Janney Montgomery Scott LLC ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila podíl v Microsoftu o 2,3 % a nakoupila dalších 51 099 akcií. Drží 2 289 585 akcií v hodnotě 854,061,000 USD.
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 2.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,289,585 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 51,099 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for 1.7% of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $854,061,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its stake 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 worth $85,604,000 after buying an additional 8,773 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 537,630 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $199,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 during the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 138.8% during the first quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,356,359 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $502,077,000 after purchasing an additional 788,297 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Trading Up 0.9% Shares of MSFT stock opened at $517.53 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. The firm has a market cap of $3.84 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.82, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $490.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $429.97.
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 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 for 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 for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.
Insider Activity In other 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 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 approximately $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 this hyperlink. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s 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 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 have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Azure and AI demand remain the primary catalyst. Investor data and analyst commentary point to accelerating Azure demand, while Microsoft’s recent earnings showed its fastest cloud growth in four years. The improving demand is helping ease concerns that the company’s substantial AI infrastructure spending will not generate adequate returns. Ca$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 Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research cut Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Weiss Ratings raised Microsoft from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Microsoft from $700.00 to $725.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $571.18.
Get 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.
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Microsoft uvedl MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming a MAI-Voice-2.1, přičemž streamingový model byl podle Artificial Analysis nejlepší ze 38 systémů s chybovostí slov 2,5 %.
Microsoft MSFT , the cloud, productivity and enterprise-AI company, launched MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming alongside MAI-Voice-2.1 and its faster Flash variant, with shares up approximately 0.54% to $515.57 at 10.05am ET on October 2. The push gives developers more of the pieces needed to build voice agents inside Microsoft's ecosystem. Hearing a customer and answering back could mean two opportunities to capture spending.
Artificial Analysis ranked the streaming model first among 38 systems, measuring a 2.5% word-error rate and a final transcript delivered 0.13 seconds after speech ended. As explainx.ai noted, the accuracy result deserves attention. But a benchmark win does not establish customer adoption or performance in busy contact centers. Fast transcripts open the door. Reliable service keeps customers inside.
Microsoft offers all three models through Foundry, creating a potential route from voice applications to additional Azure usage. The valuation picture puts shares 12.52% below the $589.33 GF Value™ estimate, suggesting potential upside rather than guaranteeing it. The commercial hurdle is straightforward: turn strong model scores into recurring workloads while keeping inference costs under control. More conversations help only if the economics hold up.
Amazon a Microsoft čelí v EU možným novým povinnostem, protože regulátoři zkoumají, zda AWS a Azure nespadají pod pravidla pro gatekeepers. Rozhodnutí může přijít už v listopadu.
are facing possible new obligations in Europe as regulators move to address the leverage that major cloud providers have over customers, according to a report.
The European Commission's review focuses on whether AWS and Azure give businesses an important route to reach customers and whether switching between providers can be difficult because of established ecosystems and costs.
That distinction could bring cloud computing deeper into the EU's Digital Markets Act. A designation would expose the services to requirements covering interoperability, customer lock-in and the treatment of rival offerings.
The Commission began examining the two businesses in November 2025 after deciding that their scale alone did not meet the law's standard thresholds, but that their roles in the cloud market could still warrant oversight.
EU officials gave Amazon and Microsoft a preliminary view in June that AWS and Azure should qualify as gatekeepers. A final decision has not been issued, with Bloomberg reporting that regulators could act as soon as November.
Fifty-two analysts cover Microsoft and not one recommends selling, yet the stock has gone nowhere for a year while Azure just crossed a historic revenue threshold. Something in that gap between Wall Street conviction and share price stagnation does not…
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The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) is $627.63 over the next 12 months. The target stands 22.37% above the current price of $512.90. Our model rates the stock a buy with high confidence.
Metric Value Current Price $512.90 Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. $627.63 Upside/Downside 22.37% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% Wall Street agrees. Microsoft has 14 Strong Buy, 38 Buy and 3 Hold ratings, with zero Sells. The consensus target is $578.42, implying about 12.8% upside. Our target stands above the Street because consensus is underpricing how quickly Azure capacity will convert to revenue.
Azure Tops $100 Billion While Shares Tread Water The stock is up 2.56% over the past week and 6.83% year to date, but about flat for the full year at -0.06%. The 52-week range runs from $348.54 to $549.20.
The business grew much faster than the stock. Microsoft reported fiscal Q4 2026 results on July 29. Revenue came in at $90.01 billion, up 17.75%, beating the $87.63 billion estimate. EPS of $4.74 beat the $4.24 estimate. Azure grew 43% and passed $100 billion in annual revenue. Commercial backlog rose 84% to $678 billion.
Why Bulls See $727 Within Reach In our bull case, the stock hits $727.41. Supply is the main driver. Management guided to Azure growth of about 45% in constant currency for fiscal Q1 2027. CFO Amy Hood said “demand continues to exceed available supply.” Each new gigawatt of capacity sells almost as soon as it comes online.
AI products are making real money. Microsoft 365 Copilot has passed 30 million paid seats, with net additions more than doubling from the prior quarter. GitHub Copilot revenue grew over 60% quarter over quarter.
Capex and Free Cash Flow Are the Pressure Points Our bear case comes to at $533.45. Q4 capital spending rose 109.63% to $35.80 billion, and free cash flow fell 23.19%. Management expects fiscal 2027 capex of about $175 billion. More Personal Computing, which includes Windows and Xbox, contracted 4%. Excluding OpenAI, backlog grew a more modest 25%.
Operating cash flow rose 30% to $55.44 billion, and Microsoft expects free cash flow to stay positive. Hood said spending is flexible: “If the demand environment changes, you just slow down what is, in fact, the largest component.”
Microsoft Pairs Growth With Positive Free Cash Flow, Unlike Amazon and Alphabet Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) runs AWS, Azure’s closest rival. AWS grew 37%, slower than Azure, yet Amazon trades at 35x trailing earnings versus Microsoft’s 28x. Amazon’s trailing free cash flow was negative $7.6 billion.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) trades at 15x earnings, and Google Cloud grew 82%. A $99.03 billion gain on equity securities inflated those earnings. Alphabet had negative Q2 free cash flow of $5.855 billion and suspended its buyback.
Company Trailing P/E Cloud Growth Microsoft 28 43% (Azure) Amazon 35 37% (AWS) Alphabet 15 82% (Google Cloud) Against these peers, our target looks reasonable. Microsoft has premium-quality cash flow at a valuation between the two.
Microsoft Price Prediction 2026-2030 I stand by our 24/7 Wall St. price target of $627.63, a buy rating and 90% confidence. Capacity selling as soon as it arrives tips the scale. My confidence would rise if Azure delivers the guided acceleration and Copilot seat additions keep compounding.
I would get more conservative if capex keeps growing while free cash flow contracted for several more quarters. For now, the evidence supports the bull side.
Our model projects where Microsoft could trade if current growth and market conditions hold.
Year Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. 2026 $542.26 2027 $629.19 2028 $727.64 2029 $820.67 2030 $895.81 Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Microsoft má za sebou nejsilnější čtvrtletí od konce 90. let. Wall Street čeká dvouciferný růst tržeb i zisků a sází na potenciál AI strategie s Copilotem.
Microsoft má za sebou nejsilnější čtvrtletí od konce 90. let a podle řady analytiků ještě zdaleka nemusí být na konci růstového příběhu. Wall Street u něj očekává dvouciferný růst tržeb i zisků a většina analytiků věří, že AI strategie společnosti v čele s produktem Copilot je teprve na začátku svého komerčního potenciálu.
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Wells Fargo zvedla cílovou cenu Microsoftu z 700 na 725 USD a nechala rating Overweight. Změna vykazování má podle banky zpřehlednit Azure a odhalit silnější poptávku po cloudu a AI.
Wells Fargo added Microsoft to its fourth-quarter Tactical Ideas list and maintained an Overweight rating. Summary
Microsoft’s new reporting structure could give investors a clearer view of consumption-based cloud revenue.
The software and cloud computing business Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, Financials) was added to Wells Fargo's Tactical Ideas list. The company cited anticipated product launches, new financial disclosures, and artificial intelligence as catalysts for the fourth quarter.
Michael Turrin, an analyst, increased his price objective from $700 to $725 while maintaining an Overweight rating. He pointed out that the price of Microsoft stock is almost 25 times its earnings.
Microsoft's proposed sector reorganization represents a significant shift. Starting with its fiscal first-quarter results, the business will reduce its reporting divisions from three to two: Agents and Infra and Devices and Consumer.
According to Wells Fargo, the updated disclosures ought give offer more insight into Azure. In order to provide a clearer picture of the underlying cloud demand, Microsoft will present Azure revenue in monetary terms while excluding non-consumption components from the statistic.
Investors may find it simpler to assess Azure growth as a result, exposing upside that was less apparent under the old reporting format.
Another motivator is Microsoft's Ignite conference in November, when Wells Fargo anticipates more information on AI models, apps, and custom silicon.
The new Azure disclosures on cloud and AI revenue growth will be the first thing investors look for in October results.
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.
McAdam LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 7.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 25,744 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 1,758 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises about 0.4% of McAdam LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. McAdam LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $9,603,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 56,160.8% during 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 acquiring an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings 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 valued at $8,619,211,000 after purchasing an additional 12,493,786 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake 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. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased 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 purchasing an additional 9,493,778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 6,792,718 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal 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 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 completion of the sale, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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 in 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: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $610 from $550 and maintained an Overweight rating, citing improving estimates for Microsoft’s commercial cloud business and potential revenue from the new E7 enterprise licensing tier. Why is Microsoft stock up on Wednesday? Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s revamped Copilot is becoming more enterprise-focused, while usage-based billing expected to begin in November could simplify adoption and improve monetization. Analysts also see potential for paid Copilot seats to continue expanding rapidly. What a Revamped Copilot Means for Microsoft Stock Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s autonomous “Dots” agents into its enterprise security and governance framework, strengthening its position in workplace AI. A long-term Xbox publishing agreement with Take-Two also supports the gaming ecosystem. Microsoft Brings OpenAI’s Autonomous Dots AI Workers Into the Enterprise Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft has delivered a substantial quarterly rally, but its valuation remains below its recent average P/E despite strong Azure growth, expanding Copilot demand and a sizable commercial backlog. This leaves room for additional upside, although expectations are already elevated. How Much Upside Is Left In Microsoft Stock? Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that surging AI infrastructure spending could outpace free cash flow before Azure and Copilot returns fully materialize. Microsoft also warns that AI agents may weaken traditional software pricing power and customer loyalty. The AI Revolution Could Be Microsoft’s Next Trillion-Dollar Opportunity Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MSFT. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Microsoft from $550.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Forty-three 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $570.62.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MSFT
Microsoft Stock Performance NASDAQ MSFT opened at $512.90 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. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $553.72. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $484.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $428.53. The firm has a market cap of $3.81 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11.
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, 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 firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.65 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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. 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 0.8%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.
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Meridian Management Co. grew its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 143.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,106 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,483 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises about 1.3% of Meridian Management Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Meridian Management Co.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $6,008,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% in 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 last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the fourth quarter worth approximately $59,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the fourth quarter worth approximately $101,000. Finally, Ramsey Quantitative Systems bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $112,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity In related news, 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 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 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 value of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Price Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $512.90 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $3.81 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $484.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $428.53. 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 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. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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. Shareholders 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 is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore set a $528.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Phillip Securities downgraded Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Microsoft from $500.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $570.62.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Microsoft
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $610 from $550 and maintained an Overweight rating, citing improving estimates for Microsoft’s commercial cloud business and potential revenue from the new E7 enterprise licensing tier. Why is Microsoft stock up on Wednesday? Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s revamped Copilot is becoming more enterprise-focused, while usage-based billing expected to begin in November could simplify adoption and improve monetization. Analysts also see potential for paid Copilot seats to continue expanding rapidly. What a Revamped Copilot Means for Microsoft Stock Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s autonomous “Dots” agents into its enterprise security and governance framework, strengthening its position in workplace AI. A long-term Xbox publishing agreement with Take-Two also supports the gaming ecosystem. Microsoft Brings OpenAI’s Autonomous Dots AI Workers Into the Enterprise Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft has delivered a substantial quarterly rally, but its valuation remains below its recent average P/E despite strong Azure growth, expanding Copilot demand and a sizable commercial backlog. This leaves room for additional upside, although expectations are already elevated. How Much Upside Is Left In Microsoft Stock? Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that surging AI infrastructure spending could outpace free cash flow before Azure and Copilot returns fully materialize. Microsoft also warns that AI agents may weaken traditional software pricing power and customer loyalty. The AI Revolution Could Be Microsoft’s Next Trillion-Dollar Opportunity 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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Transcend Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 92,330 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 18,593 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises approximately 2.3% of Transcend Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $34,441,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frankly Finances LLC acquired a new position 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 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 in the last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth approximately $101,000. Finally, Ramsey Quantitative Systems acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $112,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, July 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Argus dropped their target price 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. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $570.62.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $610 from $550 and maintained an Overweight rating, citing improving estimates for Microsoft’s commercial cloud business and potential revenue from the new E7 enterprise licensing tier. Why is Microsoft stock up on Wednesday? Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s revamped Copilot is becoming more enterprise-focused, while usage-based billing expected to begin in November could simplify adoption and improve monetization. Analysts also see potential for paid Copilot seats to continue expanding rapidly. What a Revamped Copilot Means for Microsoft Stock Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s autonomous “Dots” agents into its enterprise security and governance framework, strengthening its position in workplace AI. A long-term Xbox publishing agreement with Take-Two also supports the gaming ecosystem. Microsoft Brings OpenAI’s Autonomous Dots AI Workers Into the Enterprise Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft has delivered a substantial quarterly rally, but its valuation remains below its recent average P/E despite strong Azure growth, expanding Copilot demand and a sizable commercial backlog. This leaves room for additional upside, although expectations are already elevated. How Much Upside Is Left In Microsoft Stock? Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that surging AI infrastructure spending could outpace free cash flow before Azure and Copilot returns fully materialize. Microsoft also warns that AI agents may weaken traditional software pricing power and customer loyalty. The AI Revolution Could Be Microsoft’s Next Trillion-Dollar Opportunity Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the business’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 completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the company’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. The trade was 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. In 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 Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $512.90 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.81 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $553.72. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $484.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $428.53. 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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current 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 a positive change 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. 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.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Deutsche Bank Makes a Contrarian Call on Netflix—What Does It Mean for Investors? O’Reilly Automotive’s Stock Slump Hides a Stronger Business McDonald’s Stock Slump Makes Its AI Pricing Bet Even Riskier Broadcom’s AI Growth Story Faces a $161 Billion Anthropic Test 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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Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC ve 2. čtvrtletí snížila podíl v Microsoftu o 15,8 % a prodala 10 186 akcií. Po transakci držela 54 215 akcií v hodnotě 20,223 milionu USD.
Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC lowered its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 15.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 54,215 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 10,186 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises 2.5% of Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $20,223,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management grew its position in 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 worth $85,604,000 after buying an additional 8,773 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. raised 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 valued at $199,014,000 after acquiring an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in Microsoft by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,921,677 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,562,197,000 after acquiring an additional 537,634 shares in the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter valued at $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its position 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 period. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts recently commented on MSFT shares. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Microsoft from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Forty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $570.62.
Read Our Latest Report on MSFT Insider Activity at Microsoft 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 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 in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. 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 quarter. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Price Performance Shares of MSFT stock opened at $512.90 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $484.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $428.53. The company has a market cap of $3.81 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11. 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 Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast 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. Investors 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. 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%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 20.27%.
Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $610 from $550 and maintained an Overweight rating, citing improving estimates for Microsoft’s commercial cloud business and potential revenue from the new E7 enterprise licensing tier. Why is Microsoft stock up on Wednesday? Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s revamped Copilot is becoming more enterprise-focused, while usage-based billing expected to begin in November could simplify adoption and improve monetization. Analysts also see potential for paid Copilot seats to continue expanding rapidly. What a Revamped Copilot Means for Microsoft Stock Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s autonomous “Dots” agents into its enterprise security and governance framework, strengthening its position in workplace AI. A long-term Xbox publishing agreement with Take-Two also supports the gaming ecosystem. Microsoft Brings OpenAI’s Autonomous Dots AI Workers Into the Enterprise Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft has delivered a substantial quarterly rally, but its valuation remains below its recent average P/E despite strong Azure growth, expanding Copilot demand and a sizable commercial backlog. This leaves room for additional upside, although expectations are already elevated. How Much Upside Is Left In Microsoft Stock? Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that surging AI infrastructure spending could outpace free cash flow before Azure and Copilot returns fully materialize. Microsoft also warns that AI agents may weaken traditional software pricing power and customer loyalty. The AI Revolution Could Be Microsoft’s Next Trillion-Dollar Opportunity 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 Deutsche Bank Makes a Contrarian Call on Netflix—What Does It Mean for Investors? O’Reilly Automotive’s Stock Slump Hides a Stronger Business McDonald’s Stock Slump Makes Its AI Pricing Bet Even Riskier Broadcom’s AI Growth Story Faces a $161 Billion Anthropic Test
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Bill Ackman prodal Alphabet a přikoupil Microsoft, který byl tehdy zhruba 20 % pod maximem. Od té doby Alphabet klesl o 15 % od poloviny 2. čtvrtletí, zatímco Microsoft vzrostl o 26 %.
Hedge fund managers are making big moves to capitalize on the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven stock market gyrations. Billionaire Bill Ackman made some in his portfolio last quarter, completely selling out of Alphabet (GOOG +1.01%) (GOOGL +0.93%) for his investment fund, Pershing Square. Given the timing of the buys and sells, it is likely that Pershing Square reaped multibagger returns from its investment in Alphabet.
What did Ackman buy with his Google proceeds? He turned to another AI technology giant: Microsoft (MSFT +0.77%). It had been a laggard in the first half of 2026 and was down about 20% from its Q2 highs when Pershing Square topped off its position.
Bill Ackman. Image source: Getty Images.
Microsoft is now back near all-time highs and the largest position in the Pershing Square portfolio. Does that mean Ackman made the right move to dump Alphabet for Microsoft?
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Microsoft's booming cloud business and software fears In early 2026, Microsoft's share price was facing two thematic headwinds. First, as the world's largest enterprise software company, Microsoft's stock dipped alongside the rest of the sector amid concerns that AI would disrupt everything.
It turns out that no AI disruption has occurred so far, or that it is taking much longer than pessimists assumed. Microsoft's commercial 365 software revenue rose 14% year over year in constant currency last quarter, showing no signs of disruption from AI.
Second, Microsoft had some weakness relative to other major technology players due to OpenAI's speed bumps in 2026. Previously, Microsoft was the leading cloud provider for OpenAI and was seen as reliant on OpenAI for revenue growth at its Azure cloud business. Microsoft has since diversified its AI cloud business beyond a sole bet on OpenAI, while also securing major commitments from its flagship partner.
Last quarter, Microsoft's cloud revenue increased 27% to $59.3 billion, with remaining performance obligations rising 84% to $678 billion. On these numbers, the stock price has begun to recover and is now down just 5% from the 2025 highs.
Image source: Alphabet.
A cheap earnings multiple compared to the rest of big tech Compared with other large technology players such as Alphabet, Microsoft had a much lower valuation in the first half of 2026. Earlier this year, when Pershing Square was buying, Microsoft had a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) in the low 20s. For a business with revenue increasing in double-digit percentages with a huge order backlog, that is a low price, which was driven by the slump across the entire enterprise software sector.
Alphabet's forward P/E ratio was in the low 30s during the same period, while Apple's was in the high 30s. Pershing Square likely saw Microsoft as a better value because of this discrepancy in earnings ratios.
MSFT PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts
Was it the right move? So far, Ackman's decision to sell Alphabet and buy more Microsoft is looking smart. Alphabet's stock is down 15% since the middle of Q2, while Microsoft shares are up 26% and close to breaking through to new all-time highs.
But what about the long term? Alphabet is no slouch of a business and is growing quickly. Its Google Cloud business is actually growing much faster than Microsoft, posting 82% year-over-year growth to $24.8 billion in Q2.
The one concern investors have with Alphabet right now is the potential disruption of Google Search. People worry that new AI agents like ChatGPT or Claude will take users away from Google, Alphabet's cash cow. Still, these concerns have not shown up in Alphabet's financial performance yet, with Google Search revenue up 17% year over year, which is actually faster than Microsoft's enterprise software revenue growth.
Microsoft may have been a better buy earlier in 2026 because of its cheaper P/E ratio. However, over the long term, if you are comfortable with the AI risks for both businesses, both Alphabet and Microsoft should do fine in your portfolio.
Microsoft si drží doporučení Buy a Copilot sjednocuje spotřebitelské i firemní nabídky pro hlubší komerční využití. Akcie MSFT od posledního snížení hodnocení vzrostly asi o 5,75 %.
SummaryMicrosoft maintains a Buy rating as Copilot's strategic shift consolidates consumer and enterprise offerings for deeper commercial integration.MSFT's Copilot discounts aim to drive broader seat adoption, with future revenue growth tied to usage-based consumption rather than list price extrapolation.Valuation remains attractive relative to peers, with a non-GAAP P/E of 29.47 and EV/EBITDA of 19.73, reflecting earnings-driven appreciation.Key risks include rising CapEx obligations and higher rates, but MSFT's business quality supports resilience amid these headwinds. tupungato/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Introduction Microsoft (MSFT) has gained about 5.75% since I last downgraded the firm, as it initially rose sharply following its earnings release and the fact that it was, to be fair, too cheap for
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MSFT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Akcie Microsoftu ve středu vzrostly asi o 2 % poté, co Piper Sandler zvýšil cílovou cenu na 610 USD z 550 USD a ponechal doporučení Overweight. Broker je optimističtější ohledně Microsoft 365 a monetizace AI.
Microsoft shares MSFT rose about 2% on Wednesday after Piper Sandler raised its price target on the software giant to $610 from $550 while maintaining an Overweight rating.
The new target represents nearly 18% upside from the stock’s current trading level and reflects higher estimates and an expanded enterprise value-to-operating cash flow multiple, as the brokerage grows more confident in the outlook for Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 commercial cloud business.
The stock also benefited from broader market gains after fresh US economic data showed inflation slowing last month, pushing Treasury yields lower.
The S&P 500 rose about 0.5%, while the Nasdaq gained roughly 1%.
Piper Sandler introduced a new framework for analyzing Microsoft’s M365 Commercial Cloud business following the company’s “Super App” announcement, the rollout of its new E7 tier, and increasing 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 roughly $2 billion in annualized revenue uplift.
The immediate contribution is expected to be limited, however, as customers gradually migrate across Microsoft’s subscription tiers.
Piper Sandler also sees a significant opportunity from consumption-based revenue generated by Copilot and Cowork.
The firm estimates that these businesses could reach a $2 billion annualized revenue run rate by the end of fiscal 2028.
The analyst said the value proposition of Copilot and Cowork is partly based on Microsoft’s ability to use its enterprise technology “harness” and auto-routing capabilities to perform tasks at lower costs than relying exclusively on frontier AI models.
That could allow Microsoft to generate revenue from AI consumption at a faster pace than the traditional seat-based Copilot model.
The opportunity is particularly important as investors increasingly focus on whether technology companies can translate heavy AI investment into sustainable revenue and cash flow.
Piper Sandler’s bullish view follows a similar shift in sentiment from other Wall Street analysts.
Last week, Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575 from $530, citing growing confidence that the company can sustain revenue growth in the mid-to-upper teens.
Analysts led by Brad Reback said Microsoft had “clearly turned the corner post the June quarter print,” pointing to continued strength in Azure, lower large-language-model research intensity and a growing contribution from OpenAI.
Stifel expects Azure to benefit from another 200 to 300 basis points of upside as Microsoft improves efficiency across its technology stack, including silicon, models and software.
The analysts also pointed to comments from Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood that Microsoft had reduced “dock-to-live times” — the period between hardware coming online and becoming ready to generate revenue — by more than 50% over the past year.
That improvement could allow Microsoft to convert additional infrastructure capacity into revenue more quickly.
Microsoft’s AI monetization story is also expanding beyond Azure.
Copilot’s seat count reached roughly 30 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 10 million from the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, GitHub’s move toward consumption-based pricing provides another potential source of revenue growth.
Stifel expects these factors to offset moderating seat growth as Microsoft 365 approaches 500 million seats, allowing the company to sustain at least mid-teens growth for several years.
The brokerage also said its previous concerns about margin compression had proved “too negative.”
Azure efficiency gains, the elimination of revenue-share payments to OpenAI following an April contract revision, and Microsoft’s decision to extend the useful life of certain assets to 25 years from 15 years have all helped improve the margin outlook, according to Stifel.
The broader analyst community has also become more constructive.
Seventeen analysts have recently raised their earnings estimates for Microsoft for the upcoming period.
Microsoft shares have risen about 10% this year, but the bulk of the recovery has come in the third quarter, with the stock up 36.4% so far.
That puts Microsoft on track for its strongest quarterly performance since the first quarter of 1998, when the shares gained 38.5%, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The scale of the recent rebound partly reflects how sharply the stock had fallen at the start of the year.
Microsoft shares plunged 23.5% in the first quarter, marking their worst quarterly performance since the 2008-09 financial crisis.
Investors have since placed greater emphasis on the different parts of Microsoft’s business that can benefit from the AI boom.
StoneX analyst Yi Fu Lee said Microsoft has increasingly benefited from a “flight to quality” as investors seek technology companies with clearer paths to monetizing AI.
Investors have come to view Microsoft as “one of the highest-quality platforms in technology,” Lee said, according to MarketWatch.
StoneX reiterated a Buy rating on the stock.
Lee said Wall Street’s focus has increasingly moved away from identifying which company has the strongest AI model and toward determining which companies control the enterprise infrastructure, data and systems where AI applications operate.
Microsoft is positioned as a platform capable of hosting multiple large language models, including those developed by OpenAI and Anthropic, he said.
The company’s recent Copilot developments have further strengthened the case that Microsoft can expand AI revenue beyond traditional software subscriptions.
“Microsoft is evolving Copilot from a productivity assistant into a broader enterprise AI platform,” Lee said, pointing to its capabilities across Home, Microsoft’s subscription offering for individuals and families; Code, its coding tool; and Autopilot, a personal AI assistant.
Tigress Financial analyst Ivan Feinseth similarly said Microsoft’s rally “reflects a meaningful improvement in the evidence behind [Microsoft's] AI investment case.”
Microsoft čelí otázkám kolem soukromí u Copilotu: najatí kontraktoři podle reportu běžně kontrolují prompty i generovaný obsah. Akcie Microsoftu v úterním odpoledním obchodování mírně klesly.
A report that contractors review some Copilot prompts and generated content is putting fresh attention on how Microsoft handles user interactions with its AI tools. Summary
Microsoft shares slipped fractionally in Tuesday afternoon trading.
Microsoft (MSFT, Financials) is facing a potentially uncomfortable question about Copilot: how many users realize a human could end up reviewing their interactions with the AI?
Contractors hired to help improve Copilot routinely review prompts and generated content, according to a 404 Media report cited by TipRanks. The review process is intended to assess whether Copilot generated content that appropriately matched what users requested. That work can involve highly explicit material.
One contractor described being repeatedly asked to evaluate whether generated images accurately reflected sexually explicit prompts, raising questions about both the working conditions of reviewers and what users understand about human review of AI interactions.
The report does not establish that Microsoft employees or contractors read every Copilot conversation. Rather, it describes human review being used as part of the process of evaluating and improving the system. That distinction matters as Microsoft pushes Copilot deeper into consumer and workplace products.
AI companies rely on feedback and evaluation to improve their models, but the use of human reviewers can create privacy and transparency concerns when users enter information they consider sensitive or private.
Microsoft shares slipped fractionally in Tuesday afternoon trading following the report, although such a small move cannot be attributed to the Copilot report alone.
Wall Street remains broadly bullish on the stock. Microsoft has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 34 Buy ratings and one Hold, according to TipRanks. The average price target of $573.17 implies about 12.9% upside.
For Microsoft, the bigger issue is therefore unlikely to be Tuesday's modest stock move. As Copilot becomes embedded across more of its products, explaining when and how human reviewers can encounter user-generated content could become increasingly important to maintaining trust in the platform.
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.
Microsoft čeká oživení Xboxu po poklesu po fiskálním roce 2026 díky restrukturalizaci, exkluzivním hrám a uvedení konzole Xbox Helix v roce 2028. Game Pass a nové franšízy mají podpořit růst tržeb z obsahu a služeb.
SummaryThe Xbox segment is expected to recover post-FY2026 decline via restructuring, exclusive game releases, and the competitive Xbox Helix console launch in 2028.Streamlining unprofitable studios, raising hardware prices, and focusing on high-value exclusive content are expected to improve margins and subscriber growth.Game Pass revenue and upcoming franchise releases are projected to drive Xbox Content and Services growth, offsetting recent hardware and subscriber declines. wellesenterprises/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
By Khaveen Jey, CFA, FMVA, Portfolio Manager @ Khaveen Investments & Nicholas Tan, Investment Research Analyst @ Khaveen Investments
In our previous analysis of Microsoft (MSFT), we expected Microsoft’s Azure growth to
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Khaveen Investments is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration with the U.S. SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. No information in this publication is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, or as an offer/solicitation to sell or buy. Material provided in this publication is for educational purposes only and was prepared from sources and data believed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Microsoft od nástupu Satyi Nadelly v roce 2014 vzrostl více než 14násobně a v průměru přidal přes 23 % ročně. Firma dál masivně investuje do AI, ale chce udržet kladný volný peněžní tok.
Bill Gates handed over the reins of Microsoft (MSFT -0.05%) to Steve Ballmer in early 2000. Gates had built the software business into the world's largest company by market cap, perhaps with a little help from dot-com stock enthusiasm.
To be sure, Ballmer took over the company in a precarious position. Not only were tech stock valuations extremely frothy, but Microsoft was also fighting its antitrust lawsuit. The stock dropped more than 70% as the dot-com bubble popped, but Ballmer never recovered the company's old highs.
The 2008 financial crisis took another bite out of the stock. And while it recovered somewhat with the rest of the market in the early 2010s, Microsoft's stock price was still down more than 32% from when Ballmer took over to when he departed.
His successor and current Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, has had much greater success. The stock has risen more than 14-fold since he took over, producing an annualized return for shareholders exceeding 23%.
Nadella has transformed Microsoft into a cloud computing business across both its enterprise software and Azure cloud platform. The latter is now driving significant overall growth, fueled by AI investments. Microsoft is spending heavily to keep up with demand, and some investors may be wondering whether it can continue to grow its value by around 20% annually after such a tremendous run.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Image source: Microsoft Corp.
Can Microsoft stock keep climbing from here? Microsoft's stock has been under pressure over the past year since the share price peaked in October. While it's mostly recovered from a drop of 35% at one point, the stock still trades about 5% below its all-time high. The drop in the stock price is due to fears regarding artificial intelligence (AI).
AI could impact Microsoft in two ways. First, its enterprise software business, anchored by its Microsoft 365 suite, could be disrupted by AI. Many argue that AI-developed software could displace much of the functionality of, and the need for, existing software solutions. The second way is that Microsoft is spending hundreds of billions to build out AI data centers, pushing its free cash flow lower.
The first situation is unlikely to have a real impact on Microsoft's software business. Microsoft's suite is a workplace standard. An enterprise moving away from it would incur significant switching costs and interoperability challenges that are probably not worth any cost savings on the software itself.
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The second challenge is more real, but the risks may be overblown. Microsoft is investing in AI compute capacity with highly predictable returns on investment thanks to long-term contracts with several customers. Microsoft ended last quarter with $678 billion in contracted revenue across Azure and its software business.
The risk that it will spend too much on compute is unlikely to materialize, especially given that Microsoft uses Azure compute capacity for its own AI development. Further mitigating that risk is management's commitment to maintain positive free cash flow.
Over the long run, Microsoft should be a net beneficiary of increased spending on AI for both compute used by developers and software used by enterprises. That should lead to sustained earnings growth around that 20% target rate. If Microsoft maintains its earnings multiple, the stock will climb at the same pace. That's not quite as fast as the first 12 years of Nadella's tenure, but it's close enough to make it a great investment.
Microsoft těží z interních AI modelů, které snižují náklady na GPU až o 89 % a podporují marže. Cloudová hrubá marže v červnovém čtvrtletí zůstala na 65 %.
SummaryMicrosoft Corporation remains a Strong Buy as in-house AI models drive up to 89% GPU cost savings, supporting robust margins despite surging capex.Cloud gross margin held at 65% in the June quarter, and the 8% dividend raise appears sustainable, with free cash flow covering the payout more than twice over.Copilot's shift to usage-based pricing, launching Nov. 2 for small businesses, positions MSFT to capture incremental revenue and profit as adoption scales.A $329B backlog of unstarted data center leases introduces long-term risk for MSFT shareholders, but current demand and cost efficiencies justify maintaining the bullish stance. tupungato/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Back in late July, I kept my Strong Buy on Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) after a record $90 billion quarter sent the stock up about 8%, mostly because a $678 billion backlog outweighed a
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MSFT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Microsoft uvádí zrychlení Azure nad 40 %, více než 30 milionů placených Copilot seatů a komerční backlog ve výši 678 miliard USD. Čtvrtletní tržby dosáhly 90,01 miliardy USD a EPS 4,74 USD překonal odhad.
Azure is accelerating past 40% growth, Copilot seats are doubling quarter over quarter, and a commercial backlog approaching $700 billion sits waiting to convert. Whether those engines can actually lift Microsoft back above its all-time high depends on a few…
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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) closed at $516.17 on September 25. The 24/7 price target is at $628.87 over 12 months, meaning 21.83% upside with a buy rating and high confidence.
24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary Metric Value Current Price $516.17 Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. $628.87 Upside/Downside 21.83% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% Microsoft has several growth drivers running together. Azure is growing at a rate above 40%, Copilot seat growth is speeding up, and the company is carrying a $678 billion commercial backlog. Each one adds to the base case.
Microsoft Is Back Within 6% of Its 52-Week High After a Record Year Shares gained 4.53% over the past week and 7.41% year to date. The stock trades about 6% below its $549.20 52-week high. Microsoft also announced a quarterly dividend increase on September 15.
Fiscal Q4 revenue came in at $90.01 billion, up 17.75%. That was ahead of the $87.63 billion estimate. EPS of $4.74 beat expectations of $4.2394, though a $3.2 billion Anthropic gain helped the number.
Why Bulls See $729 Within Reach Azure grew 43% and passed $100 billion in annual revenue. Management’s fiscal Q1 guidance calls for about 45% growth in constant currency. Microsoft 365 Copilot now has more than 30 million paid seats, and net seat additions more than doubled quarter over quarter. GitHub Copilot has 50 million users. Management said “demand continues to exceed available supply.”
Wall Street is overwhelmingly positive, as 14 Strong Buy, 38 Buy and 3 Hold ratings show. If Azure keeps accelerating, our bull case hits $729.29.
What Could Stall Microsoft’s Rally Fiscal 2026 capex rose 79.62% to $115.948 billion, and free cash flow fell 6.46%. More Personal Computing revenue slipped 4%, and Xbox dropped 10%.
Operating cash flow rose 34.35%. CFO Amy Hood noted Microsoft can “slow down” GPU and CPU spending if demand cools. In our bear case, shares hits $534.31, still above today’s price.
How Microsoft Compares to Alphabet and Amazon Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) competes via Google Cloud at 23x forward earnings with 24.2% revenue growth.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) runs AWS at 24x with 19.6% revenue growth. Microsoft trades at a premium but commands much higher margins, justifying the valuation.
Company Forward P/E Operating Margin Microsoft 25 45.1% Alphabet 23 34% Amazon 24 13.7% Our 24/7 Wall St. price target looks reasonable and not extended against these peers.
Microsoft Earns a BUY Rating at These Levels Microsoft earns a buy rating with high confidence at our 24/7 price target of $628.87. The backlog is critical: about 30% of RPO converts to revenue within 12 months.
Stay positive as long as Azure grows above 40%. Grow cautious if capex keeps rising while free cash flow falls. For now, growth outlook justifies the valuation.
Here is where our model sees Microsoft trading in the coming years, assuming its current growth trend holds.
Year Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. 2026 $532.20 2027 $660.31 2028 $735.15 2029 $829.12 2030 $881.23 These projections assume Microsoft keeps performing as it has been. Actual results could come in well above or below them depending on how quickly Copilot is monetized and what AI infrastructure ends up returning. All that hyperscaler capex has to flow to power, cooling, and networking suppliers too, and we highlighted seven of them in a free AI infrastructure report.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
TCW Group ve 2. čtvrtletí snížila podíl v Microsoftu o 24,9 % a prodala 371 862 akcií. Na konci čtvrtletí držela 1 123 627 akcií v hodnotě 419,136 milionu USD.
TCW Group Inc. reduced its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 24.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,123,627 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 371,862 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up 2.8% of TCW Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. TCW Group Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $419,136,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FWG Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. FWG Holdings LLC now owns 8,368 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $4,047,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Friedenthal Financial lifted its stake in Microsoft by 6.2% during the first quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 431 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $160,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Sequent Planning LLC lifted its stake in 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 during the period. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 0.5% during 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 purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Investment Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. American Investment Services Inc. now owns 876 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Down 1.3% NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $509.22 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $3.78 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.11. 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’s fifty day moving average price is $480.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $427.02. 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 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. 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 period last year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given 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 is Thursday, November 19th. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In related news, 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 transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at 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 shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last quarter. 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: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot experience featuring integrated Office tools, Chat, Cowork and Autopilot capabilities. Jefferies said the products create potential usage-based revenue streams, while analysts expect enterprise adoption to build gradually. Microsoft’s Autopilot opens new AI revenue path Positive Sentiment: The Copilot overhaul is positioned as a stronger competitive response to Anthropic’s Claude. Microsoft also added GitHub’s coding engine to Copilot, allowing office workers to create applications and dashboards using natural-language instructions, potentially expanding paid AI usage. Microsoft puts GitHub coding engine inside Copilot Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reaffirmed its Buy rating, and William Blair maintained a bullish view based on Copilot monetization potential and Microsoft’s expanding enterprise AI platform. Azure’s reported scale and backlog also support the long-term investment case. Microsoft Buy rating backed by Copilot monetization Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is extending AI partnerships, including a Nokia collaboration that combines Nokia’s telecommunications data with Microsoft Fabric for AI-driven network operations. The opportunity could broaden cloud demand, although financial benefits are not yet quantified. Nokia and Microsoft expand their AI reach Neutral Sentiment: TTEC Digital’s 11th consecutive Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle award highlights the strength of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem, but the recognition is not expected to materially affect near-term revenue. TTEC Digital earns Microsoft AI award Negative Sentiment: Reported AI usage shows a sizable regional gap—28.8% in the Global North versus 16.2% in the Global South—raising questions about the pace and breadth of Copilot adoption. Microsoft AI adoption gap Negative Sentiment: Meta is moving deeper into enterprise software, creating another competitive threat to Microsoft’s productivity, cloud and AI offerings. Meanwhile, additional layoffs and restructuring may reinforce concerns about execution and workforce disruption. Meta puts Microsoft on notice Negative Sentiment: Plans to more than triple data-center capacity by 2032 could support Azure growth but require enormous capital investment, increasing pressure to convert AI demand into cash flow and profits. Investor questions about AI subsidies and regulation add further uncertainty. Microsoft data center expansion Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have issued reports on MSFT. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $660.00 price objective on Microsoft in a report on Monday, August 10th. 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 20th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Microsoft from $500.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Analysis 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 Six Flags Launches FlexPay—Is There Any FUN Left in the Stock? Brewing Trouble? Starbucks Spills the Beans on 250 Store Closures Stitch Fix Stock Plunges as Guidance Puts the Turnaround on Pause Harley-Davidson Insiders Are Buying: Is HOG Finally Turning Around? 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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Summit Global Investments ve 2. čtvrtletí snížila podíl v Microsoft Corporation o 9,7 % a prodala 4 984 akcií. Po transakci držela 46 302 akcií v hodnotě 17,272 mil. USD.
Summit Global Investments lowered its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 9.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 46,302 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 4,984 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises 0.9% of Summit Global Investments’ holdings, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Summit Global Investments’ holdings in Microsoft were worth $17,272,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. 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 worth $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Amundi grew its stake in 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 buying an additional 9,814,598 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in 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 buying an additional 2,784,809 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Microsoft by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,300,410 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $12,235,785,000 after buying an additional 458,014 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised 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 buying an additional 9,493,778 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently commented on MSFT. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $540.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $660.00 target price on Microsoft in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Forty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot experience featuring integrated Office tools, Chat, Cowork and Autopilot capabilities. Jefferies said the products create potential usage-based revenue streams, while analysts expect enterprise adoption to build gradually. Microsoft’s Autopilot opens new AI revenue path Positive Sentiment: The Copilot overhaul is positioned as a stronger competitive response to Anthropic’s Claude. Microsoft also added GitHub’s coding engine to Copilot, allowing office workers to create applications and dashboards using natural-language instructions, potentially expanding paid AI usage. Microsoft puts GitHub coding engine inside Copilot Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reaffirmed its Buy rating, and William Blair maintained a bullish view based on Copilot monetization potential and Microsoft’s expanding enterprise AI platform. Azure’s reported scale and backlog also support the long-term investment case. Microsoft Buy rating backed by Copilot monetization Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is extending AI partnerships, including a Nokia collaboration that combines Nokia’s telecommunications data with Microsoft Fabric for AI-driven network operations. The opportunity could broaden cloud demand, although financial benefits are not yet quantified. Nokia and Microsoft expand their AI reach Neutral Sentiment: TTEC Digital’s 11th consecutive Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle award highlights the strength of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem, but the recognition is not expected to materially affect near-term revenue. TTEC Digital earns Microsoft AI award Negative Sentiment: Reported AI usage shows a sizable regional gap—28.8% in the Global North versus 16.2% in the Global South—raising questions about the pace and breadth of Copilot adoption. Microsoft AI adoption gap Negative Sentiment: Meta is moving deeper into enterprise software, creating another competitive threat to Microsoft’s productivity, cloud and AI offerings. Meanwhile, additional layoffs and restructuring may reinforce concerns about execution and workforce disruption. Meta puts Microsoft on notice Negative Sentiment: Plans to more than triple data-center capacity by 2032 could support Azure growth but require enormous capital investment, increasing pressure to convert AI demand into cash flow and profits. Investor questions about AI subsidies and regulation add further uncertainty. Microsoft data center expansion Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $509.22 on Tuesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. 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 cap of $3.78 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $480.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $427.02.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts predict 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 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 positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.
Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’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 value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. The trade was 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 valued at $71,420,699 in the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is currently 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 Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Six Flags Launches FlexPay—Is There Any FUN Left in the Stock? Brewing Trouble? Starbucks Spills the Beans on 250 Store Closures Stitch Fix Stock Plunges as Guidance Puts the Turnaround on Pause Harley-Davidson Insiders Are Buying: Is HOG Finally Turning Around? 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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Summit Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 8.7% 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 15,413 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,233 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up approximately 0.8% of Summit Wealth Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Summit Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $5,749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management grew its stake in 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 during the period. Markel Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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. bought a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its holdings in Microsoft by 138.8% during the first quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,356,359 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $502,077,000 after buying an additional 788,297 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 research firms have recently weighed in on MSFT. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Phillip Securities downgraded Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Raymond James Financial lowered Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 21st. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $569.29.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $509.22 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $480.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $427.02. 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 $3.78 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.11. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for 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%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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 issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, 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 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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. Insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 in the last ninety days. Corporate 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 unveiled a redesigned Copilot experience featuring integrated Office tools, Chat, Cowork and Autopilot capabilities. Jefferies said the products create potential usage-based revenue streams, while analysts expect enterprise adoption to build gradually. Microsoft’s Autopilot opens new AI revenue path Positive Sentiment: The Copilot overhaul is positioned as a stronger competitive response to Anthropic’s Claude. Microsoft also added GitHub’s coding engine to Copilot, allowing office workers to create applications and dashboards using natural-language instructions, potentially expanding paid AI usage. Microsoft puts GitHub coding engine inside Copilot Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reaffirmed its Buy rating, and William Blair maintained a bullish view based on Copilot monetization potential and Microsoft’s expanding enterprise AI platform. Azure’s reported scale and backlog also support the long-term investment case. Microsoft Buy rating backed by Copilot monetization Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is extending AI partnerships, including a Nokia collaboration that combines Nokia’s telecommunications data with Microsoft Fabric for AI-driven network operations. The opportunity could broaden cloud demand, although financial benefits are not yet quantified. Nokia and Microsoft expand their AI reach Neutral Sentiment: TTEC Digital’s 11th consecutive Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle award highlights the strength of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem, but the recognition is not expected to materially affect near-term revenue. TTEC Digital earns Microsoft AI award Negative Sentiment: Reported AI usage shows a sizable regional gap—28.8% in the Global North versus 16.2% in the Global South—raising questions about the pace and breadth of Copilot adoption. Microsoft AI adoption gap Negative Sentiment: Meta is moving deeper into enterprise software, creating another competitive threat to Microsoft’s productivity, cloud and AI offerings. Meanwhile, additional layoffs and restructuring may reinforce concerns about execution and workforce disruption. Meta puts Microsoft on notice Negative Sentiment: Plans to more than triple data-center capacity by 2032 could support Azure growth but require enormous capital investment, increasing pressure to convert AI demand into cash flow and profits. Investor questions about AI subsidies and regulation add further uncertainty. Microsoft data center expansion 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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Stack Financial Management Inc grew its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 187,635 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,560 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises approximately 5.5% of Stack Financial Management Inc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Stack Financial Management Inc’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $69,991,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Frankly Finances LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth approximately $59,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. grew its position 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 period. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at $101,000. Finally, Ramsey Quantitative Systems bought a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $112,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Trading Down 1.3% NASDAQ MSFT opened at $509.22 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.78 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.35, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.11. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $349.20 and a one year high of $553.72. 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 fifty day moving average is $480.07 and its 200-day moving average is $427.02.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted 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 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 in the prior year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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 dividend of $0.98 per share. 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%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Barclays dropped 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. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $550.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 21st. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Microsoft from $540.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday. Forty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $569.29.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
Insider Transactions at Microsoft In related news, 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade 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 hyperlink. 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 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 approximately $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 a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last 90 days. 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 unveiled a redesigned Copilot experience featuring integrated Office tools, Chat, Cowork and Autopilot capabilities. Jefferies said the products create potential usage-based revenue streams, while analysts expect enterprise adoption to build gradually. Microsoft’s Autopilot opens new AI revenue path Positive Sentiment: The Copilot overhaul is positioned as a stronger competitive response to Anthropic’s Claude. Microsoft also added GitHub’s coding engine to Copilot, allowing office workers to create applications and dashboards using natural-language instructions, potentially expanding paid AI usage. Microsoft puts GitHub coding engine inside Copilot Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reaffirmed its Buy rating, and William Blair maintained a bullish view based on Copilot monetization potential and Microsoft’s expanding enterprise AI platform. Azure’s reported scale and backlog also support the long-term investment case. Microsoft Buy rating backed by Copilot monetization Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is extending AI partnerships, including a Nokia collaboration that combines Nokia’s telecommunications data with Microsoft Fabric for AI-driven network operations. The opportunity could broaden cloud demand, although financial benefits are not yet quantified. Nokia and Microsoft expand their AI reach Neutral Sentiment: TTEC Digital’s 11th consecutive Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle award highlights the strength of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem, but the recognition is not expected to materially affect near-term revenue. TTEC Digital earns Microsoft AI award Negative Sentiment: Reported AI usage shows a sizable regional gap—28.8% in the Global North versus 16.2% in the Global South—raising questions about the pace and breadth of Copilot adoption. Microsoft AI adoption gap Negative Sentiment: Meta is moving deeper into enterprise software, creating another competitive threat to Microsoft’s productivity, cloud and AI offerings. Meanwhile, additional layoffs and restructuring may reinforce concerns about execution and workforce disruption. Meta puts Microsoft on notice Negative Sentiment: Plans to more than triple data-center capacity by 2032 could support Azure growth but require enormous capital investment, increasing pressure to convert AI demand into cash flow and profits. Investor questions about AI subsidies and regulation add further uncertainty. Microsoft data center expansion 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 Six Flags Launches FlexPay—Is There Any FUN Left in the Stock? Brewing Trouble? Starbucks Spills the Beans on 250 Store Closures Stitch Fix Stock Plunges as Guidance Puts the Turnaround on Pause Harley-Davidson Insiders Are Buying: Is HOG Finally Turning Around? 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 uzavřel na letošním maximu, ale trh podle článku už oceňuje AI příběh rychleji než skutečné výsledky. Azure sice vzrostl o 43 %, volný cash flow ale klesl o 23,19 %.
Azure is growing at 43% and Microsoft just closed at its highest price of the year, yet the cash flow math behind that rally raises a question the stock price has not answered yet.
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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) looks overvalued at $509.22. The stock recently closed at its highest level of the year, and the AI story behind that rally has run ahead of what Microsoft’s AI products have actually earned.
Microsoft sells Azure cloud infrastructure, Microsoft 365, Windows and Xbox. Muse is a good example of how its AI pitch works. Microsoft Research and Xbox studio Ninja Theory built the model together, and Microsoft described it as a first-of-its-kind generative AI model that can generate a game environment based on visuals, players’ controller actions, or both. The big showcase was a playable tech demo inspired by Quake II. Meanwhile, Xbox revenue fell 10% last quarter. The stock has still gained 28.8% since the fiscal Q4 earnings report.
Azure’s 43% Growth and a $678 Billion Backlog Fuel the Bulls Azure grew 43% and exceeded $100 billion in annual revenue. Commercial remaining performance obligations (contracted revenue not yet recognized) rose 84% to $678 billion. Microsoft 365 Copilot passed 30 million paid seats, and net seat additions more than doubled quarter over quarter.
Management expects Azure growth of approximately 45% in constant currency next quarter. CFO Amy Hood said “demand continues to exceed available supply.” The stock’s forward earnings multiple is 25, which is a reasonable price for a company whose net income grew 31.34% in fiscal 2026.
Capex Doubled While Free Cash Flow Shrank 23% Fourth-quarter capital spending rose 109.63% to $35.80 billion. Free cash flow fell 23.19% to $19.64 billion. Management’s capex figure for the year is now approximately $175 billion. At 56 times free cash flow and a 1.77% free cash flow yield, investors are paying for returns that have not shown up yet.
The quality of the beat also looks lighter up close. A $3.2B gain on Anthropic helped lift EPS to $4.74. Excluding OpenAI, the backlog grew only 25%. More Personal Computing operating income dropped 14%, so the gaming unit that showed off Muse is contracting.
Supply Limits Keep the AI Payback Question Open Microsoft expects operating margins for the year to decline less than a point, free cash flow to stay positive in fiscal 2027, and Xbox to return to growth in fiscal 2027. If Azure delivers roughly 45% growth over the next two quarters while free cash flow steadies, the bullish case gets stronger. If capex keeps exceeding cash generation, the bearish case holds.
Analysts See 13% Upside While the Stock Trails the Market The consensus target of $577.26 implies 13.4% upside. Targets are estimates only. Of 55 analysts covering the stock:
Strong Buy: 14 Buy: 38 Hold: 3 Sell: 0 Microsoft is up 5.96% year to date, compared with 12.27% for the S&P 500. Over the past year, the stock gained 0.39% while the index rose 15.68%. Shares trade at 29 times trailing earnings, below the 52-week high of $549.2.
Why Fading the Muse Rally Looks Reasonable At $509.22, Microsoft looks highly valued.
The stock has a history of fading after strong reports. The fiscal Q1 2026 report beat estimates by 12.84%, yet the stock fell 6.8% over the next thirty days. The current rally depends on Azure removing its 45% growth guide while component pricing is increasing. Management also warned that quarterly Azure growth rates can vary.
Muse follows the same pattern: a flashy demo in a gaming business that is losing revenue. Copilot seat counts are growing, but gross margin percentages are contracting as usage rises. The next two earnings reports will show whether AI revenue can catch up with $115.95 billion in annual capex (all of that spending flows through to the power, cooling, and networking suppliers we profiled in a free report on the AI infrastructure buildout).
The bearish view is wrong if free cash flow grows again while Azure keeps up its current pace. Until that happens, the stock is pricing in the promise well ahead of the results.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Microsoft na konci června oznámil více než 30 milionů placených licencí Microsoft 365 Copilot, zhruba o 10 milionů více než před čtvrtletím. Firma zároveň spustila přepracovanou aplikaci Copilot s Wordem, Excelem a PowerPointem uvnitř.
Microsoft (MSFT -0.64%) is selling its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant for office work faster than ever. The company said it finished June with more than 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats, up from over 20 million three months before. In one quarter, it gained around 10 million paid seats.
And on Sept. 25, Microsoft announced a rebuilt Copilot app with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint inside it.
I think Microsoft will report at least 60 million paid Copilot seats by the end of June 2027, doubling the number in a year. Getting there would take a slower pace of seat additions than the one Microsoft just posted.
Image source: Microsoft Corporation.
Seat additions are speeding upHighlighting how fast adoption has picked up, Microsoft's paid Copilot seat count was 15 million as of December. By March it crossed 20 million, and seat additions in the quarter grew 250% year over year, CEO Satya Nadella said in April. And by June, the total passed 30 million. So the company added around 5 million seats in its fiscal third quarter. It then added about 10 million -- more than double that -- in its fiscal fourth quarter of 2026 (the quarter that ended June 30, 2026).
To go from 30 million to 60 million in the next four quarters, Microsoft needs around 7.5 million net new seats a quarter. That rate is around 25% under what it managed in the June quarter.
The deals behind these numbers are getting bigger, too. The number of customers with more than 50,000 seats climbed more than sevenfold year over year, Nadella said on the July earnings call, and HSBC alone committed to 200,000 seats.
How much room is left?Microsoft had more than 450 million paid Microsoft 365 commercial seats as of December, a base that's been growing around 6% a year. So 30 million Copilot seats cover only about 7% of it.
Even at 60 million, Copilot would reach only around one in eight paid Microsoft 365 commercial users.
Microsoft is also bundling Copilot into a bigger software package. Its Microsoft 365 E7 suite, available since May 1, combines Copilot with the company's E5 offering and Agent 365, a tool to manage AI agents.
The Sept. 25 revamp might help too. With Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in the Copilot app, Microsoft seems to want people to start their work in Copilot instead of treating it as an add-on.
Of course, the new setup is rolling out first through Microsoft's Frontier early-access program in the coming weeks, and any impact on seat sales may take time to show up.
Copilot is already boosting revenue per userMicrosoft 365 commercial cloud revenue rose 17% year over year in fiscal 2026 (the 12 months ended June 30), but paid Microsoft 365 commercial seats grew just 6%. Microsoft's annual report credits the growth in revenue per user to Microsoft 365 Copilot and its E5 offering. Across products and cloud services, the Microsoft 365 commercial business took in around $102 billion for the year, up 16%. And for the September quarter, management guided in July for Microsoft 365 commercial cloud revenue to climb about 16% in constant currency, adjusting for an unusual prior-year comparison (about 18% after Microsoft shifted GitHub and Security Copilot revenue to that line in September).
"[W]e expect to see acceleration in M365 Commercial cloud revenue growth through this fiscal year," said Amy Hood, Microsoft's chief financial officer, on the July call.
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But Copilot isn't free to run. Cost of revenue in the productivity and business processes segment, home to Microsoft 365, rose 12% in fiscal 2026 on AI infrastructure for Copilot's seat and usage growth, while the segment's operating income still climbed 20%.
The seat growth is one reason I think Microsoft's business is healthy. Microsoft stock, at around $516 as of this writing, costs about 29 times fiscal 2026 earnings, versus about 26 times earnings for the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.04%).
This valuation arguably reflects a lot of AI success already.
Ultimately, I think 60 million paid seats by the end of June 2027 is a reasonable call, because Microsoft only has to add them more slowly than it just did. But it's a prediction. A soft quarter or two might delay the milestone a few months.
Microsoft v poslední seanci klesl o 1,26 % na 509,68 USD, tedy více než S&P 500. Investoři čekají na výsledky hospodaření, kde se odhaduje EPS 4,69 USD a tržby 90,6 mld. USD.
In the latest trading session, Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) closed at $509.68, marking a -1.26% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.77%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.67%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.92%.
Shares of the software maker have appreciated by 0.51% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 6.26%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.96%.
The upcoming earnings release of Microsoft will be of great interest to investors. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $4.69, marking a 13.56% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $90.6 billion, indicating a 16.65% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $19.62 per share and a revenue of $389.42 billion, representing changes of +9.3% and +17.35%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Microsoft. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.03% increase. Microsoft is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Looking at its valuation, Microsoft is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 26.31. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 16.23, so one might conclude that Microsoft is trading at a premium comparatively.
Also, we should mention that MSFT has a PEG ratio of 1.66. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Computer - Software industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.51.
The Computer - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 85, placing it within the top 35% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.
Microsoft podle Jefferies otevírá nové tržby z AI díky nástrojům Copilot včetně Autopilota, který rozšiřuje účtování podle využití. Přijetí ve firmách ale má růst postupně.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) has opened new ways to earn usage-based revenue with its latest Copilot tools, according to analysts at Jefferies, although the broker expects enterprise adoption to build gradually.
The launch includes Home, a unified starting point for Chat and Cowork that integrates Office tools and lets users create and refine files within conversations.
Cowork handles delegated, end-to-end tasks, while the new Autopilot extends that model into persistent, recurring execution, including monitoring channels and following up on threads.
Alongside those capabilities, Code uses GitHub Copilot technology to let users, including non-developers, build applications, dashboards and workflows through natural language prompts.
Under the pricing model, simple AI tasks remain covered by user subscriptions, while all advanced AI tasks completed by Cowork, Code and Autopilot incur usage-based charges.
Jefferies wrote that Home's Office integration improves the user experience, while Cowork, Code and Autopilot expand the types, duration and complexity of work Microsoft can monetize.
Those agentic workflows could raise Microsoft 365's long-term average revenue per user ceiling, Jefferies wrote, while Copilot seats remain the primary near-term growth driver.
Turning that opportunity into meaningful consumption will take time, Jefferies wrote, as enterprises scrutinize AI budgets and restrict usage to workflows delivering clear returns on investment.
With that adoption constraint in view, the broker still considers the shares' risk-reward balance favorable, highlighting a valuation below Microsoft's historical average.
Jefferies wrote that accelerating cloud growth, expanding AI monetization, strong margins, cash generation, and recurring revenue leave room for the stock to command a higher valuation.
The broker has a Buy rating on the stock.
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Microsoft rozšiřuje Copilot z chatbota na firemní AI platformu s předplatným i účtováním podle využití. Oppenheimer to vidí jako nový růstový motor pro Azure a Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) remained in focus Monday as investors weighed broader market pressure against the company’s push to turn Copilot into a larger workplace platform and revenue engine.
Microsoft shares traded slightly lower as rising Treasury yields and oil prices weighed on the broader market.
The company is expanding Copilot beyond an AI assistant by combining subscription pricing with usage-based charges for more demanding workloads.
• Microsoft shares are under pressure. Why is MSFT stock trading lower?
Microsoft Expands Copilot Beyond ChatMicrosoft Executive Vice President for Copilot Jared Spataro said the company wants Copilot to become the primary interface for workplace AI, similar to Office’s role during the PC era.
The revamped product combines Chat and Cowork with Code and Autopilot, allowing users to analyze information, create workplace tools and delegate longer-running tasks.
Spataro told CNBC on Friday that Microsoft employees are already using the new capabilities internally.
Cowork can analyze information across multiple sources, while Code lets non-technical employees build dashboards, widgets and other tools. Autopilot can manage recurring work and help users review emails and conversation threads through Teams.
Microsoft is also adding controls for autonomous agents. Each Autopilot receives its own identity, permissions and audit history, while certain actions, including sending or deleting emails and making purchases, require explicit human approval.
Usage-Based Model Opens New Revenue StreamMicrosoft plans to monetize Copilot through two complementary models.
Companies can purchase Copilot seats for everyday AI tasks, while heavier workloads involving Cowork, Code and Autopilot use consumption-based billing.
Oppenheimer analyst Brian Schwartz told CNBC on Saturday that the changes transform Copilot from a standalone chatbot into what he views as an AI operating system.
Schwartz said the shift could increase engagement, customer retention and monetization. He raised his price target on Microsoft to $570 from $515 and called the company a top pick.
Oppenheimer Sees Azure and M365 UpsideSchwartz believes Copilot gives Microsoft a clearer path to monetize heavier AI use across Azure and Microsoft 365.
He also highlighted Microsoft’s multi-model strategy, which works with providers including OpenAI, Anthropic and Muse.
Schwartz said Azure is growing in the low-40% range, with Microsoft guiding toward mid-40% growth this quarter. He believes acceleration toward roughly 50% growth at more than $100 billion of scale could support a re-rating of Microsoft shares.
Top ETF ExposureThe Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (NYSE:VUG) holds a 9.59% weight in Microsoft, while the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:XLK) holds 9.83% and the iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF (NASDAQ:IUSG) holds 9.75%.
Significant inflows or outflows from these funds can translate into buying or selling of Microsoft shares.
MSFT Price ActionMicrosoft shares were down 1.35% at $509.38 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Microsoft je podle článku jediným z velké trojky amerických hyperscalerů s kladným volným cash flow, což mu dává výhodu při rostoucích nákladech na investice do AI.
SummaryMicrosoft Corporation is now the only FCF-positive member of the Big 3 U.S. hyperscale cloud service providers, reducing its reliance on incremental external financing as AI capex intensifies.Its sustained FCF flywheel and predominantly fixed-rate debt portfolio also provide insulation against the surging borrowing cost backdrop, as benchmark 10-year Treasury yields blow past 5.2%.The newly implemented hybrid AI monetization model across core Commercial Cloud offerings also reinforces durability of Microsoft's recurring subscription base, while layering incremental usage-based revenue as agentic workloads scale.Coupled with resilient Azure compute demand, MSFT remains well positioned for sustained FCF accretion, supporting further upside and potentially commanding an incremental AI haven premium ahead of tightening financial conditions. tupungato/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Based on disclosures from the latest earnings season, the top five largest U.S. hyperscalers – including Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG / GOOGL), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT),
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Senátorka Elizabeth Warrenová žádá Meta, Amazon, Alphabet a Microsoft o údaje k daňovým úlevám na AI a datová centra. Demokraté tvrdí, že firmy díky nim výrazně snížily federální daňové odvody.
Senate Democrats are seeking information on how artificial intelligence and data center spending by Meta, Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft has been subsidized by tax breaks authorized in the 2025 tax cutting and spending package passed by Republicans at the behest of President Donald Trump.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led the letters, which were sent Sunday night and shared exclusively with CNBC, to the CEOs of the four companies asking for information on tax deductions they've claimed related to AI and data center development and on their lobbying efforts in the lead-up to the passage of the 2025 legislation, known more commonly as the "one big beautiful bill" act.
Sens. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., joined the letters.
"Americans across the country are worried about the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on their lives —from increased utility bills to threats of job losses and cyberattacks," the lawmakers wrote in the letters. "But rather than meaningfully regulate Big Tech companies and slow down the mad rush to deploy this new technology, Republicans in Washington have passed tax subsidies for AI development and AI data centers."
Spokespeople for all four companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The probe comes as Washington grapples with how to deal with AI and data center development, as public backlash has become increasingly intense heading into the 2026 midterm election.
Democrats are hoping to win back a majority in the House and Senate — though Republicans are still favored in most projections to retain the upper chamber — and have tried to distinguish themselves as the more pro-regulation party.
Democratic 2028 presidential hopefuls like California Gov. Gavin Newsom have made statements and issued executive orders. And Democratic congressional candidates — including state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, and Sherrod Brown, the Democrat running for Senate in Ohio — have hit at their GOP opponents for their past support of data centers.
Republicans, meanwhile, have called out Senate Democrats for blocking the quick passage of legislation that would create a framework states could choose to adopt to address rising data center-related utility costs. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., blocked the legislation because he said it didn't go far enough to protect consumers. The measure, dubbed the Ratepayer Protection Act, may be taken up by the Senate again this week.
Warren has previously called for increased taxes on AI and data center developers and investigated ties between private equity and data centers.
Her letter on Monday follows reporting that corporate tax payments are falling this year amid rising revenue, as tech companies make use of AI tax incentives. Corporate tax payments are down 25 percent this year, according to Warren's letter, which cites Politico's reporting quoting budget forecasters. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office in February projected that the federal government would collect 10.6% less in corporate income tax in 2026 compared with a year earlier, with the total projected to fall from $452 billion to $404 billion.
Meta, for one, paid $2.8 billion in federal income tax in 2025, down from $9.6 billion in 2024, while earning roughly the same profit both years.
"This enormous tax cut appears to have been driven in significant part by President Trump and Republicans' tax breaks subsidizing your spending on AI," the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "[Y]our company's capital expenditures, the 'vast majority' of which constitute data center construction and other AI spending amounted to an extraordinary $72 billion last year — much of which you may have been able to immediately deduct using OBBBA's corporate tax handouts."
Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are the top three data center companies in the U.S. by active IT capacity, according to the technology advising firm ABI Research. Google Cloud, which is part of Alphabet, is 10th.
Pointing to corporate filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the lawmakers in their letter note Microsoft's current federal income tax expense dropped by over $11 billion from fiscal year 2025 to 2026; Amazon's federal income tax payment dropped by nearly $8 billion from fiscal 2024 to 2025; and Alphabet's combined current federal and state income tax expense dropped by over $7 billion in the same period.
The companies contributed $1 million each to Trump's inauguration and spent millions lobbying Congress and federal agencies in the lead-up to the passage of the 2025 tax and spending bill, according to the letter.
"Your company has spent lavishly to stay on the good side of President Trump, and it appears that you are now seeing your investment bear fruit," the lawmakers wrote.
They requested answers from each company by Oct. 12.
Excalibur Management Corp boosted its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 11.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 28,594 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,986 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up about 3.5% of Excalibur Management Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Excalibur Management Corp’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $10,666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its holdings in Microsoft by 4.0% in the second quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 229,490 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $85,604,000 after buying an additional 8,773 shares during the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. raised its position in Microsoft by 0.4% during the first quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 537,630 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $199,014,000 after acquiring an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in Microsoft by 8.4% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,921,677 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,562,197,000 after acquiring an additional 537,634 shares during the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. grew 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 worth $502,077,000 after acquiring an additional 788,297 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft Stock Performance Microsoft stock opened at $516.17 on Monday. 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.83 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.74, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.11. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $477.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $426.29.
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, 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 return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed 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 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%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot “super app” that combines access to Office applications with coding tools, autonomous AI agents and an Autopilot feature. The initiative is aimed primarily at business users and could improve enterprise adoption, usage and monetization of Microsoft’s AI offerings. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its Microsoft price target to $570, citing the company’s shift toward enterprise AI agents and a billing model tied more closely to customer usage. Other recent analyst targets have also moved higher, reinforcing expectations for sustained Azure and AI growth. Oppenheimer target article Positive Sentiment: Investors appear more confident that Microsoft can benefit from AI without depending on a single large-model provider. Its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise distribution provide multiple avenues for converting AI investment into recurring revenue. MarketWatch article Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy bullish options activity, including a large call spread, suggests traders are positioning for additional upside. Technical analysts identified a potential move toward approximately $555, although this is market positioning rather than a fundamental forecast. Barchart options article Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains, led by AI stocks, provided an additional tailwind. However, elevated oil prices, Treasury yields and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy changes remain important macroeconomic risks. Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is moving away from a consumer-focused personal-assistant strategy and concentrating Copilot on workplace use. The usage-based approach could unlock greater revenue, but it may also make sales less predictable than traditional subscriptions if customer adoption is slower than expected. Financial Post article Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Microsoft’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, data-center capacity constraints and a reported 277-job reduction in Washington. These factors could pressure near-term margins even as Azure demand remains strong. Insiders Place Their Bets 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 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 completion of 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 over the last ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MSFT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 21st. Argus cut their target price on Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $540.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
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Microsoft oznámil, že Azure poprvé překonal 100 miliard USD ročních výnosů a komerční RPO vyskočily meziročně o 84 % na 678 miliard USD. To naznačuje silnou budoucí viditelnost výnosů.
Azure just crossed a milestone that most analysts dismissed as years away, and Microsoft's backlog tells a story the stock price has not caught up to yet.
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Our Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) call is straightforward: the AI investment cycle is starting to produce real financial leverage, and the market has not fully repriced it.
The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Microsoft is $613.43, versus a current price of $495.22. That implies 22.85% upside over the next 12 months. Our recommendation is buy, and our confidence level is high at 90%.
24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary for MSFT Metric Value Current Price $495.22 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $613.43 Upside 22.85% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% Why Microsoft Finally Turned the Corner Microsoft is roughly flat over the past year at -1.95%, but shorter-term momentum has quietly returned: up 1.62% in the past month and 3.05% year to date.
The bigger story is fundamentals. Fiscal Q4 2026 revenue hit $90.01 billion, up 17.8% year over year, non-GAAP EPS of $4.74 beat estimates by 11.81%, and Azure crossed $100 billion in full-year revenue for the first time. Even a previously skeptical analyst at CNBC this week said Microsoft has “clearly turned the corner” on monetizing its buildout.
Why Bulls See a Breakout Ahead The bull case rests on the RPO backlog. Commercial remaining performance obligations surged 84% year over year to $678 billion, giving Microsoft multi-year revenue visibility few software companies can match.
Azure grew 43%, Microsoft 365 Copilot passed 30 million paid seats, and CFO Amy Hood told investors that “demand continues to exceed available supply” for Azure capacity.
If the FY27 Azure guide of roughly 45% growth in constant currency holds, our bull-case one-year path reaches $710.57. The Wall Street consensus target of $576.40 sits between our base and bull scenarios.
Risks Worth Watching The bear case starts with capex. Full-year FY26 capital expenditures ballooned to $115.95 billion, dragging free cash flow down 6.46% despite record earnings. OpenAI-related investment losses widened to $3.1 billion in Q1 FY26.
That said, bulls would argue this reflects investment in future capacity: the $678 billion RPO covers the buildout, and Hood emphasized that GPU-heavy capex is “short-lived assets” that can be throttled if demand softens.
All of that spending has to be powered, cooled, and networked by somebody, and we pulled together seven companies doing exactly that in a free AI infrastructure report. Our bear-case one-year path still lands at $523.51, above today’s price.
How Microsoft Compares to Alphabet and Amazon Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is the sharpest valuation contrast. Google Cloud grew 82% in Q2 2026, faster than Azure, yet Alphabet trades at a trailing P/E of just 15 versus Microsoft’s 28. That makes Microsoft look expensive on the multiple, but its 46.78% operating margin dwarfs Alphabet’s 34%.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the direct hyperscaler comparison. AWS revenue grew 37% in Q2 2026 at a 39.4% AWS operating margin, but Amazon’s overall net margin is only 10.83% versus Microsoft’s 40.31%. On a per-dollar-of-earnings basis, our $613.43 target for Microsoft looks reasonable on the earnings power.
Microsoft on the AI Payoff Curve The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Microsoft is $613.43, a buy rating with 90% confidence. The key factor tipping the scale is the $678 billion RPO backlog, which converts today’s capex into tomorrow’s revenue.
The bullish case strengthens if Azure holds its mid-40s growth rate into calendar 2027. The thesis weakens if AI capex growth outpaces RPO conversion for two consecutive quarters. On balance, the setup favors the bull scenario.
Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $523 2027 $613 2028 $723 2029 $782 2030 $862 These projections assume Microsoft continues executing on Azure and Copilot monetization. Significant upside or downside could result from AI infrastructure returns, OpenAI partnership economics, or a broader tech multiple reset.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 20.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,516 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 3,994 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for 1.8% of Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $8,772,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 3.2% during the second quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 1,875 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $700,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Udine Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 4.4% in the second quarter. Udine Wealth Management Inc. now owns 49,241 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $18,368,000 after acquiring an additional 2,087 shares during the last quarter. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC now owns 14,812 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $5,525,000 after purchasing an additional 1,720 shares in the last quarter. WealthBridge Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. WealthBridge Capital Management LLC now owns 13,263 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $4,947,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the period. Finally, Quaker Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 18.6% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 597 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Price Performance MSFT stock opened at $516.17 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $477.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $426.17. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock has a market cap of $3.83 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data 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 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 period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal 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 issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Microsoft News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot “super app” that combines access to Office applications with coding tools, autonomous AI agents and an Autopilot feature. The initiative is aimed primarily at business users and could improve enterprise adoption, usage and monetization of Microsoft’s AI offerings. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its Microsoft price target to $570, citing the company’s shift toward enterprise AI agents and a billing model tied more closely to customer usage. Other recent analyst targets have also moved higher, reinforcing expectations for sustained Azure and AI growth. Oppenheimer target article Positive Sentiment: Investors appear more confident that Microsoft can benefit from AI without depending on a single large-model provider. Its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise distribution provide multiple avenues for converting AI investment into recurring revenue. MarketWatch article Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy bullish options activity, including a large call spread, suggests traders are positioning for additional upside. Technical analysts identified a potential move toward approximately $555, although this is market positioning rather than a fundamental forecast. Barchart options article Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains, led by AI stocks, provided an additional tailwind. However, elevated oil prices, Treasury yields and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy changes remain important macroeconomic risks. Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is moving away from a consumer-focused personal-assistant strategy and concentrating Copilot on workplace use. The usage-based approach could unlock greater revenue, but it may also make sales less predictable than traditional subscriptions if customer adoption is slower than expected. Financial Post article Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Microsoft’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, data-center capacity constraints and a reported 277-job reduction in Washington. These factors could pressure near-term margins even as Azure demand remains strong. Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In other news, 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 value of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, 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. Insiders sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Argus lowered their target price on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Forty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $569.29.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Microsoft
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
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Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD zvýšila ve 2. čtvrtletí podíl v Microsoft o 2,9 % na 53 233 akcií v hodnotě 19,859 milionu USD. Microsoft tak tvoří asi 2,6 % portfolia a je 9. největší pozicí.
Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD raised its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 2.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 53,233 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,480 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for approximately 2.6% of Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $19,859,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted 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 valued at $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares during the last quarter. Amundi boosted its position in Microsoft by 30.8% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after buying an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% during 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 buying an additional 458,014 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Microsoft by 64.3% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,982,083,000 after acquiring an additional 9,493,778 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot “super app” that combines access to Office applications with coding tools, autonomous AI agents and an Autopilot feature. The initiative is aimed primarily at business users and could improve enterprise adoption, usage and monetization of Microsoft’s AI offerings. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its Microsoft price target to $570, citing the company’s shift toward enterprise AI agents and a billing model tied more closely to customer usage. Other recent analyst targets have also moved higher, reinforcing expectations for sustained Azure and AI growth. Oppenheimer target article Positive Sentiment: Investors appear more confident that Microsoft can benefit from AI without depending on a single large-model provider. Its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise distribution provide multiple avenues for converting AI investment into recurring revenue. MarketWatch article Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy bullish options activity, including a large call spread, suggests traders are positioning for additional upside. Technical analysts identified a potential move toward approximately $555, although this is market positioning rather than a fundamental forecast. Barchart options article Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains, led by AI stocks, provided an additional tailwind. However, elevated oil prices, Treasury yields and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy changes remain important macroeconomic risks. Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is moving away from a consumer-focused personal-assistant strategy and concentrating Copilot on workplace use. The usage-based approach could unlock greater revenue, but it may also make sales less predictable than traditional subscriptions if customer adoption is slower than expected. Financial Post article Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Microsoft’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, data-center capacity constraints and a reported 277-job reduction in Washington. These factors could pressure near-term margins even as Azure demand remains strong. Microsoft Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $516.17 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 capitalization of $3.83 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.74, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50-day moving average of $477.93 and a 200-day moving average of $426.17. 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 for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The business 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 revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.65 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is 20.27%.
Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have recently commented on MSFT. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $640.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Forty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $569.29.
View Our Latest Report on MSFT
Insider Activity at Microsoft 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% 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 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 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Costco Ends Its Fiscal Year on a High Note, Eyes Big Expansion Cracker Barrel Stock Is Rallying Again, But the Turnaround Still Has a Traffic Problem Oracle’s Force Majeure Notice Exposes a Bigger Problem for the AI Build-Out Oil May Be Stronger Than It Looks—And Diamondback Is on Sale 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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EdgeRock Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 16.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,406 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,852 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for approximately 1.1% of EdgeRock Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. EdgeRock Capital LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $5,001,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased 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 buying an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted 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 acquiring an additional 2,784,809 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position 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 valued at $12,235,785,000 after acquiring an additional 458,014 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 64.3% during 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 acquiring an additional 9,493,778 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Microsoft Stock Performance NASDAQ MSFT opened at $516.17 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $477.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $426.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.83 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced 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 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 analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share 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 issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. 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%. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is 20.27%.
Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. Argus lowered their price target on Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price objective on Microsoft in a research note on Monday. Forty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has 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 $569.29.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Microsoft
Microsoft News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot “super app” that combines access to Office applications with coding tools, autonomous AI agents and an Autopilot feature. The initiative is aimed primarily at business users and could improve enterprise adoption, usage and monetization of Microsoft’s AI offerings. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its Microsoft price target to $570, citing the company’s shift toward enterprise AI agents and a billing model tied more closely to customer usage. Other recent analyst targets have also moved higher, reinforcing expectations for sustained Azure and AI growth. Oppenheimer target article Positive Sentiment: Investors appear more confident that Microsoft can benefit from AI without depending on a single large-model provider. Its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise distribution provide multiple avenues for converting AI investment into recurring revenue. MarketWatch article Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy bullish options activity, including a large call spread, suggests traders are positioning for additional upside. Technical analysts identified a potential move toward approximately $555, although this is market positioning rather than a fundamental forecast. Barchart options article Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains, led by AI stocks, provided an additional tailwind. However, elevated oil prices, Treasury yields and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy changes remain important macroeconomic risks. Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is moving away from a consumer-focused personal-assistant strategy and concentrating Copilot on workplace use. The usage-based approach could unlock greater revenue, but it may also make sales less predictable than traditional subscriptions if customer adoption is slower than expected. Financial Post article Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Microsoft’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, data-center capacity constraints and a reported 277-job reduction in Washington. These factors could pressure near-term margins even as Azure demand remains strong. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing 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, 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 value 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Costco Ends Its Fiscal Year on a High Note, Eyes Big Expansion Cracker Barrel Stock Is Rallying Again, But the Turnaround Still Has a Traffic Problem Oracle’s Force Majeure Notice Exposes a Bigger Problem for the AI Build-Out Oil May Be Stronger Than It Looks—And Diamondback Is on Sale 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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Brookmont Capital Management ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšil podíl v Microsoftu o 13,9 % a nakoupil dalších 1 515 akcií. Fond nyní drží 12 387 akcií v hodnotě 4,62 milionu USD.
Brookmont Capital Management boosted its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 13.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,387 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,515 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises about 2.5% of Brookmont Capital Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Brookmont Capital Management’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $4,620,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Partners in Financial Planning boosted its position in Microsoft by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Partners in Financial Planning now owns 2,593 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. FWG Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. FWG Holdings LLC now owns 8,368 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $4,047,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Friedenthal Financial boosted 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 valued at $160,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Sequent Planning LLC boosted its holdings 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 valued at $1,382,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC grew 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 last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes MSFT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $550.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upgraded 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 research report on Tuesday. Forty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Report on MSFT Trending Headlines about Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot “super app” that combines access to Office applications with coding tools, autonomous AI agents and an Autopilot feature. The initiative is aimed primarily at business users and could improve enterprise adoption, usage and monetization of Microsoft’s AI offerings. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its Microsoft price target to $570, citing the company’s shift toward enterprise AI agents and a billing model tied more closely to customer usage. Other recent analyst targets have also moved higher, reinforcing expectations for sustained Azure and AI growth. Oppenheimer target article Positive Sentiment: Investors appear more confident that Microsoft can benefit from AI without depending on a single large-model provider. Its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise distribution provide multiple avenues for converting AI investment into recurring revenue. MarketWatch article Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy bullish options activity, including a large call spread, suggests traders are positioning for additional upside. Technical analysts identified a potential move toward approximately $555, although this is market positioning rather than a fundamental forecast. Barchart options article Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains, led by AI stocks, provided an additional tailwind. However, elevated oil prices, Treasury yields and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy changes remain important macroeconomic risks. Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is moving away from a consumer-focused personal-assistant strategy and concentrating Copilot on workplace use. The usage-based approach could unlock greater revenue, but it may also make sales less predictable than traditional subscriptions if customer adoption is slower than expected. Financial Post article Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Microsoft’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, data-center capacity constraints and a reported 277-job reduction in Washington. These factors could pressure near-term margins even as Azure demand remains strong. Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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 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 $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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT stock opened at $516.17 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The company has a market capitalization of $3.83 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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’s fifty day simple moving average is $477.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $426.17.
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. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict 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. Investors 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 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 payout ratio is 20.27%.
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Costco Ends Its Fiscal Year on a High Note, Eyes Big Expansion Cracker Barrel Stock Is Rallying Again, But the Turnaround Still Has a Traffic Problem Oracle’s Force Majeure Notice Exposes a Bigger Problem for the AI Build-Out Oil May Be Stronger Than It Looks—And Diamondback Is on Sale 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.
Microsoft (MSFT +3.66%) spent the first half of 2026 moving the wrong way. From a record close of $542.07 on Oct. 28, 2025, the stock fell to $352.83 by June 25 -- a drop of about 35%.
The recovery has been just as sharp. At roughly $516 as I write, including a gain of over 3% on Friday, shares have risen about 46% from the late-June low. They are now only about 5% off the record.
But most of the rebound happened in one week. The stock leaped around 26% in the four trading days after Microsoft's fiscal fourth-quarter report on July 29. It has mainly traded between about $480 and $515 since.
So, is what's left of the gap to the record a buying window, or have the easy gains already been made?
Image source: Getty Images.
A $190 billion tabWhen Microsoft posted its fiscal third-quarter results in late April, Amy Hood, the company's chief financial officer, said it expected to spend around $190 billion on capital expenditures in calendar 2026.
Meanwhile, growth for Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, was stuck near 40%. Revenue from Azure and other cloud services rose 40% for Microsoft's fiscal first quarter of 2026 (the three months ended Sept. 30, 2025). Growth then came in at 39% and 40% in the next two quarters.
It was impressive growth for a business this size. But it was a flat line beside a spending plan that kept getting bigger.
Investors seemed worried that Microsoft was spending faster than Azure could grow. After a rally in May, the stock slid around 22% from the end of that month to its June 25 low.
Azure finally sped upThe July report changed that picture. Azure and other cloud services revenue rose 43% for the three months ended June 30 -- well above the 39% to 40% range management had predicted in April. Hood credited efficiency gains and faster delivery of new capacity, and she said the added capacity "was quickly monetized."
She then guided for Azure growth of around 45% in constant currency for the quarter ending Sept. 30. In September, Microsoft shifted a few businesses out of Azure in a reporting change. This cuts the June quarter's growth to 42% and the guidance to 44% to 45%. Reaching that mark would mean a second straight quarter of faster growth.
The spending, notably, didn't shrink. Capital expenditures, including finance leases, rose 69% year over year to $41 billion in the June quarter, up from $31.9 billion three months earlier. Management now sees calendar 2026 spending at around $175 billion. But Hood said the smaller number comes from an accounting change for some data center leases, and that the underlying plan for the year hasn't changed. She also expects capital spending to climb again in fiscal 2027.
In other words, the cost of Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI) build-out didn't drop in July. Azure's growth just finally began to speed up alongside it. I think that shift is what investors paid for in the days that followed.
Is the stock still a buy?The valuation arguably looks much more reasonable than it did at the high. At its record close in October 2025, Microsoft traded at around 40 times earnings. Now, shares trade at about 29 times earnings, using the $17.95 per share Microsoft earned in fiscal 2026.
The change mostly came from earnings growth. Earnings per share climbed 32% last fiscal year, or 22% excluding the effect of Microsoft's investment in OpenAI.
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Cash is another story. Operating cash flow grew 30% year over year to $55.4 billion in the June quarter. Free cash flow (operating cash flow minus cash spent on property and equipment), though, dropped around 23% to $19.6 billion. For the full fiscal year, free cash flow slid to around $67 billion from about $72 billion. And Hood's stated aim for fiscal 2027 is just to "remain free cash flow positive."
Sure, OpenAI is still a risk. Microsoft's arrangements with the ChatGPT maker produced $24.1 billion of its fiscal 2026 revenue, and OpenAI reportedly burned $3.7 billion of cash from January through March alone. But Hood said almost 90% of Microsoft's cloud revenue last fiscal year came from customers other than the firms making frontier AI models.
In the end, I don't think the remaining gap is much of a buying window. The business is in better shape than it was in June, and Azure might keep speeding up. But the price already reflects a good part of that, while the spending keeps climbing and free cash flow is still dropping.
If Azure posts growth around 45% this quarter and free cash flow starts rising again, I'd consider buying. For now, I think Microsoft stock is about fairly priced.
Microsoft (MSFT +3.66%) has lagged the broader market over the past 12 months, as some investors fear that the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution will eventually decrease demand for the company's services. However, there are still many things to like about the tech leader, including its dividend program. In fact, Microsoft recently announced it was raising its dividend by 8%. How does the company's income program compare to those of its similarly-sized peers that are members of the Magnificent Seven? Let's find out.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Microsoft's attractive dividend programOn Sept. 15, Microsoft announced that it was increasing its quarterly dividend per share to $0.98. It's worth noting that even before this increase, the company's dividend was much higher than the average for the Magnificent Seven members with dividend programs, including Meta Platforms, Apple, Alphabet, and Nvidia.
In fact, the next highest quarterly dividend per share is Meta's $0.525, a little over half of Microsoft's new $0.98. Of course, this is a per-share metric and therefore doesn't tell us much. Since share prices differ, a lower dividend per share could still equate to a higher yield. But Microsoft has averaged a higher yield than its peers in this group over the past decade, and it still beats them in this category.
We can also look beyond this metric. And once we do, we see a similar picture. For instance, Meta and Alphabet have only been paying dividends for a few years. Apple and Nvidia are longtime dividend payers, but neither has a track record of dividend growth as impressive as Microsoft's. Although Nvidia recently increased its dividend significantly, it went many years without a single annual hike.
That's not the case with Microsoft, which has grown its dividend regularly for over a decade. Apple also has, but Microsoft's dividend growth has been more impressive over the past 10 years. Further, Microsoft has a cash payout ratio (the percentage of cash flow paid as dividends) of 39.5%, compared to Apple's 15.6%. Generally, the lower a cash payout ratio, the better. But when it is too low, it can indicate that the company has other priorities, including some that may also benefit investors, such as share buybacks.
That might be the case with Apple. Microsoft's cash payout ratio, on the other hand, is well within a healthy range. The bottom line: Microsoft appears to have a much stronger dividend program than its peers in the Magnificent Seven.
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Can the business support more dividend growth?If the bears are right and Microsoft's services eventually experience significantly lower demand due to AI disruption, the company's dividend program may suffer as well. But how likely is that? In my view, not very. Consider Microsoft's latest financial results for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2026, which ended June 30. Microsoft's revenue increased by 18% year over year to $90 billion. The company's non-GAAP earnings per share (which excludes the impact of investments in OpenAI) were $4.74, up 23% compared to the year-ago period.
Of course, we can't make too much out of a single quarter. But Microsoft's update showed plenty of signs of strong, sustained demand for its services, particularly in its cloud business. Microsoft Cloud revenue came in at $59.3 billion, up 27% year over year, and the company ended the period with $678 billion in commercial remaining performance obligations, 84% higher than the prior-year quarter. As management pointed out, AI is playing a key role in boosting cloud revenue, and there is more where that came from, judging by Microsoft's significant backlog.
The company is also showing that it can coexist with AI. Microsoft has launched various AI agents that cater to its clients' needs. Improving its services through AI can enable the company to continue capitalizing on the AI revolution over the medium term, potentially leading to consistent revenue and earnings growth. Microsoft could also see improved margins as it increasingly relies on custom AI chips, which can lower its AI computing costs. Microsoft has survived several technological revolutions over its long and storied history.
AI is unlikely to be its undoing. Lastly, we could point to Microsoft's rock-solid balance sheet. The company boasts an AAA credit rating -- the highest possible rating -- from S&P Global, strong evidence that it is more than capable of meeting its financial obligations. All of these factors and more highlight the strength of Microsoft's underlying operations and its excellent prospects in cloud computing and AI. And with a business that healthy, we can expect consistent dividend growth for a long time.
Akcie Microsoftu v pátek ráno vzrostly o více než 3 % po představení rozšířené verze asistenta Copilot. Nové funkce Home, Code a Autopilot mají rozšířit práci s informacemi, vývojem i automatizací úkolů.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares rose over 3% in morning trading Friday after the software company unveiled an expanded version of its Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) assistant.
Microsoft introduced three new Copilot features, Home, Code and Autopilot, which are designed to give users broader access to workplace information, software development tools and automated tasks.
Home brings together meetings, conversations, documents, emails, applications and artificial intelligence agents in a single workspace, while Code allows users to create small applications for specific tasks.
Autopilot is designed as a more proactive artificial intelligence agent that can track workplace discussions, carry out recurring tasks and resume projects when users return.
Microsoft said Home and Code will begin rolling out through its Frontier program in the coming weeks, while Autopilot will enter an expanded private preview by the end of September.
The release comes as Microsoft seeks to increase adoption of Copilot among corporate customers and deepen the role of artificial intelligence across its software products.
The company has been investing heavily in AI infrastructure and services as it seeks to monetize demand for AI tools through its cloud and software businesses.
Noble Wealth Partners ve 2. čtvrtletí nově koupila 5 822 akcií Microsoftu za zhruba 2,172 milionu USD. Microsoft zároveň oznámil čtvrtletní dividendu ve výši 0,98 USD na akcii.
Noble Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 5,822 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $2,172,000. Microsoft comprises 1.9% of Noble Wealth Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding.
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 in the second quarter worth $35,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth approximately $101,000. Ramsey Quantitative Systems purchased a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at $112,000. Finally, Midwest Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC now owns 422 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Trading Down 0.5% NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $497.93 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $475.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $425.54. The company has a market capitalization of $3.70 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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.
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 firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current 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 paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.
Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Phillip Securities downgraded Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus decreased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Tigress Financial lifted their target price on Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed 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 given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Microsoft
Insider Activity In other news, 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 value 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 trade represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. The trade was 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 a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Key Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is increasing. Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575, citing Azure and Copilot growth, durable margins, and a path for AI spending to produce stronger revenue. Jefferies also reaffirmed its Buy rating, while other analysts highlighted potential upside. Why These Wall Street Analysts Think Microsoft Stock Is Getting Back on Track Positive Sentiment: Azure demand remains the central growth catalyst. Reports point to a roughly $678 billion backlog and the need for Microsoft to add data-center capacity quickly enough to serve existing customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Azure Government also received DoD Impact Level 5 certification, expanding its use among government and highly regulated customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Achieves IL5 Certification Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expanding its AI infrastructure footprint. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion in Gulf-region cloud, AI, connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure through 2030, potentially supporting long-term regional demand. Microsoft Plans Gulf Investment Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Hims & Hers Slides Nearly 7% as Legal Pressure Adds to Its Growing List of Risks Paychex Plunges, Providing the Entry Investors Have Been Waiting For The Case for Buying High-Yield General Mills Just Strengthened SanDisk’s $1,800 Breakout Turns Memory Hardware Into a Profit Story 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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XML Financial LLC ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila podíl v Microsoft o 3,0 % na 57 808 akcií v hodnotě 21,563 milionu USD. Microsoft zároveň oznámil vyšší čtvrtletní dividendu ve výši 0,98 USD na akcii.
XML Financial LLC lifted its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 57,808 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,710 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises approximately 1.6% of XML Financial LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $21,563,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. increased its position in Microsoft by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 135,630 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $50,593,000 after purchasing an additional 2,048 shares during the period. L.K. Benson & Company P.C. lifted its position in shares of Microsoft by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. L.K. Benson & Company P.C. now owns 2,214 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $826,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 347,843 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $129,752,000 after purchasing an additional 49,178 shares in the last quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 4.4% during the second quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 4,439 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,656,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the period. Finally, Tower View Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% during the second quarter. Tower View Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,048 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $6,732,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Microsoft from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 target price on Microsoft in a research report on Monday. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $569.29.
View Our Latest Research Report on Microsoft Microsoft Price Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $497.93 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $553.72. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $475.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $425.54. The stock has a market cap of $3.70 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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 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 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 business earned $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. 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 presently 20.27%.
Insider Buying and Selling In other 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 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 $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 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. 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.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is increasing. Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575, citing Azure and Copilot growth, durable margins, and a path for AI spending to produce stronger revenue. Jefferies also reaffirmed its Buy rating, while other analysts highlighted potential upside. Why These Wall Street Analysts Think Microsoft Stock Is Getting Back on Track Positive Sentiment: Azure demand remains the central growth catalyst. Reports point to a roughly $678 billion backlog and the need for Microsoft to add data-center capacity quickly enough to serve existing customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Azure Government also received DoD Impact Level 5 certification, expanding its use among government and highly regulated customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Achieves IL5 Certification Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expanding its AI infrastructure footprint. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion in Gulf-region cloud, AI, connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure through 2030, potentially supporting long-term regional demand. Microsoft Plans Gulf Investment Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Hims & Hers Slides Nearly 7% as Legal Pressure Adds to Its Growing List of Risks Paychex Plunges, Providing the Entry Investors Have Been Waiting For The Case for Buying High-Yield General Mills Just Strengthened SanDisk’s $1,800 Breakout Turns Memory Hardware Into a Profit Story 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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Trinity Legacy Partners LLC grew its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 10.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,022 shares of the software giant’s stock after buying an additional 2,546 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 2.2% of Trinity Legacy Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $11,240,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. 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 worth $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 234.5% in the 4th 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 during the period. Amundi grew its stake in 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 buying an additional 9,814,598 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in Microsoft by 64.3% during the 1st 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 last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased 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 during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of Microsoft 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 transaction, the executive vice president 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through 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 completion of the sale, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently weighed in on MSFT. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. Argus dropped their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial lowered Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $540.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $569.29. Get Our Latest Report on Microsoft
Trending Headlines about Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is increasing. Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575, citing Azure and Copilot growth, durable margins, and a path for AI spending to produce stronger revenue. Jefferies also reaffirmed its Buy rating, while other analysts highlighted potential upside. Why These Wall Street Analysts Think Microsoft Stock Is Getting Back on Track Positive Sentiment: Azure demand remains the central growth catalyst. Reports point to a roughly $678 billion backlog and the need for Microsoft to add data-center capacity quickly enough to serve existing customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Azure Government also received DoD Impact Level 5 certification, expanding its use among government and highly regulated customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Achieves IL5 Certification Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expanding its AI infrastructure footprint. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion in Gulf-region cloud, AI, connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure through 2030, potentially supporting long-term regional demand. Microsoft Plans Gulf Investment Microsoft Trading Down 0.5% Shares of MSFT opened at $497.93 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 firm has a market capitalization of $3.70 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.72, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $475.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $425.54.
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 business 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
About Microsoft (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Hims & Hers Slides Nearly 7% as Legal Pressure Adds to Its Growing List of Risks Paychex Plunges, Providing the Entry Investors Have Been Waiting For The Case for Buying High-Yield General Mills Just Strengthened SanDisk’s $1,800 Breakout Turns Memory Hardware Into a Profit Story
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Microsoft představil novou aplikaci Copilot vše v jednom, která spojuje chat, kódování i AI agenty a přidává plné verze Wordu, Excelu a PowerPointu. Firma tím míří na OpenAI a Anthropic a chce zvýšit přijetí u firem.
Jacob Andreou, the Microsoft executive vice president who leads Copilot, presents the app’s new Home, Code and Autopilot sections at a company event this week. (Microsoft Photo) Microsoft on Friday morning unveiled its long-promised Copilot “super app” — without officially calling it that — combining AI chat, coding and long-running agents into a unified app for business and personal use.
The new version of the Copilot app adds sections called Home, which combines chat with Microsoft’s Cowork agent; Code, which lets people build their own apps and tools by describing them; and Autopilot, where people can set up their own always-on AI agents.
It also brings full versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint inside Copilot, so people can create and edit documents with AI and their co-workers without switching apps.
The announcement is Microsoft’s answer to OpenAI and Anthropic, which have been combining chat, coding and agents in their own apps and selling them directly to businesses that have long been Microsoft’s core customers. Microsoft also uses models from both companies in Copilot, alongside its own.
Partners and rivals: Microsoft executives contrasted the company’s approach with OpenAI and Anthropic during an event Wednesday, according to a transcript provided by Microsoft. The pitch is aimed at corporate IT departments, which have long relied on Microsoft for security and compliance.
Jacob Andreou, the executive vice president who leads Copilot, said Microsoft knew that “unlike a lot of our competition, sending your most sensitive files down to a local machine into a VM was a complete nonstarter” — an apparent reference to Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, which runs in a virtual machine on the user’s computer.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pitched Copilot as a hedge against relying on any one AI lab, saying companies should be able to test models against their own benchmarks and swap one out for another.
“My test of true independence going forward is for you to have a private eval that you can hill climb on and substitute a model,” he said. Translation: a “private eval” is a company’s own set of tests for AI models, and “hill climb” is a phrase in vogue in AI circles for steadily improving results against those tests.
A company that can’t do those things, he added, has effectively handed the knowledge it builds with AI “to somebody else.”
Model choice: Microsoft also emphasized the ability to switch between AI models from different companies. A menu shown during the presentation let users pick OpenAI’s GPT or Anthropic’s Opus, or an Auto mode that chooses a model for each request.
Microsoft also showed its own MAI models alongside OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI on one of Nadella’s slides, although they weren’t listed in the menu shown during the demo.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at a company event this week, where Microsoft showed its new all-in-one Copilot app to customers ahead of Friday’s public announcement. In a post this morning, he called it a “new OS for work.” (Microsoft Photo) The rollout: Nadella first promised the super app at Microsoft’s Build developer conference in June, saying that “come summer” the company would bring “coding to all knowledge work within one Copilot super app.” On Microsoft’s July 29 earnings call, he told investors it would arrive “this quarter,” which ends Sept. 30.
Friday’s announcement meets that deadline with less than a week to spare, and most of the new features won’t be widely available until later.
Code, already in the hands of a few customers in Microsoft’s Frontier early-access program, rolls out more widely to the program at the end of the month, with broad availability in the coming weeks and a preview for Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers later this year. Autopilot expands to private preview at the end of the month. Office in Copilot will roll out to consumers and Frontier customers in the coming weeks. Office inside Copilot: Copilot has long run inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Now the full apps also run inside Copilot. “This is not just some simplified viewer,” Andreou said.
In a demo, a Microsoft product manager had Copilot pull data into an Excel workbook, accepted her team’s tracked changes in a Word document, and then had Copilot turn both into a PowerPoint deck without leaving the app. Co-workers can edit the same files at the same time from the regular Office apps, according to Microsoft.
How it’s priced: Copilot now has two ways to pay. A per-user monthly license covers everyday uses such as chat and Copilot features in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. More intensive agent work, including Cowork, Code and Autopilot, is billed based on usage, as are the newest frontier models, OpenAI’s Astra and Anthropic’s Claude Fable.
“Our view is that there are two kinds of AI at work,” said Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer for AI at Work, in a recorded briefing for media. “They call for two very different ways of paying, and Copilot offers both.”
Consumer Microsoft 365 subscriptions will also add usage-based billing later this year for Cowork, Code and other new features, Spataro said.
Nadella told investors in July that Microsoft is evolving its business model “beyond per-seat to per-seat-plus-consumption.” Usage-based services are off by default, and administrators can set spending limits for an entire company, specific groups or individual users through Microsoft’s Agent 365 management tools.
From OpenClaw to Autopilot: Autopilot grew out of Microsoft’s experiments with OpenClaw, the open-source personal AI agent that went viral earlier this year. In March, Nadella described OpenClaw as a security risk akin to “a virus.”
By June, Microsoft had introduced Scout, an always-on personal agent for work that it called the first of its Autopilots. Nadella told investors in July that the agent was “powered by OpenClaw.” The new Copilot drops the Scout name, and people instead create and name their own Autopilots.
In his presentation this week, Andreou pitched Autopilot as the answer to the concerns that have kept agents like OpenClaw out of big companies.
“The hallmark of an amazing, long-running agent is autonomy and flexibility,” he said. “That is the same thing that makes them absolutely terrifying to an IT admin.”
Each Autopilot runs in the cloud inside a company’s Microsoft 365 environment, with its own identity, memory and email address, and people can tag it in Teams or Outlook like a co-worker.
In a demo, a Microsoft employee playing the role of a regional manager at a retail chain gave his Autopilot, named Dot, one goal: make sure stores had inventory in time for Black Friday. It chose which Teams channels, email threads and inventory data to monitor, sent him a daily summary, and flagged a shipment problem that could affect 18 stores.
The adoption question: Microsoft reported more than 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats in July, up from 20 million in April. That’s still only about 7% of the more than 450 million commercial Microsoft 365 seats the company reported in January.
The new Copilot comes three weeks after Microsoft reorganized its financial reporting around a similar idea, creating a segment called Agents and Infra and moving GitHub’s cloud revenue into its Microsoft 365 business.
“It’s no longer about building or selling one app or service, but about connecting the entire trajectory of a ‘job to be done,'” Nadella wrote in a note to investors about the change at the time.
Microsoft 365 cloud revenue, which covers business and consumer subscriptions including Copilot and now GitHub, reached $100.3 billion in fiscal 2026 under the new structure, up about 19%. Microsoft doesn’t disclose how much of that comes from Copilot.
“None of these things really matter unless they actually go to work inside of your companies and deliver real value,” Andreou said.
Microsoft plans to share more at its Ignite conference, Nov. 17-20 in San Francisco.
Avidian Wealth Enterprises zvýšila ve 2. čtvrtletí podíl v Microsoftu o 4,4 % na 71 580 akcií v hodnotě 26,701 milionu USD. Microsoft zároveň oznámil čtvrtletní dividendu ve výši 0,98 USD na akcii, vyšší než předchozích 0,91 USD.
Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC increased its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 4.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,580 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,993 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for 0.7% of Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $26,701,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Whelan Financial lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 9.3% in the second quarter. Whelan Financial now owns 12,341 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $4,604,000 after purchasing an additional 1,053 shares in the last quarter. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC now owns 28,022 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $11,240,000 after purchasing an additional 2,546 shares during the last quarter. Noble Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,172,000. Columbia Bank grew its holdings in Microsoft by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter. Columbia Bank now owns 47,249 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $17,625,000 after buying an additional 5,127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in Microsoft by 17.0% during the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 474,527 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $177,062,000 after buying an additional 68,966 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $497.93 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.70 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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 Corporation has a 52 week low of $349.20 and a 52 week high of $553.72. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $475.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $425.54.
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, 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 the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS 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 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 payout ratio is currently 20.27%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MSFT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, July 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $660.00 price objective on Microsoft in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
View Our Latest Research Report on MSFT
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is increasing. Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575, citing Azure and Copilot growth, durable margins, and a path for AI spending to produce stronger revenue. Jefferies also reaffirmed its Buy rating, while other analysts highlighted potential upside. Why These Wall Street Analysts Think Microsoft Stock Is Getting Back on Track Positive Sentiment: Azure demand remains the central growth catalyst. Reports point to a roughly $678 billion backlog and the need for Microsoft to add data-center capacity quickly enough to serve existing customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Azure Government also received DoD Impact Level 5 certification, expanding its use among government and highly regulated customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Achieves IL5 Certification Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expanding its AI infrastructure footprint. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion in Gulf-region cloud, AI, connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure through 2030, potentially supporting long-term regional demand. Microsoft Plans Gulf Investment Insider Activity at Microsoft In related news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 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 that occurred 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. The trade was 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. In the last 90 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 and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Hims & Hers Slides Nearly 7% as Legal Pressure Adds to Its Growing List of Risks Paychex Plunges, Providing the Entry Investors Have Been Waiting For The Case for Buying High-Yield General Mills Just Strengthened SanDisk’s $1,800 Breakout Turns Memory Hardware Into a Profit Story 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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Freedom Day Solutions LLC ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila podíl v Microsoftu o 23,5 % na 17 025 akcií za 6,351 milionu USD. Microsoft zároveň oznámil vyšší čtvrtletní dividendu na 0,98 USD na akcii.
Freedom Day Solutions LLC raised its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 23.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 17,025 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,241 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 1.4% of Freedom Day Solutions LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Freedom Day Solutions LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $6,351,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its position in 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 during the period. Markel Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 1,950 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,921,677 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,562,197,000 after purchasing an additional 537,634 shares during the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,616,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. raised its holdings in 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 buying an additional 788,297 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Trading Down 0.5% MSFT stock opened at $497.93 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $475.48 and its 200 day moving average is $425.54. The company has a market capitalization of $3.70 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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 quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current 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 issued 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 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.27%.
Key Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is increasing. Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575, citing Azure and Copilot growth, durable margins, and a path for AI spending to produce stronger revenue. Jefferies also reaffirmed its Buy rating, while other analysts highlighted potential upside. Why These Wall Street Analysts Think Microsoft Stock Is Getting Back on Track Positive Sentiment: Azure demand remains the central growth catalyst. Reports point to a roughly $678 billion backlog and the need for Microsoft to add data-center capacity quickly enough to serve existing customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Azure Government also received DoD Impact Level 5 certification, expanding its use among government and highly regulated customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Achieves IL5 Certification Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expanding its AI infrastructure footprint. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion in Gulf-region cloud, AI, connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure through 2030, potentially supporting long-term regional demand. Microsoft Plans Gulf Investment Analysts Set New Price Targets MSFT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $530.00 to $575.00 in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $640.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Argus dropped their target price on Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Forty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Microsoft
Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of Microsoft 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 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. 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 company’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Hims & Hers Slides Nearly 7% as Legal Pressure Adds to Its Growing List of Risks Paychex Plunges, Providing the Entry Investors Have Been Waiting For The Case for Buying High-Yield General Mills Just Strengthened SanDisk’s $1,800 Breakout Turns Memory Hardware Into a Profit Story
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Legacy Advisors LLC ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila podíl ve společnosti Microsoft o 15,7 % na 37 656 akcií. Microsoft zároveň oznámil vyšší čtvrtletní dividendu na 0,98 USD z 0,91 USD.
Legacy Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 15.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 37,656 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,109 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 1.3% of Legacy Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Legacy Advisors LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $14,046,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Investment Partners Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Microsoft by 9.9% in the second quarter. Investment Partners Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,060 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $5,245,000 after buying an additional 1,271 shares in the last quarter. Greenwood Gearhart LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 7.2% during the second quarter. Greenwood Gearhart LLC now owns 114,410 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $42,677,000 after buying an additional 7,673 shares during the last quarter. Opus Financial Solutions LLC increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 5.7% during the second quarter. Opus Financial Solutions LLC now owns 2,866 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,069,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 15.2% during the second quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 6,364 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,374,000 after buying an additional 840 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co now owns 108,104 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $40,325,000 after acquiring an additional 798 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Microsoft Stock Down 0.5% Microsoft stock opened at $497.93 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.70 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.72, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $475.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $425.54.
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, 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 last year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS 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 $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. 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%.
More Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is increasing. Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575, citing Azure and Copilot growth, durable margins, and a path for AI spending to produce stronger revenue. Jefferies also reaffirmed its Buy rating, while other analysts highlighted potential upside. Why These Wall Street Analysts Think Microsoft Stock Is Getting Back on Track Positive Sentiment: Azure demand remains the central growth catalyst. Reports point to a roughly $678 billion backlog and the need for Microsoft to add data-center capacity quickly enough to serve existing customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift for Azure Government also received DoD Impact Level 5 certification, expanding its use among government and highly regulated customers. Azure Red Hat OpenShift Achieves IL5 Certification Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expanding its AI infrastructure footprint. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion in Gulf-region cloud, AI, connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure through 2030, potentially supporting long-term regional demand. Microsoft Plans Gulf Investment Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. 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 company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 over the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms recently weighed in on MSFT. Barclays cut their price objective on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Microsoft from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Mizuho cut their price target on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Microsoft from $500.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Microsoft
Microsoft Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Hims & Hers Slides Nearly 7% as Legal Pressure Adds to Its Growing List of Risks Paychex Plunges, Providing the Entry Investors Have Been Waiting For The Case for Buying High-Yield General Mills Just Strengthened SanDisk’s $1,800 Breakout Turns Memory Hardware Into a Profit Story 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 oznámil, že Azure překonal 100 miliard USD ročních tržeb a Microsoft 365 Copilot má přes 30 milionů placených licencí. Akcie jsou ale za posledních 12 měsíců níže o 2,3 %.
Azure just crossed a milestone that resets how analysts should value Microsoft, yet the stock sits below where it traded a year ago. The reason behind that disconnect points to an opportunity most investors are overlooking.
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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) just closed a record fiscal year in which Azure surpassed $100 billion in annual revenue and Microsoft 365 Copilot passed 30 million paid seats. Yet shares are still down 2.3% over the past year, trading at $498.51. Our proprietary model says that gap is the opportunity.
The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Microsoft is $640.92 over the next 12 months, implying 28.7% upside. Our recommendation is buy. A $678 billion RPO backlog gives multi-year visibility that the current 27x multiple does not fully price in.
24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary Metric Value Current Price $498.51 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $640.92 Upside 28.7% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% Azure at $100 Billion Resets the Growth Story Microsoft is up 3.16% over the past month and 3.73% year to date.
Fiscal Q4, reported July 29, 2026, delivered $90.01 billion in revenue (+17.75% YoY) and non-GAAP EPS of $4.74, a fifth consecutive beat. Intelligent Cloud grew 32%, Azure jumped 43%, with management guiding fiscal Q1 Azure growth to approximately 45% in constant currency.
Why Bulls See a Breakout Ahead The bull case rests on contracted revenue. Commercial RPO grew 84% to $678 billion, with RPO beyond 12 months up 112%. GitHub Copilot reached 50 million users with revenue accelerating more than 60% quarter over quarter. Foundry revenue more than doubled year over year, and Agent 365 registered nearly 40 million agents within two months of launch.
Satya Nadella framed the setup bluntly: “I’ve never been more confident in Microsoft’s opportunity to drive durable long-term growth.”
Our bull case scenario points to $737.80 within 12 months, a 48.15% total return, if Azure holds a 40%+ growth cadence and Copilot monetization shifts meaningfully to consumption pricing.
Risks Worth Watching Capex is the pressure point. FY26 capital expenditures hit $115.95 billion, up 79.62%, with FY27 guided to approximately $175 billion. Free cash flow fell 6.46% for the full year.
More Personal Computing revenue declined 4%, with Xbox down 10%. Amy Hood emphasized “demand continues to exceed available supply.” The bear case still yields $542.75, an 8.99% return.
How Microsoft Compares to Alphabet and Amazon Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) offers the sharpest valuation contrast. Google Cloud grew 82% in Q2 fiscal 2026, faster than Azure, yet trades at a P/E of just 16. However, Alphabet’s Q2 free cash flow was negative $5.86 billion after $44.9 billion in capex, while Microsoft still generated positive FCF. Quality justifies premium.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the direct AWS-versus-Azure comparison. AWS grew 37% in Q2 2026, its fastest in 18 quarters, and Amazon plans roughly $200 billion in 2026 capex. Amazon trades at a P/E of 35, notably above Microsoft. Against these peers, our $640.92 target looks reasonable relative to peers.
Company P/E Cloud Growth Microsoft 27 43% Alphabet 16 82% Amazon 35 37% Microsoft Price Prediction 2026-2030 The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $640.92 with a buy rating and 90% confidence reflects a rare setup: acceleration on top of a $678 billion backlog, with the stock still below year-ago levels.
The factor tipping the scale is Azure guidance of 45% constant currency for fiscal Q1. The bull thesis strengthens if Azure holds above 40% into calendar 2027. The setup weakens if FY27 capex creeps above $200 billion without matched RPO growth.
Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $525 2027 $640 2028 $778 2029 $857 2030 $957 These projections assume Microsoft executes on Azure, Copilot, and Foundry. The suppliers powering that buildout, from grid capacity to cooling, are a story of their own; we profiled seven of them in a free report on the AI infrastructure trade. Upside or downside could result from OpenAI partnership economics or an AI capex reset across hyperscalers.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
RBA Wealth Management LLC reduced its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 17,220 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 2,562 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises approximately 2.4% of RBA Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. RBA Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $6,423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth about $101,000. Ramsey Quantitative Systems acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at about $112,000. Finally, Midwest Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC now owns 422 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Evercore set a $528.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. 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 presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $569.29.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Microsoft Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
Positive Sentiment: Stifel upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575 from $530. The analyst expects Azure, Copilot and other AI services to accelerate revenue while Microsoft maintains resilient margins without needing excessive spending on AI models. Microsoft upgraded as analyst sees steady margins Positive Sentiment: Microsoft plans to invest more than $10 billion in the Gulf through 2030, funding cloud and AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, connectivity and workforce development across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. The spending expands Azure’s international capacity and could create long-term commercial opportunities. Microsoft plans Gulf investment Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the central bullish thesis. Microsoft is pursuing broader Copilot adoption, including discounts of roughly 30% to 50% for large enterprise customers, while management highlights independent AI safety evaluators and software that controls AI agents as emerging opportunities. Microsoft plans larger Copilot discounts Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Coinbase disrupted an AI-enabled phishing network, reinforcing Microsoft’s cybersecurity credentials. However, the operation does not eliminate the persistent economic incentive for criminals to compromise accounts. Microsoft cuts AI phishing supply chain Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s collaboration with Photonic on quantum-computing resource estimation and its decision to give DARPA access to its Majorana 2 system enhance its technology and government relationships, but these projects are unlikely to affect near-term earnings. Microsoft opens quantum system to DARPA testing Negative Sentiment: Xbox is cutting 268 positions and transferring the next Halo game to Activision as part of a gaming restructuring. The move may improve efficiency but raises concerns about Microsoft’s gaming execution and follows recent layoffs. Microsoft cuts Xbox roles Negative Sentiment: Broader technology stocks weakened, while scrutiny of data-center water consumption and Microsoft’s heavy AI infrastructure spending adds to concerns about costs, regulation and execution. Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’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 in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $265,888,830.48. This trade 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 ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Trading Up 0.5% NASDAQ MSFT opened at $500.59 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. 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 capitalization of $3.72 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $473.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $424.91.
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, 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 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. As a group, research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.61 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. 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%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.83%.
Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.
The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.
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Microsoft plánuje do roku 2030 investovat přes 10 miliard USD v SAE, Saúdské Arábii, Kataru a Kuvajtu, hlavně do cloudové a AI infrastruktury. Firma zároveň staví digitální odolnost na klíčovou součást své strategie v regionu.
Microsoft (MSFT.O) is planning to invest more than $10 billion across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait between now and 2030, including in cloud and AI infrastructure, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
The US tech giant is making digital resilience a key part of its strategy for the region as the Iran war rumbles on.
Microsoft's investment reflects both its "ongoing build-out of infrastructure and also the expansion of operations in the region," Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters.
Gulf countries are pouring billions into AI as they strive to become global hubs to help diversify their economies away from oil and gas, betting that land abundance and access to cheap energy will lure hyperscalers, including Microsoft.
However, challenges remain in areas including access to advanced chips and the uncertainty brought by the war, including attacks on data centres such as Amazon (AMZN.O) cloud unit AWS's facilities in Bahrain and the UAE.
"We're sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we're in fact adding to them ... It's an aggressive spending schedule," said Smith.
He said Microsoft had supported local partners during the conflict, including with digital resilience assessments, even in the first week of the conflict, which began on February 28.
DIGITAL RESILIENCE
Microsoft is now working to help the Gulf countries in areas such as readiness and critical data protection as part of a digital resilience initiative.
It could not provide a breakdown of the planned investment by country or specific project, Smith said, citing factors including security.
While the UAE has been largely spared attacks since May, several other Gulf countries have continued to face threats.
Microsoft also plans to invest more than $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.
It is also strengthening its partnership with national AI companies, including Abu Dhabi's G42, in which Microsoft invested $1.5 billion for a minority stake in 2024, giving the US firm a board seat currently filled by Smith.
Microsoft is working with Saudi Arabia's Humain and Qatar's Qai "in selected areas that are priorities for them," he said, noting that it does not plan capital investments in the firms.
The Nasdaq keeps hitting records while Microsoft stalls below a key price level, and the reason has nothing to do with the job cuts making headlines. Three forces are quietly squeezing the multiple on one of the most fundamentally sound…
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) settled at $498 on September 22, 2026, down 0.72% on a session when the Nasdaq-100 proxy QQQ closed up 0.81% at a record. The $500 handle keeps slipping through the stock’s fingers.
Microsoft is up 3.63% year to date and down 2.4% over one year, while QQQ has returned 21.67% and 24.12% over the same windows. The largest enterprise software company on earth is anchoring an index that keeps making new highs without it. Fundamentals don’t explain that gap.
Immediate News Is Smaller Than It Sounds Reports this month describe another round of Microsoft job cuts reaching beyond gaming into cloud, AI, marketing, and research, along with a decision to move development of the next Halo title to Activision studios inside the company.
Put in context, this continues a gaming restructuring first announced in July that targets roughly a fifth of the division and is most of the way through. At a company doing $331.84 billion in annual revenue, a few hundred roles is housekeeping. It is not why the bid disappeared.
Three Real Pressures on the Multiple Start with rates. The ten-year Treasury sits at 4.96%, near a 19-year high, and the Federal Reserve raised the funds rate to 4.00%, its first hike since 2023. Long-duration megacaps carry the most present-value pain when the discount rate lifts.
Second, the cost argument. An August note from a major bank warned that hyperscaler AI capital spending is outrunning AI revenue, and Microsoft’s capex line is the exhibit prosecutors keep pointing to.
Third, rotation. Money is chasing fresher stories in consumer AI and merchant silicon. Narrative sets marginal buyers, and marginal buyers set price.
Fundamentals That Contradict the Stock Action The June quarter was strong. Revenue of $90.01 billion grew 17.75%, Azure grew 43% and crossed $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
Commercial remaining performance obligation, the signed backlog that presells years of cloud revenue, reached $678 billion, up 84%. Microsoft 365 Copilot passed 30 million paid seats.
Azure growth accelerated across the last four quarters, and management said in every one that “demand continues to exceed available supply.” First-quarter guidance calls for total revenue of $89.85 to $90.95 billion and Azure growth around 45% in constant currency. A business compounding like this does not normally trade flat.
Reality Check on the Bear Case The bear case has teeth. Capital expenditures were $35.8 billion in the June quarter, full-year fiscal 2026 capex reached $115.95 billion, and management guided fiscal 2027 to roughly $175 billion. Free cash flow fell 23.19% year over year in the quarter as a result.
The capex line is the whole story, and Microsoft isn’t the only name funneling cash into the buildout. We profiled seven suppliers doing the picks-and-shovels work, from power to cooling to networking, in a free report you can grab here: 7 Stocks Powering the AI Boom (That Aren’t Chipmakers).
Xbox revenue declined 10%, and Windows OEM and devices fell 7%, with weak PC demand and elevated memory costs pressuring both. Reddit sentiment on the name has moved from bullish scores near 66 a week ago to bearish and neutral prints of 38 to 45.
Bull and Bear Case for MSFT Stock The bull case is that earnings grew while the stock did not, signaling multiple compression. A P/E of 28x against 34.04% return on equity and an RPO up 84% is the setup patient owners want.
The bear case is that capex is now consuming the cash that used to fund buybacks, the payback on AI infrastructure is unproven, and two real businesses inside the company (gaming and Windows OEM) are shrinking.
The deciding variable is whether Azure growth holds near the guided 45% while capex peaks. The October earnings report is the trigger: Azure growth at or above that guide, with capex tracking to the $175 billion plan, reclaims $500. A miss on either could keep MSFT stock treading water.
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Microsoft po zvýšení doporučení Stifel na „koupit“ vzrostl ve středu po otevření trhu o 2 %. Nový cenový cíl 575 USD naznačuje zhruba 15% růst oproti úternímu závěru.
Microsoft MSFT stock gained 2% on Wednesday after the market opened after Stifel upgraded the technology giant to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $575 from $530.
The new target implies around 15% upside from Tuesday’s close.
Stifel said Microsoft’s artificial intelligence initiatives, Azure growth and Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption could support stronger revenue growth and operating performance.
Microsoft shares have faced pressure over the past year as the company’s capital expenditure has increased to meet infrastructure requirements for Azure and its investments in AI assistant Copilot.
The stock is down 0.21% over the past 12 months, although it has gained 32% over the past six months.
Stifel analyst Brad Reback said the firm is increasingly confident that Microsoft can sustain mid-to-upper-teens revenue growth.
“We are increasingly comfortable with the company’s ability to sustain mid/upper teens revenue growth as open-weight model advancement has boosted management’s [large language model] agnostic strategy (Azure & Copilot),” Reback said in a note to clients on Tuesday.
He added that operational efficiencies could support stable operating margins, while strong cash flow could reduce Microsoft’s need for external financing.
For Microsoft 365, Reback said product improvements could support continued Copilot adoption.
He also pointed to growing GitHub consumption as a potential contributor to mid-to-upper-teens growth.
Stifel’s upgrade follows concerns earlier this year about Microsoft’s gross margins and the impact of its rising AI-related spending.
“Post our gross-margin concerns earlier this year, it is now increasingly evident that Azure operational efficiency efforts… disciplined capex spending and focused opex growth should enable Microsoft to sustain current operating-margins,” Reback wrote.
Stifel’s upgrade follows a separate price-target increase from Oppenheimer, which raised its target for Microsoft to $570 from $515 while maintaining an Outperform rating.
The increase followed a meeting with Microsoft management at the company’s headquarters.
Oppenheimer analyst Brian Schwartz said management’s tone was positive regarding demand, Microsoft’s structural advantages in AI and the durability of its competitive position.
The firm maintained its “acceleration with capital discipline” thesis, pointing to strong growth and usage across Azure and Microsoft 365 Commercial.
Oppenheimer also said Copilot monetization remained strong while Microsoft continued adding computing capacity to meet AI demand.
The firm said customers were increasingly standardizing on Microsoft as their primary enterprise AI platform.
Analysts remain broadly positive on MicrosoftOppenheimer also highlighted efficiency gains and capital discipline.
It said Microsoft’s capital spending had become more predictable while the company remained free cash flow positive.
Microsoft executives told Oppenheimer they expected to sustain profitable growth despite ongoing computing capacity constraints and concerns about AI disruption.
However, Oppenheimer identified potential risks, including AI disruption and a pull-forward of enterprise IT spending in the second half of 2026.
Those factors could moderate Azure and Microsoft 365 Commercial revenue growth heading into 2027.
The firm also flagged the possibility of cloud-margin compression or weaker capital expenditure efficiency.
Other firms have also raised their targets. Cantor Fitzgerald recently lifted its price target to $608 from $522, citing strong growth fundamentals and steady capital expenditure guidance. Citizens reiterated its Market Outperform rating with a $550 target.
The analyst upgrades are broadly aligned with Wall Street sentiment. LSEG data shows that 57 of the 60 analysts covering Microsoft have a Buy or Strong Buy rating.
