work,” Daigle said. “I see all these opportunities for GitHub to directly help and impact the overall mission of Microsoft versus keeping it cloistered in a way that isn’t helping either GitHub’s mission or Microsoft’s mission.”
These days, developer teams across Microsoft and GitHub are sharing foundations and the GitHub Copilot software development kit across organizations “in a way that would have seemed improbable before,” he said.
As Microsoft historians know, “Microsoft’s challenge isn’t creating products. It’s connecting them,” Daigle said.
Growing pains: At the same time, the rise of AI agents has strained GitHub’s infrastructure. Over the past few months, GitHub has experienced some significant outages, including one in August that lasted nearly eight hours.
GitHub officials have said they are migrating from their own datacenters to Azure to try to ease some of the capacity issues. Daigle said it’s not a simple lift-and-shift process; rather, it’s a major re-architecture for the platform.
GitHub is roughly 60% through its Azure migration as of early October, he said.
It’s working with Azure storage teams on separating compute and storage for the Git distributed version control system to help alleviate bottlenecks caused by developers and agents working concurrently in the same repositories. Developers and agents made 7.38 billion commits on GitHub in September alone, according to the company.
GitHub’s recent growth would not have been manageable without Microsoft scaling expertise and Azure support, Daigle said. GitHub is in a unique position of being able to request major additional capacity, such as millions of CPUs, and work with Microsoft teams to provision it, he said.
The GitHub app and agent store: GitHub got its start as a platform for source control and collaboration. But its role is evolving as part of its Microsoft integration. In addition to developing and supporting Microsoft’s most successful Copilot, GitHub Copilot, GitHub has an important place in Microsoft’s agent-centric strategy.
GitHub is becoming “the store for anything that needs to be coded and needs some verification,” Daigle said. “We’ll connect you to whatever the right tool inside of Microsoft is for you to run that or whatever tool you’re using, not just (from) the Microsoft product suite.”
In the new world order, GitHub isn’t just the store for apps. Increasingly, it’s also the store for agents, which means GitHub is acting as the developer layer for Microsoft’s “agent factory” strategy.
(Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates envisioned Microsoft as a “software factory” that could produce software at scale. These days, CEO Satya Nadella and team talk about Microsoft as an “agent factory,” helping customers create agents at scale.)
GitHub currently serves more than 200 million developers, plus an unknown but quickly growing number of agents.
Developers need to be thinking in new ways when it comes to agents, Daigle said. They need to consider ideas such as scaling application programming interfaces (APIs) for agents separately from humans, creating APIs designed specifically for agents, rewriting documentation and tooling so agents can consume GitHub efficiently, and treating agent access as a fundamentally different workload from human access.
In the longer term, Daigle said he expects AI to make software economically viable for smaller audiences, such as a family, an individual or a single team. The app-store model may change substantially in the coming years, as people create highly specialized applications. GitHub could help like-minded users discover software for specific interests, such as a narrowly focused household or community use case.
GitHub historically has considered anyone who has seen or touched code to be part of the developer community. Daigle’s vision is for GitHub and Microsoft to let both professional developers and newer builders create and run software and agents without needing to manage token costs, uptime, monitoring or operational overhead.
GitHub will have more to say about its plans at the GitHub Universe conference in San Francisco, Oct. 28-29. The event won’t focus on code generation alone; it will include information on tools covering the full lifecycle, proactive security approaches and how to determine whether software is working well after deployment.
“We’re looking to solve the core parts of the platform, like Git, like Actions, in a way that I hope will make people excited and feel like they can absolutely trust GitHub for the next decade to come,” Daigle said.
Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 63,007 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,691 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 1.3% of Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $23,503,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Microsoft by 234.5% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 17,822,280 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,619,211,000 after acquiring an additional 12,493,786 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in Microsoft by 30.8% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,426,862,000 after acquiring an additional 9,814,598 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Microsoft by 64.3% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,982,083,000 after acquiring an additional 9,493,778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 38,442.1% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,810,388 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,521,001,000 after acquiring an additional 6,792,718 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Microsoft News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Insider Transactions at Microsoft In related news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MSFT shares. William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Evercore upgraded Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Microsoft from $550.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. CLSA reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Argus dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Forty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT
Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The business has a 50 day moving average of $499.74 and a 200-day moving average of $434.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.27%.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 5.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 273,833 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 13,583 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 5.2% of Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $102,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its stake in Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 234.5% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 17,822,280 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,619,211,000 after purchasing an additional 12,493,786 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after purchasing an additional 9,814,598 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Microsoft by 64.3% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,982,083,000 after buying an additional 9,493,778 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Microsoft by 38,442.1% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,810,388 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,521,001,000 after buying an additional 6,792,718 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Insider Activity at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock. Microsoft Stock Down 1.3% Shares of MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $499.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $434.03. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have issued reports on the company. William Blair started coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, July 27th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Melius Research set a $665.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Report on Microsoft
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push
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UNIVEST FINANCIAL ve druhém čtvrtletí zvýšila svůj podíl v Microsoftu o 4,1 % nákupem 7 239 akcií, čímž její držba vzrostla na 183 288 akcií v hodnotě 68,37 milionu USD.
UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp raised its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 183,288 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 7,239 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up approximately 3.4% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $68,370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $101,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 34.2% in the second quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% 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. Insiders sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week: Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $553.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $499.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $434.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho cut their target price on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. William Blair began coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $530.00 to $575.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $586.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $640.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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K.J. Harrison & Partners ve druhém čtvrtletí zvýšila svůj podíl ve společnosti Microsoft o 25,2 % nákupem 8 569 akcií, čímž navýšila celkový počet držených akcií na 42 540 v hodnotě 15 868 000 USD.
K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc increased its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 25.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,540 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,569 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises approximately 2.2% of K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest position. K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $15,868,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $101,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 34.2% in the second quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Barclays lowered their price target on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $550.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Wolfe Research lowered Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
View Our Latest Research Report on MSFT Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $349.20 and a one year high of $553.72. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $499.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $434.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Trending Headlines about Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Insider Activity In related news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push
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Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 169,135 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,479 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up about 2.3% of Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $63,091,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MSFT. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter worth $328,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Microsoft by 5.2% during the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 273,833 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $102,145,000 after buying an additional 13,583 shares in the last quarter. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Microsoft by 4.3% during the second quarter. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. now owns 6,814 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,542,000 after buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Graney & King LLC lifted its position in shares of Microsoft by 2.0% in the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 1,870 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $698,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 600,539 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $224,013,000 after acquiring an additional 10,905 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Microsoft Stock Performance MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $499.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $434.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have recently commented on MSFT shares. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. William Blair assumed coverage on Microsoft in a research report on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Evercore upgraded Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Raymond James Financial lowered shares of Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Tigress Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Microsoft
Insider Activity at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 in the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push
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Focused Alpha LLC grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 8.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 34,522 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 2,781 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for about 3.3% of Focused Alpha LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Focused Alpha LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $12,877,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its stake in Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after purchasing an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 10.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 64.3% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,982,083,000 after purchasing an additional 9,493,778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in Microsoft by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,715,379,000 after buying an additional 1,599,412 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Down 1.3% NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $499.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $434.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $553.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a boost 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%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have issued reports on MSFT. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $540.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push
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Occidental Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 43.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 85,268 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,650 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 3.2% of Occidental Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Occidental Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $31,807,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after acquiring an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after purchasing an additional 9,814,598 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 64.3% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,982,083,000 after purchasing an additional 9,493,778 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in Microsoft by 7.8% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,715,379,000 after buying an additional 1,599,412 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have weighed in on MSFT. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $550.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC began coverage on Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73. Read Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT
Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $499.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $434.03.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.65 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.98 dividend. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is 20.27%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In related 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 transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Gould Capital LLC boosted its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 19.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,223 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,029 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises 2.5% of Gould Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Gould Capital LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $4,560,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Frankly Finances LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Microsoft by 37.4% in the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Glynn Capital Management LLC raised its position in Microsoft by 34.2% during the second quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Microsoft during the fourth quarter worth $101,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have weighed in on MSFT. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane cut Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Barclays dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Evercore upgraded Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Melius Research set a $665.00 target price on Microsoft and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Forty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Microsoft Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Microsoft Price Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $522.61 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $499.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $434.03.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push
Receive News & Ratings for Microsoft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Microsoft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Aegis Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 3,422 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $1,276,000. Microsoft comprises approximately 0.6% of Aegis Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding.
A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp raised its position in Microsoft by 4.1% in the second quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp now owns 183,288 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $68,370,000 after purchasing an additional 7,239 shares during the period. K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc lifted its stake in Microsoft by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter. K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc now owns 42,540 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,868,000 after acquiring an additional 8,569 shares in the last quarter. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC now owns 687 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Auxano Advisors LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 131,823 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $49,173,000 after acquiring an additional 15,275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Argyle Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Argyle Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,456 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $4,273,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft Stock Down 1.3% Microsoft stock opened at $522.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The company has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $499.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $434.03.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The business had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current fiscal year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.27%.
Insider Activity In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Key Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MSFT has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group lowered shares of Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $530.00 to $575.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Want Private-Market Access to Kalshi and Polymarket? Try This ETF Levi’s Stock Dip Reveals Value Opportunity Despite Q3 Headwinds PepsiCo Stock Looks Poised to Bottom With High Yield, Deep Value Alphabet’s $1.8 Billion Black Hills Deal Powers AI Data Center Push Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Two Sigma Securities LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 6,019 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $2,245,000.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 4.0% during the second quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 229,490 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $85,604,000 after purchasing an additional 8,773 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. increased its holdings in Microsoft by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 537,630 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $199,014,000 after buying an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in Microsoft by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,921,677 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,562,197,000 after buying an additional 537,634 shares during the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. purchased a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth about $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 138.8% during the 1st quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,356,359 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $502,077,000 after acquiring an additional 788,297 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have recently commented on MSFT. UBS Group lowered shares of Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Melius Research set a $665.00 target price on shares of Microsoft and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Get Our Latest Report on MSFT Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its AI relationship with Nvidia and introduced the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX technology. The device is designed to run AI models and agents locally, potentially strengthening Windows’ role in the emerging “agentic” PC market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy After Expanding Its Nvidia Partnership? Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to cite Azure momentum, Copilot demand and Microsoft’s large backlog as evidence that its more than $175 billion AI infrastructure investment could generate sustainable returns. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 price target, while other analysts have issued targets as high as $635. Microsoft’s Integrated AI Stack and Enterprise Copilot Flywheel Justify Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft announced that fiscal 2027 first-quarter results will be released after the market closes on October 28. Investors are likely to focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI capital expenditures, free cash flow and forward guidance. Microsoft Announces Quarterly Earnings Release Date Negative Sentiment: The Labor Department suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification program used to help foreign workers obtain U.S. permanent residency, alleging misuse of worker programs. The restriction could raise hiring costs and, over time, make it harder to retain specialized AI talent, although the near-term earnings impact is expected to be limited. U.S. Suspends Microsoft, Adobe From Green-Card Labor Program Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Microsoft’s valuation is less attractive after its strong run, while heavy AI data-center spending may pressure free cash flow. Reports also questioned the reliability of OpenAI’s annual recurring revenue figures, adding uncertainty around a key AI partner. Oracle, Microsoft Shares Decline as OpenAI’s ARR Is Questioned Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned gaming companies over their use of virtual currencies, creating an additional regulatory overhang for the Xbox business. Italy Launches EU-Backed Probe Into Microsoft-Owned Gaming Companies Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% Shares of MSFT stock opened at $522.61 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $499.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $434.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.10, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Trumpova administrativa pozastavila pro Microsoft, Adobe a další firmy přijímání nových i vyřizování rozpracovaných žádostí v programu PERM, který je klíčový pro získání zaměstnaneckého imigračního víza.
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Business Insider dialed up immigration attorneys on Thursday to get their reaction to the Trump administration's latest move. Alex Wong/Getty Images The Trump administration's Thursday declaration that it was suspending Microsoft and Adobe from a federal visa sponsorship program is reverberating through the tech industry.
Immigration attorneys told Business Insider that employees on H-1B visas working at Microsoft, Adobe, and the other named tech companies should seek counsel and get clarity about their status in light of the suspensions.
Individual cases may vary, and the attorneys spoke in general terms about the advice they would give without knowing a client's specific circumstances or status.
"This is a time where immigrants, high-skilled immigrants, really need to pay attention to laws," said Tahmina Watson, a business immigration attorney at Watson Immigration Law in Seattle. "Things are changing on a dime," she added.
Business Insider spoke to eight immigration attorneys on Thursday in the wake of the announcement, as part of our ongoing series, "H-1B Fallout: 1 Year Later," which explores how foreign workers are navigating a rapidly changing US immigration landscape.
Some of the immigration attorneys said the suspensions were likely to be challenged in court. Others said they were the latest in a series of US measures targeting foreign workers. One attorney suggested they would only impact a relatively small group of workers.
"Most people will either be able to wait it out or have time to switch jobs," said Loren Locke, an attorney at Locke Immigration Law in Atlanta.
The Permanent Labor Certification, or PERM, program is an initial step that employers generally must complete before sponsoring a worker for an employment-based visa, requiring them to show that no qualified and available US workers could fill the role.
Vice President JD Vance said at a press conference on Thursday that Microsoft had "abused" this system by laying off American workers and using it to hire foreign ones, who he said were paid less. "If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants," Vance said.
A Microsoft spokesperson pointed Business Insider to a blog post the company published Thursday, which said "the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans." The company said it pays its H-1B employees "the same as any other employees doing comparable work."
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella receives the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Donald Trump on Thursday — hours after Microsoft's suspension from a visa program. Win McNamee/Getty Images Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said at the press conference that the government would not accept any new PERM applications or process any pending ones for the named companies, which, in addition to Microsoft and Adobe, also include tech outsourcing firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini.
The importance of knowing your statusIn suspending new and pending PERM applications, the Trump administration left a very specific group of H-1B visa holders in limbo, said Matthew Maiona, an immigration attorney at Maiona Ward in Boston.
Maiona said that a hypothetical employee at Microsoft or Adobe, six years into an H-1B visa, could now, in theory, be ordered to appear in immigration court under this new suspension.
"You could be in trouble if you cannot qualify for another non-immigrant visa classification," Maiona said. "You may have to leave the United States."
But Locke said workers would only face potential removal if they exhausted their H-1B eligibility and could not secure an extension or another legal basis — of which there are several — to remain in the country.
Though H-1B visas have a statutory maximum of six years before expiring, they can be extended past that number if workers have made sufficient progress toward obtaining a green card, she said.
"If the goal is to crush H-1B workers, it's not great, but it's not really crushing them either," Locke said.
Todd Pomerleau, an immigration attorney based in Boston, said that with uncertainty around the extent and enforcement of the suspensions, "anybody who's concerned about their immigration status needs to seek competent counsel."
'We will start seeing lawsuits'Some immigration attorneys who spoke with Business Insider said they expected the Trump administration's move to be challenged in a lawsuit that would argue the suspensions are outside the Labor Department's legal authority.
"I assume, by next week, we will start seeing lawsuits," said Kripa Upadhyay, the co-chair of Buchalter's Immigration & Global Mobility Practice, a Seattle firm.
Ted Chiappari, the head of immigration law at Duane Morris LLP, said federal statute only allows the Department of Labor to unilaterally suspend an employer from using the PERM program for 180 days.
"That gives the employer notice that there's an investigation going on, and at the end of that investigation, if they find something inappropriate, they have six years to decide whether to debar an employer," he said.
And even then, Chiappari said, they can only debar an employer for up to three years.
Only the latest H-1B broadsideFew attorneys interviewed by Business Insider said they were surprised by the measure. Mostly, they saw it as another salvo in what they described as the Trump administration's ongoing crackdown on foreign workers.
Upadhyay said that just the day before, she had spoken with a Microsoft employee on an H-1B whose spouse also was on an H-1B.
The person's H-1B extension was running out, and they now faced the "impossible decision" of moving to their home country, leaving behind their spouse and two US citizen children.
"I have children to support," Upadhyay recalled the worker saying. "What happens now?"
Upadhyay expects to get more of these calls.
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Truman Dickerson is the Weekend News Fellow at Business Insider, based in New York City. He covers trending tech and business news. He previously reported for The Boston Globe's Express Desk. He graduated from Boston University, where he served as editor in chief of The Daily Free Press, BU's student-run newspaper.Contact him at [email protected]
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Pranav Dixit is Business Insider’s Meta correspondent based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His reporting focuses on the company’s race to build and deploy AI, its shifting workplace and corporate strategy, and the consequences of its actions on users, employees, and the broader tech industry.Previously, Pranav was BuzzFeed News’ India-based technology correspondent, reporting on how Silicon Valley’s biggest companies affected the culture, politics, and society of South Asia. He was also a senior news editor at Engadget and led technology coverage at the Hindustan Times, one of India’s largest national newspapers. He moved to the United States in 2021 to be a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and calls himself an "accidental expat." Pranav’s award-winning reporting has shed light on the human consequences of Big Tech’s quest for growth in emerging markets, and sparked widespread global conversations about the impact of American technology companies on the Global South. He has reported from rural India about gruesome lynchings sparked by Whatsapp misinformation, and documented the world's longest-running internet shutdown from Kashmir, a volatile geopolitical hotspot.Pranav’s work has been cited in dozens of books and research papers, as well as by major national and international publications. He has appeared on the national and international television, and on podcasts including Vox Media’s Land of the Giants. His writing has also appeared in The Guardian, Vox, Time, The Information, and Al Jazeera.Pranav keeps sources anonymous. Please use a non-work device to reach out.
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Alex is a reporter at Business Insider writing about how people, from billionaires to penny-pinchers, save, invest, and manage their money. He previously covered private credit and equity, real estate, and real estate technology for Business Insider.Recently, he's covered Steve Schwarzman's hidden family office, private capital's push into your retirement account, a massive Airbnb tax-break unlocked by President Trump, and the ex-McKinsey consultant connecting Zohran Mamdani to the business world. According to one Fortune 500 CEO, he's a "fringe reporter."Before joining Business Insider in 2019, he worked for Bridgewater Associates and Peloton. He is the interim vice-chair of the Insider Union.He welcomes any and all reachouts, prioritizes his source's safety, and has a long record of working with confidential sources to tell deeply reported, complicated stories. He loves to yap.Get in touch! Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at @alexnicoll.01 using a non-work phone, email at [email protected] or [email protected], or Twitter DM at @nicollsanddimes.
Microsoft rozšířil spolupráci se společností Nvidia a uvede AI notebook Surface Laptop Ultra za cenu od 2 599 USD a vývojářský Dev Box za cenu od 5 999 USD.
Key Takeaways Microsoft expands its Nvidia partnership with new AI-powered PCs and developer workstations.Microsoft's strong growth is tempered by relatively flat EPS revisions and a premium valuation.MSFT shares have gained 9% this year, but stronger momentum may be found elsewhere in tech. Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) ) is strengthening its position in artificial intelligence after expanding its collaboration with Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) ) and introducing a new generation of AI-powered Windows PCs.
On Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled pricing and availability details for its Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark chip, which enables developers and consumers to run AI models directly on their devices rather than relying entirely on cloud infrastructure.
Starting at $2,599, the new laptop will become available on October 16, alongside Nvidia-powered AI PCs from Dell (DELL - Free Report) ), HP (HPQ - Free Report) ), Lenovo (LNVGY - Free Report) ), and other manufacturers.
Additionally, Microsoft announced the Nvidia-powered Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, designed for developers and AI engineers working with advanced models, which is expected to ship in November at a starting price of $5,999.
The collaboration could help Microsoft capture additional demand for AI-enabled computing while strengthening its Windows and Surface ecosystems.
Microsoft's Growth Outlook Remains StrongMicrosoft's growth trajectory remains encouraging, supported by expanding demand for Azure cloud services, enterprise AI applications, and its Microsoft 365 Copilot offerings.
During its most recent fiscal fourth quarter, Microsoft reported revenue of $90 billion, up 18% year over year, while adjusted earnings climbed 23% to $4.74 per share.
Looking ahead, the Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for Microsoft's current fiscal 2027 revenue to climb 17% to $390.2 billion, with earnings expected to increase 9% to $19.65 per share. Furthermore, FY28 sales and EPS are each projected to rise another 18%, highlighting the company's favorable longer-term growth prospects.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Tracking Microsoft’s EPS RevisionsAlthough Microsoft’s growth outlook remains strong, earnings estimate revisions have been largely unchanged.
The FY27 EPS consensus is slightly up in the past 60 days from $19.63 to $19.65, while FY28 estimates have dipped from $23.30 to $23.24. This suggests analysts remain confident in Microsoft's growth outlook but have yet to become more bullish on its near-term earnings trajectory.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Microsoft's Premium ValuationAt current levels, Microsoft stock trades at 27X forward earnings, well above its Zacks Computer-Software industry's average of 16X and at a slight premium to the benchmark S&P 500.
This premium reflects Microsoft's leadership in cloud computing, recurring enterprise software revenue, and expanding AI opportunities. Still, elevated expectations leave shares vulnerable to volatility if Azure growth slows or the company's substantial AI infrastructure investments pressure profitability.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bottom LineMicrosoft's expanded Nvidia collaboration adds another catalyst to its compelling long-term AI growth story. However, MSFT shares are up a respectable but relatively modest 9% year to date, suggesting investors may be gravitating toward other high-growth opportunities with stronger near-term momentum.
Combined with its premium P/E valuation and relatively stagnant earnings estimate revisions, Microsoft stock currently lands a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), with MSFT being more appealing as a long-term holding than an aggressive near-term buy.
Microsoft má objem smluvně nasmlouvaných komerčních zakázek ve výši 678 mld. USD, což představuje meziroční nárůst o 84 % a podporuje masivní investice do infrastruktury pro AI.
Key Takeaways Microsoft's AI buildout is backed by $678 billion in commercial remaining performance obligations.Short-lived AI hardware drives much of Microsoft's capex, allowing spending to slow if demand weakens.Amazon and Alphabet also ramp up AI spending, supported by strong cloud growth and sizable backlogs. Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) changed how it reports its business in September 2026, and the change puts its AI investment case in sharper focus. Starting with fiscal 2027, the company has merged its three reporting segments into two: Agents and Infra, and Devices and Consumer. The new Agents and Infra segment groups Azure, Microsoft 365 cloud and industry solutions together. Restated figures show the segment generated $268.1 billion in revenues and $136.4 billion in operating income in fiscal 2026, which works out to an operating margin above 50% even at the peak of the buildout. Management expects first-quarter fiscal 2027 Agents and Infra revenues of $75.15-$75.75 billion.
The spending is enormous. Fiscal fourth-quarter capital expenditures were $41 billion, and roughly two-thirds of that went to short-lived assets, mainly CPUs and GPUs. First-quarter capex is expected to exceed $50 billion, and a lease reclassification has lifted the calendar 2026 estimate to about $175 billion. Free cash flow fell to $19.6 billion from about $25.6 billion a year earlier, and Microsoft Cloud gross margin fell year over year to 65%.
The strongest offset is how much future demand is already visible. Commercial remaining performance obligation jumped 84% to $678 billion, and about 30% of it is expected to be recognized as revenue within 12 months. Azure revenues exceeded $100 billion for the first time in fiscal 2026. Under the new definition, Azure is projected to grow 44-45% in constant currency in the first quarter, while Microsoft 365 commercial cloud is expected to grow about 17%. That outlook is supported by more than 30 million paid Copilot seats and new usage-based billing.
For fiscal 2027, Microsoft expects double-digit growth in revenues and operating income. It sees full-year operating margins slipping by less than a point and free cash flow staying positive. Because so much of the spending goes to short-lived hardware, the company can slow purchases quickly if demand weakens. Rising depreciation and margin pressure remain real risks. Even so, guidance anchored in a large contracted backlog suggests the capex cycle is increasingly backed by committed demand.
How Amazon and Alphabet Stack Up on AI Capex ReturnsAmazon (AMZN - Free Report) and Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) are pursuing similarly aggressive AI infrastructure buildouts. Amazon raised its 2026 cash capex outlook to about $220 billion. AWS revenues climbed 37% to $42.2 billion in the second quarter, and its backlog reached $496 billion. Amazon expects capacity to remain short of demand into 2027. Alphabet lifted its 2026 capex guidance to $195-$205 billion, as Google Cloud revenues surged 82% to $24.8 billion. Alphabet's cloud backlog stood at $514 billion, with slightly more than half expected to convert into revenue within 24 months. However, Alphabet's free cash flow turned negative in the second quarter.
MSFT’s Share Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesMSFT shares have returned 9.6% in the year-to-date (YTD) period against the Zacks Computer – Software industry’s 0.1% return. The Zacks Computer and Technology sector has appreciated 25.4% in the same time frame.
MSFT’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MSFT stock appears overvalued, trading at a trailing 12-month price/earnings ratio of 30.66X, higher than the industry’s 28.57X. MSFT has a Value Score of D.
MSFT’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MSFT’s fiscal 2027 earnings is pegged at $19.65 per share. The estimate indicates 9.47% year-over-year growth.
Microsoft currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Italský antimonopolní úřad zahájil vyšetřování společnosti Microsoft, včetně její dceřiné společnosti Activision Blizzard, kvůli transparentnosti virtuálních měn ve hrách.
Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesOct 8 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Thursday it had launched a probe into several Microsoft-owned (MSFT.O), opens new tab video-game makers over their use of virtual currencies.
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Italy's probe is aimed at Activision Blizzard, among other companies of the Microsoft group, the antitrust authority said in a statement, without naming the others
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment
The move is part of a wider European Union-coordinated initiative by the EU's Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network. The network launched actions last month against nine video-game companies, including Riot Games, Ubisoft (UBIP.PA), opens new tab and Supercell, and had earlier opened a separate action against Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard
The aim of the coordinated action is to promote transparency and fairness in the gaming sector, particularly protecting the rights of minors
The probes focus on the transparency and fairness of in-game virtual currencies used to purchase cosmetic upgrades, weapon enhancements and other digital items, the Italian regulator said
Purchases are often priced in virtual currencies rather than euros and may involve multiple layers of conversion, making it harder for consumers to understand how much they are spending, the authority said
The Italian Competition Authority will act as lead authority, working together with peers in Norway and Denmark
The watchdogs will seek to determine whether the companies may have committed a "widespread infringement" of EU consumer protection rules affecting consumers in at least three EU member states
The coordinated action complements investigations the Italian regulator opened nationally in December into Microsoft group companies over the popular games "Diablo Immortal" and "Call of Duty Mobile".
Reporting by Anna Uras; Editing by Giulia Segreti and Xevi Fontdegloria
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Michael Burry zpochybnil masivní investice Microsoftu a dalších firem z oblasti Big Tech do datových center pro AI; podle něj mohou sloužit stejně k udržení tržní síly jako k uspokojení bezprostřední poptávky.
The investor argues that Big Tech's data center buildout may be driven as much by the race for market control as by immediate computing demand. Summary
Microsoft shares are up about 9.5% this year, according to the report.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, Financials), the software and cloud computing business, is confronting a familiar conundrum with a sharper edge: How much AI infrastructure expenditure is too much?
"Microsoft may be using its huge spending plans and financial metrics as a lever, and Wall Street is not looking closely enough at the numbers," investor Michael Burry (Trades, Portfolio) says. He's worried about the tech industry more generally.
“Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta are aggressively investing in data centers because they expect AI to reinforce their market power,” Burry believes. He cited OpenAI, Anthropic and Oracle as firms making significant investments to try to join that club as well.
The debate matters because AI infrastructure is now one of the biggest capital commitments confronting Big Tech. Investors have largely bought into such outlays on the assumption that demand for computer power will continue to increase.
Burry is challenging the premise, not providing evidence that Microsoft's expenditure will not provide enough returns.
This is vital. The true test for shareholders will be whether Microsoft can leverage its growing AI infrastructure into enough Azure, Copilot and other AI-related income to justify the cash it takes.
Microsoft shares have risen around 9.5% this year, the report said. The next catalyst will be Microsoft earnings, especially what management says about AI demand, infrastructure investments and the rewards from that investment.
Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.
Firetrail Investments ve druhém čtvrtletí nově nakoupila 19 160 akcií Microsoftu v hodnotě zhruba 7,104 milionu USD; tento podíl tvoří 2 % jejího portfolia.
Firetrail Investments PTY Ltd. purchased a new stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 19,160 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $7,104,000. Microsoft makes up approximately 2.0% of Firetrail Investments PTY Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Friedenthal Financial increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 6.2% during the first quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 431 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $160,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Sequent Planning LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Sequent Planning LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,382,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC now owns 5,543 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,052,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. American Investment Services Inc. grew its position in Microsoft by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. American Investment Services Inc. now owns 876 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Microsoft by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 2,453 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $915,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Insider Activity In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT stock opened at $529.76 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.50, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $498.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $433.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $349.20 and a one year high of $553.72. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The company’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.65 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is 20.27%.
Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have recently commented on MSFT. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, July 24th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $550.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Microsoft
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Pursue Wealth Partners ve druhém čtvrtletí snížila svůj podíl ve společnosti Microsoft o 29,2 % prodejem 6 928 akcií. Nyní drží 16 837 akcií v hodnotě 6,28 milionu USD.
Pursue Wealth Partners LLC lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 29.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,837 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 6,928 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 3.5% of Pursue Wealth Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Pursue Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $6,280,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 4.9% in the second quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 9,063 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $3,524,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at $94,867,000. Principle Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116,758 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $43,553,000 after buying an additional 2,104 shares in the last quarter. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV now owns 1,544 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $576,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focused Wealth Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 9.4% in the second quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 22,779 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,497,000 after buying an additional 1,954 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Up 0.1% NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $498.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $433.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.50, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.
Insider Activity at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently weighed in on MSFT shares. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Argus cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $540.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, William Blair began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Microsoft
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Microsoft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Microsoft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Panoramic Capital Partners ve 2. čtvrtletí snížila svůj podíl v Microsoftu o 40,8 % prodejem 7 004 akcií; nyní drží 10 149 akcií v hodnotě 3,786 milionu USD.
Panoramic Capital Partners LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 40.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,149 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 7,004 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up about 1.8% of Panoramic Capital Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Panoramic Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $3,786,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $35,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at about $59,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth about $101,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft Trading Up 0.1% MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $553.72. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $498.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $433.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. Analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current fiscal year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.27%.
Insider Activity In other Microsoft news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Citigroup upgraded Microsoft from a “market outperform” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a research note on Monday. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
View Our Latest Report on Microsoft
Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up
Receive News & Ratings for Microsoft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Microsoft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Principle Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 1.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 116,758 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 2,104 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for 2.2% of Principle Wealth Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Principle Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $43,553,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MSFT. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in Microsoft by 30.8% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,426,862,000 after purchasing an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Microsoft by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,715,379,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599,412 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Microsoft by 64.3% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,982,083,000 after buying an additional 9,493,778 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This trade represents a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Up 0.1% NASDAQ MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.50, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The business’s 50-day moving average is $498.31 and its 200 day moving average is $433.03. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The business had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. Microsoft’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Microsoft News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSFT. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $550.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Evercore upgraded Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Microsoft currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Analysis on MSFT
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Oak Barrel Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 7,786 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $2,904,000. Microsoft makes up 1.3% of Oak Barrel Wealth Advisory LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding.
A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Microsoft by 37.4% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Microsoft by 34.2% during the 2nd quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes MSFT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $550.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Tigress Financial lifted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Forty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73.
Get Our Latest Report on MSFT Insider Activity In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Microsoft Stock Up 0.1% Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $529.76 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $553.72. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $498.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $433.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up
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Pallas Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 160,335 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,511 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for approximately 1.8% of Pallas Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $59,808,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 56,160.8% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Microsoft by 234.5% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 17,822,280 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,619,211,000 after buying an additional 12,493,786 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 30.8% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,426,862,000 after buying an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 64.3% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,982,083,000 after buying an additional 9,493,778 shares during the period. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Microsoft by 38,442.1% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,810,388 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,521,001,000 after acquiring an additional 6,792,718 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Microsoft from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley downgraded Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Melius Research set a $665.00 price objective on Microsoft and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $498.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $433.03. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $349.20 and a 52 week high of $553.72.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid 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 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up
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Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 5.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 20,161,916 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 1,003,560 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for approximately 4.2% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned 0.27% of Microsoft worth $7,520,881,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $35,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% in the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth approximately $101,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Analysts Set New Price Targets MSFT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price objective on Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 28th. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered shares of Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $578.73. Get Our Latest Report on Microsoft
Insider Activity at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. This trade represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Stock Up 0.1% Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $498.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $433.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently declared 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 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.27%.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Trust Co. of Vermont ve druhém čtvrtletí nově nakoupila 254 322 akcií společnosti Microsoft v hodnotě zhruba 94 867 000 USD; akcie MSFT tvoří 3,5 % jejího portfolia.
Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 254,322 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $94,867,000. Microsoft comprises approximately 3.5% of Trust Co. of Vermont’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position.
A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Principle Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% during the second quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116,758 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $43,553,000 after buying an additional 2,104 shares during the last quarter. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV raised its stake in Microsoft by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV now owns 1,544 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $576,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc raised its stake in Microsoft by 9.4% in the 2nd quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 22,779 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,497,000 after acquiring an additional 1,954 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Microsoft by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 20,161,916 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $7,520,881,000 after acquiring an additional 1,003,560 shares during the period. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at about $60,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635 Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like. Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MSFT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Microsoft from $700.00 to $725.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Melius Research set a $665.00 price target on shares of Microsoft and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $578.73. Check Out Our Latest Report on MSFT
Insider Activity In related news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT stock opened at $529.76 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $553.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $498.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $433.03.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.65 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Skydance Just Became a Media Giant—With an $80 Billion Debt Load Could Velo3D Be the Next Defense Buyout Target? Penguin Solutions Is Soaring as AI Memory Demand Explodes Alphabet’s Chart Is Coiling—and the Fundamentals May Be Ready to Back It Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Nearly every analyst covering a $3 trillion company agrees it belongs higher, yet the stock still trades below its 52-week high. The real question is how much higher, and the answer depends on a few risks that bulls are quietly…
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Analysts rarely agree this much on a $3 trillion company. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) has 14 Strong Buy and 39 Buy ratings against just 2 Holds and no Sells. That works out to 96% bullish.
The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Microsoft is $629.99 over the next 12 months, which means 21.73% upside from $517.53.
Metric Value Current Price $517.53 Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. $629.99 Upside/Downside 21.73% Model Rating BUY Confidence Level 90% Our target sits well above the consensus analyst target of $578.82, which means 11.8% upside. Azure growth is accelerating, and analysts have made 21 upward revisions for fiscal 2027 EPS in the past 30 days against 8 cuts.
Azure’s Blowout Quarter Fueled a Historic Rebound Microsoft is up 8.4% year to date and on track for its biggest quarterly gain in 28 years. Shares trade 5.8% below their 52-week high of $549.20. On Monday, Barron’s reported a fresh upgrade to Buy that calls Microsoft the “adult in charge” on AI security.
The rally started with fiscal Q4. Revenue came in at $90.01 billion, ahead of the $87.63 billion estimate. EPS of $4.74 exceeded the $4.2394 consensus. Azure grew 43%, and commercial RPO rose 84% to $678 billion.
Why Bulls See $731 Within Reach The bull case values Microsoft at $731.61. Management guided Azure growth to approximately 45% in constant currency for fiscal Q1. CFO Amy Hood said “demand continues to exceed available supply.” Microsoft 365 Copilot has passed 30 million paid seats, and net seat additions more than doubled from the prior quarter.
GitHub Copilot revenue grew more than 60% quarter over quarter after the switch to usage-based billing. The most bullish analyst puts fiscal 2028 EPS at $26.
Capex and OpenAI Exposure Are the Risks to Watch The bear case lands at $535.10. Fiscal 2026 capex rose 79.62% to $115.95 billion, and free cash flow fell 6.46%. Excluding OpenAI, RPO grew only 25%.
Q4 EPS included a $3.2 billion gain on the Anthropic investment. Operating cash flow rose 34.35% for the year. Adjusted for the OpenAI impact, EPS still grew 23%.
Microsoft Carries a Premium Over Alphabet, Amazon and Oracle Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) compete directly with Azure through Google Cloud and AWS. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) is in the same software-infrastructure industry and chasing the same AI capacity contracts.
Company Forward P/E Operating Margin (TTM) Microsoft 25x 45.1% Alphabet 23x 34% Amazon 24x 13.7% Oracle 18x 35.6% Alphabet grew quarterly revenue faster at 24.2% and trades at a lower multiple. Amazon’s retail-heavy mix keeps margins far below Microsoft’s. Oracle grew revenue 29.6% but trades at a discount due to higher beta. Our target means about 30x earnings, reasonable for the highest margins among the four.
Signed Demand Makes the Case for Upside The 24/7 Wall St. price target is $629.99, with a buy rating and 90% confidence. The $678 billion in signed commercial backlog supports the case.
Upside speeds up if Azure delivers near 45% growth and Copilot monetization compounds. I’d turn conservative if capex keeps rising while free cash flow contracts.
Microsoft’s estimated trading range in coming years comes from the 24/7 Wall St. price target model, if current growth and market conditions hold.
Year Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. 2026 $542.92 2027 $629.99 2028 $695.64 2029 $768.13 2030 $848.18 The projections depend on Microsoft executing on its AI infrastructure strategy. Faster Copilot adoption could push results above this path. A decline in AI spending could pull them below it. All that capex has to be powered, cooled, and networked by somebody, and we featured seven of those suppliers in a free AI infrastructure report.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Microsoft (MSFT +0.78%) has made money for shareholders in both of the past two years. It just hasn't kept up with the market. Including reinvested dividends, the shares gained around 13% in 2024 and about 16% in 2025. The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.58%) returned about 25% and 18% on the same basis.
This year looks similar so far. Shares trade near $525 as of this writing, for a 2026 total return of about 9%, versus about 15% for the index. And that's even after the stock gained almost 50% from its late-June close of about $353.
If Microsoft finishes 2026 behind, it'd be a third straight year of trailing the index. It's happened just twice since the software giant went public in 1986 -- from 2003 through 2005, and from 2010 through 2012.
Both streaks eventually ended. But the year after each one looked very different.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Microsoft has been here twiceI'm using total return for every year here, because it counts dividends. This matters for Microsoft, which announced a one-time special dividend of $3 a share (around $32 billion) in 2004. A price-only comparison would treat that cash as if shareholders never got it.
The first streak was costly. From the start of 2003 through the end of 2005, Microsoft returned around 15% all told, but the index returned about 50%.
And 2006 didn't bring the rebound some shareholders might have hoped for. Microsoft and the index both returned around 16% that year, practically a tie. Microsoft didn't move clearly ahead until 2007, when it returned about 21% in a year the index returned about 5%.
The second streak was worse. From 2010 through 2012, Microsoft shareholders lost around 6%, but the index gained about 36%.
Then the stock soared, returning about 44% in 2013 versus the index's 32%. This was also the year CEO Steve Ballmer announced he'd retire within 12 months.
Why was the second rebound so much bigger?One difference stands out to me: the price investors were paying for Microsoft's earnings when each streak ended.
At the end of 2005, the stock closed at around $26, or about 23 times earnings, based on the $1.12 per share Microsoft earned in fiscal 2005. Revenue had risen 8% that fiscal year.
Seven years later, Microsoft closed 2012 at around $27 -- almost the same price. But it cost much less relative to profits.
Fiscal 2012 earnings per share came in at $2.00, putting the stock at around 13 times earnings, and that number included a $6.2 billion goodwill impairment charge. Microsoft's non-GAAP (adjusted) number, which leaves out the charge and a revenue deferral, was $2.78 per share. By that measure, the stock cost under 10 times earnings.
Sure, two cases don't make a rule. But the streak that ended with the cheaper stock was followed by the much bigger year. Put another way, the starting price might have mattered more than the streak itself.
Microsoft's earnings have outrun its stockThis streak hasn't come from a slumping company. Earnings per share rose from $11.80 in fiscal 2024 to $13.64 in fiscal 2025 and $17.95 in fiscal 2026 (the 12 months ended June 30, 2026). That latest gain of 32% was helped by Microsoft's OpenAI investment. Excluding it, adjusted earnings per share still grew 22%.
With profits climbing faster than the stock price, the valuation has fallen. Microsoft closed 2024 at around 36 times fiscal 2024 earnings and finished 2025 near 35 times fiscal 2025 earnings. Now, it costs about 29 times fiscal 2026 earnings.
The business is also growing faster than it was at the end of each past streak. Revenue rose 18% in fiscal 2026, to $331.8 billion, which is over double fiscal 2005's growth rate.
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But 29 times earnings is a steeper price than Microsoft had at the end of 2005 or 2012 -- around three times the 2012 level on an adjusted basis.
Ultimately, a lagging streak hasn't been a good reason to give up on Microsoft stock before. Each time, the next year tied or beat the index, and after the second streak, it beat the market by a big margin.
But 2013 started with a stock that cost under 10 times adjusted earnings. Today's starting price-to-earnings ratio is far higher. For Microsoft to catch up with the index this time, I think earnings will probably need to keep growing near their recent rate, because the valuation might have less room to rise.
That looks like a reasonable bet on a company growing this fast, so the streak wouldn't lead me to sell. I just wouldn't call the stock the sort of bargain it was at the end of 2012.
Investice ve výši 1 000 USD do společnosti Microsoft před deseti lety vzrostla na 10 383,60 USD, což představuje celkový nárůst o 938,36 %, zatímco index S&P 500 přidal 263,31 %.
A single Microsoft investment a decade ago left the S&P 500 in the dust, but the reasons behind those gains reveal something surprising about what actually drove the returns and whether the next decade could come close.
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Ten years ago, buying Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) looked like a safe, slightly sleepy call on Windows and Office. However, it would become one of the best large-cap holdings of the decade. And almost none of that gain came from the dividend.
From Software Licenses to Cloud Rent CEO Satya Nadella spent the decade moving Microsoft away from one-time licenses and toward recurring subscriptions and Azure cloud capacity. Office became Microsoft 365, so customers paid every month instead of once per upgrade cycle. Deals for LinkedIn (2016), GitHub (2018) and Activision Blizzard (2023) strengthened its hold on corporate IT departments and developers.
Then AI arrived, and the OpenAI partnership made Azure a default home for enterprise AI work. In fiscal 2026, Azure exceeded $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time. Microsoft 365 Copilot passed 30 million paid seats. Commercial remaining performance obligations (signed revenue not yet booked) reached $678 billion, up 84%.
Your $1,000 Became $10,384, and the Index Trailed Far Behind 1-Year Return
Initial Investment: $1,000 Current Value: $1,038.70 Total Return: 3.87% S&P 500 (same period): $1,167.50 (16.75%) 5-Year Return
Initial Investment: $1,000 Current Value: $1,894.70 Total Return: 89.47% Annualized Return: 13.63% S&P 500 (same period): $1,796.40 (79.64%) 10-Year Return
Initial Investment: $1,000 Current Value: $10,383.60 Total Return: 938.36% Annualized Return: 26.37% S&P 500 (same period): $3,633.10 (263.31%) Microsoft’s returns use dividend-adjusted prices. The S&P 500 figures track SPY’s price change. With a yield near 0.68%, income was a rounding error. The quarterly payout rose every year, from $0.36 in 2016 to $0.98. That steady growth matters more than the yield, but price gains did nearly all the work.
Timing made a big difference. The 10-year holder beat the index easily, the 5-year holder beat it narrowly, and the 1-year holder fell behind. Over the past year the stock has traded between $348.54 and $549.20, as investors considered fiscal 2026 capex of $115.95 billion (+79.62%) against free cash flow that fell 6.46%.
What Could Make or Break the Next Decade for Microsoft The bull case depends on Azure turning its capacity shortage into revenue. Management is guiding for roughly 45% constant-currency Azure growth, and CFO Amy Hood said “demand exceeds available supply.” At about 25 times forward earnings, that growth looks fairly priced. The expansion also lifts a wider circle of suppliers (we analyzed seven of the power, cooling, and networking names behind the AI data-center push in a free report).
The bear case centers on AI spending running ahead of cash flow. Expected capital expenditures of roughly $175 billion only pay off if demand holds. Add rising OpenAI investment losses, regulatory scrutiny and a shrinking PC business, and a disappointment at about 29 times trailing earnings could hurt.
Today’s setup looks very different from 2016. Back then, investors underrated the cloud shift. Today, AI is the consensus story, and the company is worth about $3.96 trillion. The setup supports steady compounding, while another tenfold decade looks far harder to repeat from this starting point.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) is entering fiscal 2027 with multiple AI-driven growth engines, as Azure demand, its OpenAI economics, and emerging consumption-based Copilot pricing create additional monetization opportunities across the business.
BNP Paribas Sees Multiple AI TailwindsBNP Paribas analyst Stefan Slowinski said Microsoft is increasingly positioned to benefit from a second layer of AI monetization beyond infrastructure demand.
He highlighted Microsoft’s OpenAI revenue share and consumption-based pricing across Microsoft 365 Copilot as potential sources of upside to current expectations.
With OpenAI reportedly approaching nearly $70 billion in annual recurring revenue exiting Microsoft’s fiscal first quarter of 2027, Slowinski sees a path for Azure growth to reach as high as 46% in constant currency during fiscal first-quarter and approach 50% in fiscal second-quarter.
Ahead of Microsoft’s fiscal first-quarter results, BNP Paribas expects the company to benefit from accelerating revenue growth while continuing to generate positive free cash flow.
Copilot Consumption Could Lift M365 GrowthSlowinski pointed to GitHub Copilot as an early example of how consumption-based billing can outperform initial expectations.
He sees the potential for a similar pattern as usage-based Copilot revenue begins contributing more meaningfully to Microsoft 365.
BNP Paribas estimates that Copilot consumption could add roughly one percentage point of incremental Microsoft 365 Commercial Cloud growth by the fiscal fourth quarter.
Slowinski therefore sees potential for Microsoft to beat Azure expectations, issue stronger fiscal second-quarter guidance and deliver upside in Microsoft 365 Commercial Cloud while maintaining management’s commitment to positive free cash flow.
Cramer Sees Copilot Supporting MicrosoftCNBC’s Jim Cramer also identified Microsoft as one of a small group of AI leaders helping offset pressure from rising interest rates.
"Here, I think there’s tremendous distortion caused by some very big winners, namely NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)," Cramer said.
He pointed to improving sentiment around Copilot as a key catalyst for Microsoft. At the same time, Nvidia benefits from strong AI chip demand and Meta gains momentum around its Muse personal AI agent.
Microsoft accounted for roughly 5.8% of the S&P 500 as of Friday’s close, giving moves in the company an outsized influence on the broader index.
Ignite Could Become The Next CatalystBNP Paribas also identified Microsoft’s Ignite conference as a potential catalyst.
Microsoft is expected to hold a Financial Community Briefing on Nov. 17, with CEO Satya Nadella addressing investors in that format for the first time in many years.
Slowinski said the return of the briefing could indicate Microsoft’s willingness to provide more strategic and financial detail about its next phase of AI-driven growth and any potential capital-unlock strategy tied to its recent re-segmentation.
BNP Paribas Raises Microsoft Price ForecastBNP Paribas maintained its Outperform rating and raised its price forecast to $604 from $549, implying about 15% upside from Microsoft’s Oct. 5 price of $525.20.
Slowinski increased his fiscal 2027 revenue and earnings-per-share estimates by 1% to 2%.
He now models Azure growth of 46% in fiscal first-quarter 2027 and 49% in fiscal second-quarter.
BNP Paribas values Microsoft using a sum-of-the-parts framework based on 27.5 times fiscal 2028 earnings, up from 25 times previously, while also incorporating Microsoft’s stake in OpenAI.
Slowinski said the broader sector re-rating primarily drove the higher price forecast.
MSFT Price Action: Microsoft shares were up 1.35% at $532.25 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Microsoft ve čtvrtletí vykázal tržby ve výši 90,01 miliardy USD, což představuje meziroční nárůst o 17,7 %, a zisk na akcii (EPS) 4,74 USD, čímž překonal odhad analytiků ve výši 4,24 USD.
S&CO Inc. increased its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 198,340 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,143 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 4.3% of S&CO Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. S&CO Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $73,984,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 229,490 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $85,604,000 after purchasing an additional 8,773 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. increased its position in Microsoft by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 537,630 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $199,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Microsoft by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,921,677 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,562,197,000 after purchasing an additional 537,634 shares in the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. bought a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. boosted its position in Microsoft by 138.8% in the first quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,356,359 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $502,077,000 after buying an additional 788,297 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $665. The firm said rising corporate concerns about AI risks could increase demand for Microsoft’s security, governance and compliance products, while positioning Azure as a relatively dependable way to participate in the AI trend. Microsoft stock rises as Melius upgrades to Buy Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength also supported MSFT. The Nasdaq reached a record as megacap technology stocks rallied on optimism about earnings growth, with Microsoft among the sector leaders. Expectations for strong technology-sector profits continue to support investor appetite for the shares. Nasdaq hits record as megacap gains offset elevated Treasury yields Positive Sentiment: Microsoft continues expanding Copilot’s enterprise usefulness. Wood Mackenzie connected its proprietary energy data and analytics to Microsoft Copilot through a new Model Context Protocol connector, providing another example of specialized business content being integrated into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem. Wood Mackenzie connects energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot Positive Sentiment: Upcoming Xbox and Xbox Game Pass releases provided a smaller consumer-business catalyst. New game launches may support engagement and subscription activity, although the impact is likely less significant than Azure and AI developments. Microsoft stock rises ahead of new Xbox game releases Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Meta reportedly encouraged employees to reduce their use of Anthropic’s Claude in favor of internal AI tools. The move could lower Microsoft’s external AI expenses and strengthen Copilot adoption, but it also indicates ongoing competition and uncertainty over which AI models will deliver the best economics. Microsoft and Meta steer staff from Anthropic Claude to in-house AI Negative Sentiment: Amazon hired longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei, formerly associated with Copilot. The departure could raise concerns about retaining senior AI talent as cloud and software rivals intensify their competition. Amazon hires a Microsoft AI leader Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on execution risks. Microsoft’s large backlog offers revenue visibility, but the timing of recognition, infrastructure spending and cash conversion could limit near-term benefits. Questions also remain about whether Copilot can become a breakout AI application. How much revenue visibility does Microsoft’s backlog provide? Insiders Place Their Bets In other Microsoft news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% 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 ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MSFT shares. Tigress Financial upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Microsoft from $700.00 to $725.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised Microsoft from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Barclays dropped their target price on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a research report on Monday. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.
View Our Latest Analysis on MSFT
Microsoft Trading Up 1.5% MSFT opened at $525.18 on Tuesday. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $553.72. The company has a fifty day moving average of $492.81 and a 200-day moving average of $431.07. The stock has a market cap of $3.90 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The business had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft NVIDIA’s Record High Raises a Bigger Question About How Far the Rally Can Run A Manufacturing Surprise Could Be a Big Win for These 2 Companies What a $1 Billion Chip Deal Says About Amazon’s AI Ambitions 3 Stocks Benefiting From AI Demand Just Announced Major Buybacks
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State of Wyoming increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 129.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,409 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,134 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up about 1.1% of State of Wyoming’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. State of Wyoming’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $11,343,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Friedenthal Financial grew its holdings in Microsoft by 6.2% in the first quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 431 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $160,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Sequent Planning LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.7% during the first quarter. Sequent Planning LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,382,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.5% in the first quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC now owns 5,543 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,052,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. American Investment Services Inc. boosted its stake in Microsoft by 3.1% during the first quarter. American Investment Services Inc. now owns 876 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $324,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 2,453 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $915,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $665. The firm said rising corporate concerns about AI risks could increase demand for Microsoft’s security, governance and compliance products, while positioning Azure as a relatively dependable way to participate in the AI trend. Microsoft stock rises as Melius upgrades to Buy Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength also supported MSFT. The Nasdaq reached a record as megacap technology stocks rallied on optimism about earnings growth, with Microsoft among the sector leaders. Expectations for strong technology-sector profits continue to support investor appetite for the shares. Nasdaq hits record as megacap gains offset elevated Treasury yields Positive Sentiment: Microsoft continues expanding Copilot’s enterprise usefulness. Wood Mackenzie connected its proprietary energy data and analytics to Microsoft Copilot through a new Model Context Protocol connector, providing another example of specialized business content being integrated into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem. Wood Mackenzie connects energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot Positive Sentiment: Upcoming Xbox and Xbox Game Pass releases provided a smaller consumer-business catalyst. New game launches may support engagement and subscription activity, although the impact is likely less significant than Azure and AI developments. Microsoft stock rises ahead of new Xbox game releases Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Meta reportedly encouraged employees to reduce their use of Anthropic’s Claude in favor of internal AI tools. The move could lower Microsoft’s external AI expenses and strengthen Copilot adoption, but it also indicates ongoing competition and uncertainty over which AI models will deliver the best economics. Microsoft and Meta steer staff from Anthropic Claude to in-house AI Negative Sentiment: Amazon hired longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei, formerly associated with Copilot. The departure could raise concerns about retaining senior AI talent as cloud and software rivals intensify their competition. Amazon hires a Microsoft AI leader Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on execution risks. Microsoft’s large backlog offers revenue visibility, but the timing of recognition, infrastructure spending and cash conversion could limit near-term benefits. Questions also remain about whether Copilot can become a breakout AI application. How much revenue visibility does Microsoft’s backlog provide? Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In related news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $525.18 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $492.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $431.07. The firm has a market cap of $3.90 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have weighed in on MSFT. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, September 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, July 24th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Microsoft to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft NVIDIA’s Record High Raises a Bigger Question About How Far the Rally Can Run A Manufacturing Surprise Could Be a Big Win for These 2 Companies What a $1 Billion Chip Deal Says About Amazon’s AI Ambitions 3 Stocks Benefiting From AI Demand Just Announced Major Buybacks
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Wilkinson Global Asset Management ve druhém čtvrtletí snížila svůj podíl ve společnosti Microsoft o 22 % prodejem 47 385 akcií; nadále drží 168 153 akcií v hodnotě 62,724 milionu USD.
Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLC cut its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 22.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 168,153 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 47,385 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 5.0% of Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest position. Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $62,724,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dodds Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 5.6% in the second quarter. Dodds Wealth LLC now owns 1,899 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 173.7% during the 2nd quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC now owns 288,945 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $107,782,000 after acquiring an additional 183,360 shares during the last quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 10.2% during the 2nd quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. now owns 34,011 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $12,687,000 after acquiring an additional 3,135 shares during the last quarter. Sandro Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 4.0% in the second quarter. Sandro Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,438 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $6,132,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares during the period. Finally, PTM Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 57.7% in the second quarter. PTM Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,588 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $988,000 after purchasing an additional 947 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $665. The firm said rising corporate concerns about AI risks could increase demand for Microsoft’s security, governance and compliance products, while positioning Azure as a relatively dependable way to participate in the AI trend. Microsoft stock rises as Melius upgrades to Buy Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength also supported MSFT. The Nasdaq reached a record as megacap technology stocks rallied on optimism about earnings growth, with Microsoft among the sector leaders. Expectations for strong technology-sector profits continue to support investor appetite for the shares. Nasdaq hits record as megacap gains offset elevated Treasury yields Positive Sentiment: Microsoft continues expanding Copilot’s enterprise usefulness. Wood Mackenzie connected its proprietary energy data and analytics to Microsoft Copilot through a new Model Context Protocol connector, providing another example of specialized business content being integrated into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem. Wood Mackenzie connects energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot Positive Sentiment: Upcoming Xbox and Xbox Game Pass releases provided a smaller consumer-business catalyst. New game launches may support engagement and subscription activity, although the impact is likely less significant than Azure and AI developments. Microsoft stock rises ahead of new Xbox game releases Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Meta reportedly encouraged employees to reduce their use of Anthropic’s Claude in favor of internal AI tools. The move could lower Microsoft’s external AI expenses and strengthen Copilot adoption, but it also indicates ongoing competition and uncertainty over which AI models will deliver the best economics. Microsoft and Meta steer staff from Anthropic Claude to in-house AI Negative Sentiment: Amazon hired longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei, formerly associated with Copilot. The departure could raise concerns about retaining senior AI talent as cloud and software rivals intensify their competition. Amazon hires a Microsoft AI leader Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on execution risks. Microsoft’s large backlog offers revenue visibility, but the timing of recognition, infrastructure spending and cash conversion could limit near-term benefits. Questions also remain about whether Copilot can become a breakout AI application. How much revenue visibility does Microsoft’s backlog provide? Microsoft Stock Up 1.5% Shares of MSFT opened at $525.18 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $492.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $431.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.90 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have commented on MSFT shares. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Stifel Nicolaus raised Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $530.00 to $575.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In related news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft NVIDIA’s Record High Raises a Bigger Question About How Far the Rally Can Run A Manufacturing Surprise Could Be a Big Win for These 2 Companies What a $1 Billion Chip Deal Says About Amazon’s AI Ambitions 3 Stocks Benefiting From AI Demand Just Announced Major Buybacks Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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SCS Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 173.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 288,945 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 183,360 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises 1.0% of SCS Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. SCS Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $107,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at $35,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Microsoft by 37.4% in the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at about $101,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 34.2% in the 2nd quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently commented on MSFT. Stifel Nicolaus raised Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $530.00 to $575.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $586.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Phillip Securities lowered shares of Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a report on Monday. Forty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.
Get Our Latest Report on MSFT Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $665. The firm said rising corporate concerns about AI risks could increase demand for Microsoft’s security, governance and compliance products, while positioning Azure as a relatively dependable way to participate in the AI trend. Microsoft stock rises as Melius upgrades to Buy Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength also supported MSFT. The Nasdaq reached a record as megacap technology stocks rallied on optimism about earnings growth, with Microsoft among the sector leaders. Expectations for strong technology-sector profits continue to support investor appetite for the shares. Nasdaq hits record as megacap gains offset elevated Treasury yields Positive Sentiment: Microsoft continues expanding Copilot’s enterprise usefulness. Wood Mackenzie connected its proprietary energy data and analytics to Microsoft Copilot through a new Model Context Protocol connector, providing another example of specialized business content being integrated into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem. Wood Mackenzie connects energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot Positive Sentiment: Upcoming Xbox and Xbox Game Pass releases provided a smaller consumer-business catalyst. New game launches may support engagement and subscription activity, although the impact is likely less significant than Azure and AI developments. Microsoft stock rises ahead of new Xbox game releases Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Meta reportedly encouraged employees to reduce their use of Anthropic’s Claude in favor of internal AI tools. The move could lower Microsoft’s external AI expenses and strengthen Copilot adoption, but it also indicates ongoing competition and uncertainty over which AI models will deliver the best economics. Microsoft and Meta steer staff from Anthropic Claude to in-house AI Negative Sentiment: Amazon hired longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei, formerly associated with Copilot. The departure could raise concerns about retaining senior AI talent as cloud and software rivals intensify their competition. Amazon hires a Microsoft AI leader Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on execution risks. Microsoft’s large backlog offers revenue visibility, but the timing of recognition, infrastructure spending and cash conversion could limit near-term benefits. Questions also remain about whether Copilot can become a breakout AI application. How much revenue visibility does Microsoft’s backlog provide? Microsoft Stock Up 1.5% Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $525.18 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $492.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $431.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft NVIDIA’s Record High Raises a Bigger Question About How Far the Rally Can Run A Manufacturing Surprise Could Be a Big Win for These 2 Companies What a $1 Billion Chip Deal Says About Amazon’s AI Ambitions 3 Stocks Benefiting From AI Demand Just Announced Major Buybacks
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Microsoft ve fiskálním 4. čtvrtletí zvýšil tržby o 17,8 % na 90,0 mld. USD; Azure vzrostl o 43 % a objem nasmlouvaných komerčních zakázek o 84 % na 678 mld. USD.
Microsoft has beaten earnings estimates six quarters running while its stock sits roughly where it did a year ago, and Jim Cramer thinks he knows exactly why the market is finally starting to catch on.
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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) shares were at $528.25 in premarket trading on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, up fractionally from the previous close. The stock is 3.5% higher over the past week and 6.3% over the past month, but that puts it in the same neighborhood as a year ago.
That flat year came while Microsoft beat earnings estimates in six consecutive quarters. Shares were at $517.85 when fiscal Q1 2026 results were filed in October 2025, $451.01 at the January filing (when the stock fell despite a beat), and $395.50 when the fiscal Q4 report came out on July 29, 2026. On Monday’s Mad Money, Jim Cramer argued that the market has been slow to see something enterprises already decided.
Cramer’s Boardroom Test Points to Microsoft Cramer framed the enterprise AI decision as one an executive makes in front of directors: “If you’re going to be making a presentation to a board meeting right now after what’s happened about which AI platform you should use, you would say, I don’t know. Let’s just turn it over to Microsoft.”
His case rests on institutional trust and governance. He leaves aside the question of which model does best. “Microsoft is already a trusted partner of the enterprise, with nothing erratic about its leaders,” he said, adding that “boards don’t like surprises or erratic behavior, and Microsoft has good governance.” He also said he was “shocked” to see Microsoft leapfrogging rivals in what he called net future usage intent. He did not say where that finding came from.
What Microsoft Has Actually Reported Trust only matters to shareholders if it shows up as revenue. Jim Cramer said Copilot has more than 30 million paid users. Microsoft’s own July disclosure counted more than 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats, which is a different unit. A single customer can buy a huge number of seats: HSBC (NYSE:HSBC), for example, committed to 200,000 seats.
In fiscal Q4 results filed with the SEC, revenue reached $90.0 billion, up 17.8%, beating the $87.63 billion consensus. Azure and other cloud services grew 43%, and Azure passed $100 billion in full-year revenue for the first time. Per-share earnings of $4.74 topped the $4.24 estimate, though that figure includes a $3.2 billion gain from Anthropic.
The backlog data matches Cramer’s thesis best. Commercial remaining performance obligations rose 84% to $678 billion, and grew 25% excluding OpenAI. Nearly 90% of annual Microsoft Cloud revenue came from customers outside frontier model companies.
Why Shareholders Waited The spending side of the story kept investors cautious. Fiscal 2026 capital expenditure reached $115.95 billion, up 79.6%, while free cash flow fell 6.5% to $66.99 billion. Management now expects calendar 2026 capex of about $175 billion and says fiscal 2027 spending will grow again. (All that money has to be spent on power, cooling, and networking gear supplied by someone, which is the whole basis of a free report we put together on seven AI infrastructure names that aren’t chipmakers.)
Jim Cramer said Azure “might grow as fast as 50%.” The company’s own guidance calls for fiscal Q1 Azure growth of approximately 45% in constant currency. On the July call, management said, “demand continues to exceed available supply” and warned that growth can vary by quarter depending on capacity, timing, and contract mix. More detail is posted on Microsoft’s investor relations site.
One Azure Number Will Settle the Debate Microsoft’s next report is expected around October 27, 2026, though the company has not confirmed the date. If Azure grows at or above the 45% constant-currency guidance and backlog outside OpenAI keeps expanding, the recent rally has a genuine business foundation and Cramer’s trust argument is translating into revenue. If Azure falls short of guidance while capex keeps rising, the market’s year of skepticism was right.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
EJMK Ventures LLC lifted its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 14.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,876 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,407 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up approximately 1.8% of EJMK Ventures LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. EJMK Ventures LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $4,057,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its position in Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after purchasing an additional 9,814,598 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,300,410 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $12,235,785,000 after purchasing an additional 458,014 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,715,379,000 after buying an additional 1,599,412 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Performance Microsoft stock opened at $525.18 on Tuesday. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $553.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market cap of $3.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $492.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $431.07.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.
Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders have sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $665. The firm said rising corporate concerns about AI risks could increase demand for Microsoft’s security, governance and compliance products, while positioning Azure as a relatively dependable way to participate in the AI trend. Microsoft stock rises as Melius upgrades to Buy Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength also supported MSFT. The Nasdaq reached a record as megacap technology stocks rallied on optimism about earnings growth, with Microsoft among the sector leaders. Expectations for strong technology-sector profits continue to support investor appetite for the shares. Nasdaq hits record as megacap gains offset elevated Treasury yields Positive Sentiment: Microsoft continues expanding Copilot’s enterprise usefulness. Wood Mackenzie connected its proprietary energy data and analytics to Microsoft Copilot through a new Model Context Protocol connector, providing another example of specialized business content being integrated into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem. Wood Mackenzie connects energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot Positive Sentiment: Upcoming Xbox and Xbox Game Pass releases provided a smaller consumer-business catalyst. New game launches may support engagement and subscription activity, although the impact is likely less significant than Azure and AI developments. Microsoft stock rises ahead of new Xbox game releases Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Meta reportedly encouraged employees to reduce their use of Anthropic’s Claude in favor of internal AI tools. The move could lower Microsoft’s external AI expenses and strengthen Copilot adoption, but it also indicates ongoing competition and uncertainty over which AI models will deliver the best economics. Microsoft and Meta steer staff from Anthropic Claude to in-house AI Negative Sentiment: Amazon hired longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei, formerly associated with Copilot. The departure could raise concerns about retaining senior AI talent as cloud and software rivals intensify their competition. Amazon hires a Microsoft AI leader Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on execution risks. Microsoft’s large backlog offers revenue visibility, but the timing of recognition, infrastructure spending and cash conversion could limit near-term benefits. Questions also remain about whether Copilot can become a breakout AI application. How much revenue visibility does Microsoft’s backlog provide? Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, William Blair started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.
Read Our Latest Report on MSFT
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Pedram Rezaei, a 20-year Microsoft veteran, is joining Amazon Web Services as a distinguished engineer. (Amazon Photo) A longtime Microsoft engineering leader who was previously a Copilot chief technology officer is joining Amazon Web Services to work on its competing AI tools for coding and workplace productivity.
Pedram Rezaei, a nearly 20-year Microsoft veteran who was most recently a corporate vice president on the Microsoft Superintelligence team, starts Monday as a distinguished engineer in the AWS Agentic AI and Emerging Technologies organization, led by Swami Sivasubramanian.
Rezaei will work initially on Kiro, the AWS coding tool, and Quick, Amazon’s AI assistant for workplace tasks, Sivasubramanian wrote in a memo to his team Monday. “He is a hands-on engineer who is still in the code every day, and he plans to keep it that way here,” he added.
Kiro’s user count doubled from the first quarter to the second, and monthly AI users for Quick grew fourfold, according to the memo. Rezaei’s plan for his first few months is to “meet people, learn how things work here, and ship something real,” Sivasubramanian wrote.
Sivasubramanian’s organization was expanded in July to include emerging technologies, part of a broader reshuffling of Amazon’s AI teams.
The hire comes as Amazon and Microsoft compete more directly in AI tools for work. Microsoft last month unveiled an all-in-one Copilot app that combines chat, coding and agents, its answer to OpenAI and Anthropic. Amazon made its Quick desktop app generally available in September and brought its main features to mobile.
Rezaei joined Microsoft in 2006 and held senior technical roles on Power BI, Dynamics 365, Cortana, Bing and Azure Maps before moving to Copilot, according to his LinkedIn profile. He became Copilot’s CTO in February and moved to the Microsoft Superintelligence team in June, according to the profile. Sivasubramanian’s memo said Rezaei was most recently working on training foundation models.
We’ve contacted Microsoft for comment on his departure.
Rezaei is the latest Microsoft executive to move to AWS this year. Shawn Bice returned to AWS in May from a security role at Microsoft to lead its Automated Reasoning Group.
In his memo Monday, Sivasubramanian also told his team that two longtime AWS engineers, Marvin Theimer and Reto Kramer, have returned to work on neurosymbolic AI and automated reasoning, which he called “one of our biggest bets for the future.” Both came back from Microsoft, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
Neurosymbolic AI pairs large language models with rule-based systems that can check whether an AI agent is following a company’s policies and procedures.
Speaking at Madrona’s IA40 Summit in Seattle last week, Sivasubramanian said nearly every CIO and CEO raises the same question about AI agents. “How do I know it is always going to obey all my rules and regulations?” he said. “This is a real concern.”
Solving that problem “actually unlocks so many use cases for all these enterprises,” he added.
Theimer, an AWS distinguished engineer for nine years before leaving in 2022, joined Microsoft in July 2024 as a corporate vice president and technical architect and stayed until March. It was his second stint at the company, where he worked from 1998 to 2006. He rejoined AWS in July as a vice president and distinguished engineer.
Kramer, who led an automated reasoning team at AWS before leaving in 2023, joined Microsoft in September 2025 as vice president of Security Platform & AI and stayed until May. He rejoined AWS in September as vice president of applied science.
Sivasubramanian hinted at more hires to come, writing that Rezaei joins “as we continue to build out our technical leadership team to help take on the ambitious work we have planned.”
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, Financials), the software and cloud computing company, is confronting a familiar challenge for CEO Satya Nadella: changing its business model before the technology market changes around it.
Microsoft moved early in generative AI through OpenAI, but the company has yet to produce a dominant AI model or application. Copilot adoption also remains modest relative to Microsoft's enormous installed base.
The company has 30 million Copilot seats, while commercial Office 365 has more than 450 million users. Copilot currently costs an additional $30 per user each month.
AI agents are making that pricing model harder to sustain because complex tasks can consume dramatically different amounts of computing power.
Microsoft is responding with usage-based billing. Copilot Cowork, which handles larger productivity assignments, is an early example, with thousands of customers already paying based on consumption.
GitHub Copilot offers evidence the approach can work. Users reached 50 million by July from 26 million last October, while sales growth accelerated 60% sequentially after a pricing change tied more closely to computing demand.
For investors, the opportunity is larger AI consumption across Microsoft's customer base. The risk is that unpredictable usage costs slow adoption while competitors capture more workloads.
The next catalyst is Microsoft's Windows and Surface event, where the company plans to outline how local AI could shape the next generation of PCs.
Jim Cramer says Copilot will push Microsoft to a big move, but the stock already lagged every other megacap over the past year and the upcoming earnings report carries targets that management must hit to prove him right.
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At 9:16 a.m. ET on October 5, 2026, Jim Cramer posted on X: “It’s Co-Pilot’s time! MSFT going higher. Big move coming”. He noted the company is a big CNBC Investing Club stock and his charitable trust owns shares. Shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) traded at $526.25 as of 10:59 a.m. ET, up 1.68% on the session.
From October 6, 2025 through October 2, 2026, Microsoft returned -1.28%. It was the only one of six megacaps with a negative return over that period. Shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) gained 37.5%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) 30.5% and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) 26.4%.
What Cramer’s Post Actually Promises The post has no price target, timeframe, or catalyst beyond Copilot. On September 30 Cramer said “Copilot has 30 million users and growing. They’re paying.” On October 1 he added that “Microsoft’s rally is just beginning.”
The company disclosed the seat count itself. On its July 29, 2026 earnings call, management reported over 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats. Net seat additions more than doubled quarter over quarter. The seat count is a company figure, while the “big move” is Cramer’s opinion.
What Copilot Is Worth to a $3.91 Trillion Company Microsoft does not report Copilot revenue separately, so its share is unknown. Copilot sits inside Productivity and Business Processes, which brought in $37.85 billion (+14%) in fiscal Q4. Intelligent Cloud grew faster: $39.31 billion (+32%). Quarterly capex rose 109.63% to $35.80 billion, and free cash flow fell 23.19%. Copilot must help recover that spending.
Reasons to Discount the Post Cramer owns the stock and held it through a fall from $553 to $349. The same morning, Barron’s reported an analyst upgraded the stock to Buy, so the post cannot claim sole credit for the gain. Microsoft redesigned Copilot on September 25 to compete with Claude and ChatGPT.
Much of the recovery is already in the price. The stock rose 37.5% in the third quarter and is up 9.51% year to date. It trades at about 29 times trailing earnings and 25 times forward earnings (price divided by the past year’s and next year’s expected profit per share). The consensus price target is $578.82. Analysts are nearly all bullish, with 53 Buy or Strong Buy ratings and 2 Holds.
Will Copilot Close Microsoft’s Megacap Gap? The post itself adds nothing new. The next move depends on the fiscal first-quarter earnings report. Data providers list it for November 4, 2026, but Microsoft has not confirmed that date. Management has already set the targets: Azure growth of approximately 45% in constant currency and Intelligent Cloud revenue of $40.95 to $41.25 billion.
If Azure growth reaches 45%, Copilot seats exceed 30 million, and the stock closes above its 52-week high of $549.20, Cramer was right. If it falls below its 50-day moving average of $487.72, Microsoft’s gap with other megacaps grows.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Melius Research zvýšila doporučení pro Microsoft na „kupovat“ a cílovou cenu na 665 USD; očekává více než 26% potenciál díky poptávce po bezpečnosti a správě AI.
Microsoft shares MSFT rose more than 1.6% on Monday after Melius Research upgraded the software giant to Buy from Hold and lifted its price target to $665.
The research firm argued that growing corporate concerns about artificial intelligence could itself become a powerful driver of demand for Microsoft's security and governance products.
The new target implies more than 26% upside from Monday's trading levels.
Microsoft shares have already gained over 40% from their June low of $353.
The stock has gained 11% this year.
Melius analyst Ben Reitzes said enterprises are increasingly looking for ways to deploy AI without exposing themselves to the security and governance risks associated with relying directly on frontier AI labs.
“Enterprises are electing to spend on a secure wrapper that can route models to the right task and secure agents rather than put their trust in the labs.”
Melius said Microsoft is increasingly becoming the “adults in charge” for enterprise AI security and governance as companies seek greater control over how AI models and agents are deployed.
The brokerage expects Azure growth to accelerate beyond 50% by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027, reflecting stronger enterprise adoption and spending on Microsoft's broader cloud and AI infrastructure.
The upgrade follows recent comments from AI executives that have heightened concerns about the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.
Melius said those concerns have already prompted enterprise resellers to show greater interest in Microsoft's security offerings.
The brokerage also raised its earnings estimates, increasing its fiscal 2027 forecast by 2% and fiscal 2028 estimate by 4%.
It initiated a fiscal 2029 earnings estimate of $30.77 a share, about 7% above consensus.
Its $665 price target represents roughly 22 times its fiscal 2029 earnings estimate.
Melius' bullish view comes after Piper Sandler last week raised its price target on Microsoft to $610 from $550 while maintaining an Overweight rating.
Piper Sandler developed a new framework for evaluating Microsoft's M365 Commercial Cloud business following the company's “Super App” announcement, the introduction of its E7 tier, and growing adoption of consumption-based pricing for Copilot and Cowork.
The brokerage estimates that every 10% shift in customer seats from the existing E5 tier to E7 could generate about $2 billion in annualized revenue.
The impact is expected to build gradually as customers move between subscription tiers.
Piper Sandler also sees significant potential in consumption-based revenue from Copilot and Cowork, estimating the businesses could reach a $2 billion annualized revenue run rate by the end of fiscal 2028.
The firm said part of their appeal comes from Microsoft's enterprise technology “harness” and auto-routing capabilities, which can direct tasks to appropriate models at lower costs than relying exclusively on frontier AI systems.
That could allow Microsoft to monetize AI consumption more quickly than under the traditional seat-based Copilot model.
The bullish forecasts come as investors increasingly scrutinize whether the enormous sums being spent on AI infrastructure can translate into durable revenue and cash flow.
For Microsoft, the opportunity extends beyond selling access to AI models.
Its position across cloud infrastructure, enterprise software and security could allow it to benefit as companies seek to deploy AI while keeping tighter control over costs, data and governance.
Melius' upgrade suggests those concerns may ultimately reinforce Microsoft's position rather than weaken it, as enterprises turn to established technology providers to manage the risks of the AI transition.
Ketron Financial lowered its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 11.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 32,056 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 3,994 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises about 3.7% of Ketron Financial’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Ketron Financial’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $11,958,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Friedenthal Financial raised its position in Microsoft by 6.2% in the first quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 431 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $160,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Sequent Planning LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Sequent Planning LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,382,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC now owns 5,543 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,052,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. American Investment Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. American Investment Services Inc. now owns 876 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 2,453 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $915,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $517.53 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.84 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $349.20 and a 52 week high of $553.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $490.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $430.19.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.65 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MSFT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $571.18.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Microsoft
Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $265,888,830.48. The trade was a 7.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders have sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Azure and AI demand remain the primary catalyst. Investor data and analyst commentary point to accelerating Azure demand, while Microsoft’s recent earnings showed its fastest cloud growth in four years. The improving demand is helping ease concerns that the company’s substantial AI infrastructure spending will not generate adequate returns. Ca$htag: MSFT Azure Cloud Drives Soaring Demand Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added Microsoft to its Q4 Tactical Ideas list and raised its price target to $725, citing Azure’s growth potential and the prospect of improved AI monetization through Copilot. The action adds to a series of bullish analyst revisions; one report noted that 52 analysts covering Microsoft currently have no sell ratings. With Azure as a Catalyst, Microsoft Is Positioned for Sustained Growth Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s OpenAI relationship provides potential additional value. Investors are increasingly focused on Microsoft’s stake and commercial partnership with OpenAI, particularly ahead of a possible OpenAI initial public offering that could provide a market reference for the investment. OpenAI’s Future IPO Keeps Me Buying Microsoft Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced new real-time AI speech models for customer-service agents, multilingual assistants and voice interfaces. The products broaden Microsoft’s enterprise AI offering and could support additional cloud consumption and software revenue. Microsoft Targets Contact Center Market With Real-Time AI Voice Models Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting Microsoft’s October 7 Surface and Windows event. New hardware or Windows updates could support the ecosystem, although the event has not yet produced a material earnings catalyst. Microsoft Stock Notches Up Ahead of the Surface Show Negative Sentiment: Risks include heavy AI capital spending, valuation concerns and broader market concentration. Critics argue that rising data-center capacity could pressure compute pricing and returns, while strategists warn that a market correction could disproportionately affect megacap technology stocks. Microsoft’s dividend remains affordable, but AI infrastructure spending and lease commitments could limit future dividend growth. Morgan Stanley Strategist Sees Market Drawdown Potential Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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Cumberland Partners Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 18.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 176,987 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,230 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises about 4.3% of Cumberland Partners Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Cumberland Partners Ltd’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $66,020,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Friedenthal Financial boosted its position in Microsoft by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 431 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $160,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the period. Sequent Planning LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.7% in the first quarter. Sequent Planning LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,382,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.5% during the first quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC now owns 5,543 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,052,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. American Investment Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 3.1% during the first quarter. American Investment Services Inc. now owns 876 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.1% in the second quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 2,453 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $915,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MSFT shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Microsoft from $700.00 to $725.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $540.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $571.18.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT Insider Transactions at Microsoft In related news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Azure and AI demand remain the primary catalyst. Investor data and analyst commentary point to accelerating Azure demand, while Microsoft’s recent earnings showed its fastest cloud growth in four years. The improving demand is helping ease concerns that the company’s substantial AI infrastructure spending will not generate adequate returns. Ca$htag: MSFT Azure Cloud Drives Soaring Demand Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added Microsoft to its Q4 Tactical Ideas list and raised its price target to $725, citing Azure’s growth potential and the prospect of improved AI monetization through Copilot. The action adds to a series of bullish analyst revisions; one report noted that 52 analysts covering Microsoft currently have no sell ratings. With Azure as a Catalyst, Microsoft Is Positioned for Sustained Growth Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s OpenAI relationship provides potential additional value. Investors are increasingly focused on Microsoft’s stake and commercial partnership with OpenAI, particularly ahead of a possible OpenAI initial public offering that could provide a market reference for the investment. OpenAI’s Future IPO Keeps Me Buying Microsoft Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced new real-time AI speech models for customer-service agents, multilingual assistants and voice interfaces. The products broaden Microsoft’s enterprise AI offering and could support additional cloud consumption and software revenue. Microsoft Targets Contact Center Market With Real-Time AI Voice Models Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting Microsoft’s October 7 Surface and Windows event. New hardware or Windows updates could support the ecosystem, although the event has not yet produced a material earnings catalyst. Microsoft Stock Notches Up Ahead of the Surface Show Negative Sentiment: Risks include heavy AI capital spending, valuation concerns and broader market concentration. Critics argue that rising data-center capacity could pressure compute pricing and returns, while strategists warn that a market correction could disproportionately affect megacap technology stocks. Microsoft’s dividend remains affordable, but AI infrastructure spending and lease commitments could limit future dividend growth. Morgan Stanley Strategist Sees Market Drawdown Potential Microsoft Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $517.53 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $490.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $430.19. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $553.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market capitalization of $3.84 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.65 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Could Nike’s Brutal Sell-Off Finally Be Running Out of Steam? The AI Buildout Needs Power It Cannot Get: 4 Energy Stocks Already Have It McDonald’s Is Undergoing a Massive New Growth Strategy. Can It Win Back Consumers? MGM Resorts Stock Sinks After Diller Deal Collapse: Overreaction or Warning? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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Microsoft mění strategii AI na účtování podle využití, protože Copilot a další nástroje zatím nejsou v podnicích dost rozšířené. Nadella chce, aby byla AI nasazená napříč firmami, ne jen v několika produktech.
On a sunny day in Seattle in late September, about 50 executives representing large Microsoft customers had a rare opportunity. They could ask anything of CEO Satya Nadella.
One attendee wanted to know what Microsoft could do to help companies adapt to the artificial intelligence age. Nadella responded by emphasizing the importance of "diffusion inside the enterprise," meaning AI tools need to be widely deployed.
"Like all things, change is always bottom up, top down, and middle up," said Nadella, sporting a tight black crewneck and dark gray slacks, as he strode across the stage at the downtown Paccar Pavilion.
For the 59-year-old Nadella, who's spent over half his life at Microsoft, the gathering landed at a pivotal moment, as the software giant tries to magnify its role in the AI boom. Of late, Nadella has been inserting himself more into the AI discourse, posting on X last month about the need for "deliberate pacing" in model development, and days later addressing safety fears at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles.
Despite its almost $4 trillion market cap, Microsoft has yet to break out as an AI leader. Nvidia dominates in AI chips, Anthropic and OpenAI boast the foremost models, Meta just released the first mass-market personal agent, and Google's Gemini-powered services are popular with businesses and consumers.
Microsoft was aggressively early to AI through an investment in OpenAI, but that alliance has frayed. While the software giant has a big business in renting out chips for AI developers through its Azure cloud, its Copilot technology isn't pervasive in the workplace, and its proprietary AI models remain niche.
The company is hosting a Windows and Surface event in San Francisco on Wednesday, describing it in an invitation as "a conversation on how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC."
Wall Street is lukewarm on the story. Even factoring in a sharp third-quarter rally, the stock is trailing its megacap peers and the broader Nasdaq this year, up just 7% as of Friday's close. Microsoft hasn't beaten the S&P 500 in a calendar year since 2023.
Nasdaq vs. S&P 500 since the end of 2023
Tiffany Wade, co-portfolio manager at Microsoft shareholder Columbia Threadneedle, said there are a lot of unknowns about Copilot, which is the centerpiece of Nadella's AI strategy.
"I think there needs to be a little bit more maturity of the product before we figure out actually what the best solution or what pricing is," Wade said in an interview.
For longtime Microsoft investors, Nadella has a solid track record when it comes to navigating industry shifts. He was named CEO in 2014, succeeding Steve Ballmer, who had presided over a roughly 33% drop in the stock price during his 14-year tenure, as Microsoft slipped into the beleaguered category of legacy software.
Nadella proceeded to turn Microsoft into a cloud powerhouse. He tossed aside perpetual Office software licenses and pushed the company into subscription-based software-as-a-service offerings alongside Azure infrastructure. And he permitted customers to integrate products from bitter rivals like Oracle and Salesforce, rather than insisting on a pure Microsoft stack.
Trained as an electrical engineer and computer scientist, Nadella became a savvy dealmaker, expanding Microsoft through acquisitions of "Minecraft"-maker Mojang, business social network LinkedIn and code-sharing service GitHub.
In recent months, Nadella has acknowledged to investors that he's got to change the business model yet again, this time to reflect the AI-fueled move toward consumption-based pricing. That means becoming a vendor of large volumes of tokens, which measure computing usage and represent the currency of the AI economy.
Success would mean "further expanding our TAM," Nadella said on Microsoft's July earnings call, adopting the acronym for total addressable market.
watch now
Much of the growth story Nadella preaches involves the production of software. Develop more code and do it faster, boosted by the latest and greatest AI tools.
"We went from the code assist to the agentic coding to software factory all within one year," Nadella said at the customer gathering late last month.
Now he wants to see Microsoft clients open their own software factories, spending more along the way to help churn out code. He's also hoping to empower non-technical knowledge workers. Some of Nadella's lieutenants at the event unveiled a Copilot "super app" that can perform increasingly complex tasks, generate simple applications and function as a virtual teammate.
Nadella had a preview of what was coming.
Microsoft first invested in OpenAI in 2019, when the company was still a fledgling lab. In 2021, a year before ChatGPT launched, Microsoft and OpenAI collaborated to release GitHub Copilot, a tool that could write parts of applications and websites based on vast swaths of public source code.
They'd created an early sensation. But as the generative AI market took off, developers moved to products from AI-native startups like Cursor, now owned by SpaceX, and Anthropic, which rolled out Claude Code.
'Learned lessons'Microsoft's sluggishness in keeping up with the rapid changes cost GitHub market share.
Earlier this year, Microsoft adjusted the pricing for the coding tool to align more with computing demand. Some customers initially balked, but by July the company said it had racked up 50 million users, up from 26 million last October, meaning that one in five on GitHub were on board.
Nadella said on the July earnings call that GitHub Copilot sales growth accelerated 60% from the previous quarter, with "significant consumption revenue after the new model went into effect."
"GitHub Copilot went out and learned lessons," said Kyle Daigle, the unit's operating chief, in an interview.
Daigle said GitHub employees shared their lessons with other teams at Microsoft that are eyeing consumption-based pricing schemes.
Hayete Gallot, Microsoft's executive vice president for security products, said the company will charge clients according to how intensely they use the technology.
"I always say to my team, when customers consume, it means we add value. And for me, the truth starts with customers," Gallot said. "If they don't consume, it means we're not giving value."
Currently, Microsoft's enterprise portfolio is reliant on subscriptions. For its core Microsoft 365 productivity suite, which includes Word, Excel and Teams, customers sign up for years at a time, and Copilot costs an extra $30 per person each month. Microsoft has 30 million Copilot seats. The commercial Office 365 base exceeds 450 million.
One area of uncertainty in Microsoft's AI roadmap revolves around Mustafa Suleyman.
Suleyman previously co-founded AI lab DeepMind, which Google bought in 2014. Nadella hired him in 2024 to lead AI initiatives as Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI was cooling.
Last year, Microsoft lost its status as OpenAI's exclusive cloud provider, and this year its license on OpenAI intellectual property became non-exclusive. That left the software company with a massive investment in the AI lab but less preferential treatment. Microsoft said in April that it continues to serve as OpenAI's "primary cloud partner."
Suleyman's group has rolled out models for coding, image generation and reasoning. This week he boasted on X that a new speech-to-text model was "the most accurate real time transcription model in the world... #1 !!!" But for raw digital intellect, the team has yet to rival Anthropic or OpenAI, according to independent leaderboards.
Microsoft executives say there are benefits to having model and application development under the same roof. The group building Teams and other Office productivity apps has seen higher performance from Suleyman's transcription models at a lower price, and engineers get clear feedback as they build out products, said Executive Vice President Charles Lamanna.
"The collaboration is much tighter with Mustafa," he said.
Suleyman maintains a high profile at Microsoft, but his responsibilities have shifted. In March, Microsoft announced that it was bringing together the engineering groups for its commercial and consumer Copilot assistants, as adoption had been sluggish. Jacob Andreou was promoted to executive vice president for Copilot experience, and Suleyman was charged with focusing on model development.
Nadella, meanwhile, has been downplaying the importance of world-beating models in isolation.
"In my view, our priority has to be building a frontier ecosystem, not just a frontier model, so value flows broadly across every company, every industry, and every country," he wrote in a post on his SN Scratchpad website in June.
At the September Copilot event, Nadella stood before a slide declaring that Copilot could connect to "every model," with the Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceX and Microsoft AI logos.
Fixing the economicsIncreasingly, Microsoft is finding the model leaders encroaching on its turf, as they release products for cybersecurity, customer service and other functions.
In January, as Anthropic's Claude Code was building momentum, Microsoft executives were impressed with its ability to tap a bevy of tools to get things done, said Jared Spataro, Microsoft's marketing chief for AI at work. Microsoft was losing deals to Anthropic, promoting a close study of a rising competitor, said a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named due to confidentiality.
A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment.
Spataro said the company sensed a need to change the mechanics.
"It became very clear to us at that moment. Like, oh wow, the economics are not going to be such that we're going to be able to offer now the best outcome within a fixed price per user per month," Spataro said. "We realized that we needed to start to think about the business model."
The company got cracking on a more comprehensive approach to consumption-based pricing that it calls usage-based billing, or UBB. The first UBB product was Copilot Cowork, which accepts large productivity assignments and shows its progress, Spataro said.
Nadella said on the July earnings call that "earlier this month, we added usage-based billing to Cowork with thousands of customers already paying for and actively using it."
Derrick Wood, an analyst at Cowen, said it was a strong signal.
"It may have the effect of what we saw when Claude Code, for example, shifted to consumption pricing, and you saw token bills go significantly higher," said Wood, who recommends buying Microsoft shares. "There's definitely the possibility for that to happen with Cowork."
Nadella is a user. On a podcast recorded after the September event, he said he can ask Cowork to prepare a supply chain optimization spreadsheet showing multiple scenarios.
"It'll create a fantastic artifact," he said.
David Berry, a vice president at advisory group Directions on Microsoft, said budget-conscious IT executives aren't all ready to take the Cowork plunge.
"There's a very real concern that you just kind of turn it on and people are going to start draining the bank," Berry said. "There's no way to determine if people are actually getting any benefit from it."
With the ChatGPT era nearing its four-year anniversary, Microsoft is still looking for a smash hit, whether at the model or application layer. While Nadella earned investor trust in reviving Microsoft once, he can't afford to let the company become an also-ran in AI.
Berry said he still sees Nadella as the right person to command the ship.
"He seems to be able to handle the situations or identify the situations and come up with a plan to change and evolve the business," he said. "The challenge is we're facing a lot more of the unknowns in a sense with AI, so it's a lot of different market dynamics going on, but he seems to have a plan, and he's working the plan."
In Seattle, Nadella ended his response to the transformation question by saying that those at the top of organizations play a key role.
"Leaders who are hands-on are able to change," he said. "Otherwise, they're all from press event to press event, right?"
He added, "It's kind of like you've got to be in it."
Gryphon Financial Partners zvýšila ve 2. čtvrtletí podíl v Microsoftu o 6,6 % na 63 743 akcií v hodnotě 23,778 milionu USD. Microsoft zároveň oznámil čtvrtletní dividendu ve výši 0,98 USD na akcii, oproti dřívějším 0,91 USD.
Gryphon Financial Partners LLC grew its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,743 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,936 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 2.1% of Gryphon Financial Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $23,778,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Microsoft by 37.4% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter worth $59,000. Glynn Capital Management LLC raised its position in Microsoft by 34.2% in the second quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at $101,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft Stock Up 0.9% Shares of MSFT opened at $517.53 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $553.72. The company’s fifty day moving average is $490.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $429.97. The firm has a market cap of $3.84 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $571.18.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Azure and AI demand remain the primary catalyst. Investor data and analyst commentary point to accelerating Azure demand, while Microsoft’s recent earnings showed its fastest cloud growth in four years. The improving demand is helping ease concerns that the company’s substantial AI infrastructure spending will not generate adequate returns. Ca$htag: MSFT Azure Cloud Drives Soaring Demand Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added Microsoft to its Q4 Tactical Ideas list and raised its price target to $725, citing Azure’s growth potential and the prospect of improved AI monetization through Copilot. The action adds to a series of bullish analyst revisions; one report noted that 52 analysts covering Microsoft currently have no sell ratings. With Azure as a Catalyst, Microsoft Is Positioned for Sustained Growth Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s OpenAI relationship provides potential additional value. Investors are increasingly focused on Microsoft’s stake and commercial partnership with OpenAI, particularly ahead of a possible OpenAI initial public offering that could provide a market reference for the investment. OpenAI’s Future IPO Keeps Me Buying Microsoft Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced new real-time AI speech models for customer-service agents, multilingual assistants and voice interfaces. The products broaden Microsoft’s enterprise AI offering and could support additional cloud consumption and software revenue. Microsoft Targets Contact Center Market With Real-Time AI Voice Models Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting Microsoft’s October 7 Surface and Windows event. New hardware or Windows updates could support the ecosystem, although the event has not yet produced a material earnings catalyst. Microsoft Stock Notches Up Ahead of the Surface Show Negative Sentiment: Risks include heavy AI capital spending, valuation concerns and broader market concentration. Critics argue that rising data-center capacity could pressure compute pricing and returns, while strategists warn that a market correction could disproportionately affect megacap technology stocks. Microsoft’s dividend remains affordable, but AI infrastructure spending and lease commitments could limit future dividend growth. Morgan Stanley Strategist Sees Market Drawdown Potential Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. This trade represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Progress Comes With Several Risks Still Unresolved Time to Nibble on MCD Stock After it Enters Oversold Territory? McCormick Stock Trades Cheap, Offers Dividend Growth and Unilever Deal Upside Corning and AT&T’s $3 Billion Fiber Deal Reveals Where AI Spending Goes Next Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
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National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila podíl v Microsoftu o 23,6 % na 219 900 akcií v hodnotě 82 027 000 USD.
National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 23.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 219,900 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 42,000 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 0.5% of National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives’ holdings in Microsoft were worth $82,027,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its position in Microsoft by 56,160.8% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in Microsoft by 30.8% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after purchasing an additional 9,814,598 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 10.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,300,410 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $12,235,785,000 after purchasing an additional 458,014 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 64.3% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,982,083,000 after buying an additional 9,493,778 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MSFT shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $540.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Microsoft from $500.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, CLSA restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $571.18.
Read Our Latest Report on MSFT Microsoft Stock Up 0.9% Microsoft stock opened at $517.53 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $490.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $429.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $3.84 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.82, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.10.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. 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. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is 20.27%.
Key Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Azure and AI demand remain the primary catalyst. Investor data and analyst commentary point to accelerating Azure demand, while Microsoft’s recent earnings showed its fastest cloud growth in four years. The improving demand is helping ease concerns that the company’s substantial AI infrastructure spending will not generate adequate returns. Ca$htag: MSFT Azure Cloud Drives Soaring Demand Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added Microsoft to its Q4 Tactical Ideas list and raised its price target to $725, citing Azure’s growth potential and the prospect of improved AI monetization through Copilot. The action adds to a series of bullish analyst revisions; one report noted that 52 analysts covering Microsoft currently have no sell ratings. With Azure as a Catalyst, Microsoft Is Positioned for Sustained Growth Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s OpenAI relationship provides potential additional value. Investors are increasingly focused on Microsoft’s stake and commercial partnership with OpenAI, particularly ahead of a possible OpenAI initial public offering that could provide a market reference for the investment. OpenAI’s Future IPO Keeps Me Buying Microsoft Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced new real-time AI speech models for customer-service agents, multilingual assistants and voice interfaces. The products broaden Microsoft’s enterprise AI offering and could support additional cloud consumption and software revenue. Microsoft Targets Contact Center Market With Real-Time AI Voice Models Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting Microsoft’s October 7 Surface and Windows event. New hardware or Windows updates could support the ecosystem, although the event has not yet produced a material earnings catalyst. Microsoft Stock Notches Up Ahead of the Surface Show Negative Sentiment: Risks include heavy AI capital spending, valuation concerns and broader market concentration. Critics argue that rising data-center capacity could pressure compute pricing and returns, while strategists warn that a market correction could disproportionately affect megacap technology stocks. Microsoft’s dividend remains affordable, but AI infrastructure spending and lease commitments could limit future dividend growth. Morgan Stanley Strategist Sees Market Drawdown Potential Insider Activity at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% 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. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.
Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.
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