Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Adanced Micro Devices (AMD -5.96%) investors have enjoyed some incredible gains during 2026. Currently, AMD is the ninth-best-performing component of the S&P 500, returning about 160% so far this year. While that figure was closer to 200% before the most recent sell-off, I think this is a wake-up call for most investors.

The reality is that AMD's stock got way too ahead of itself, and its valuation far outpaces its growth expectations. That is a major red flag for investors, and there are a few items investors need to keep an eye on as to when AMD could be a good buy again (hint: It won't be for a while).

Image source: Getty Images.

AMD is gaining ground, but not fast enough
The entire AMD investment thesis circles around AMD catching up to Nvidia (NVDA -1.43%) and taking market share. On the surface, it appears that AMD is making headway. It has huge projects like OpenAI's computing cluster, which is starting to be delivered, and is powering Meta Muse from Meta Platforms (META -3.72%). This has all led to stronger growth for AMD, with its data center division reporting $6.7 billion in revenue and growing by 107%. Overall, this helped the company grow its revenue 50% year over year to $11.5 billion in Q2.

AMD Advanced Micro Devices$528.75-$33.48 (-5.96%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Those are strong results that should be celebrated, but the problem is, it just isn't enough to catch Nvidia. During Q2, Nvidia's data center revenue reached $89 billion, up 117% year over year. Overall revenue rose to $96.2 billion, up 106% year over year. While AMD appears on the surface to be doing better, the reality is that Nvidia's lead is widening.

What makes matters worse is that Nvidia's Q2 results don't include any revenue from its upcoming generation of Vera Rubin architecture chips. This new generation promises major improvements, and they also cost more than previous generations. This will further exaggerate Nvidia's lead over AMD and eliminate the thesis that AMD is catching up.

But don't tell AMD's stock that, because according to it, AMD has won the AI arms race.

AMD's stock has uncoupled from its business
Over the long term, stocks and business growth are highly correlated. Over the short term, any number of factors can influence a stock's price. This is why long-term investing is easier for individual investors, as we can afford to wait for the business results to influence the stock price as long as we've found a company with a great long-term growth thesis.

AMD clearly has a great growth rate and a strong growth thesis over the long term; the problem is that the stock has gotten so far ahead of itself that all future returns have been priced in. For both AMD and Nvidia, I'd say a fair forward price-to-earnings ratio to pay is around 30 times forward earnings. If we stretch this projection and look at next year's forward earnings, AMD still isn't even close, while Nvidia is far below this threshold.

NVDA PE Ratio (Forward 1y) data by YCharts

So, even after 2027's growth is accounted for in the stock prices, AMD is still above the valuation threshold. I'd be comfortable paying for the stock. Meanwhile, Nvidia is about half the price. Remember, Nvidia is actually growing faster and is much larger than AMD, so this major uncoupling of valuations doesn't make a lot of sense.

I think this reveals an obvious statement: AMD has gotten overvalued after its incredible run in 2026. I think the smart move is to take gains in AMD stock, then invest them in Nvidia, as it's a far cheaper stock and, frankly, doing better as a business.

On its third quarter of 2026 earnings call, held on Oct. 13, 2026, Wells Fargo (WFC +1.35%) announced that diluted earnings per share increased 13% year-over-year to $1.87. Continuous operational efficiency enables the lender to reinvest cost savings into core growth areas while expanding profitability. Three key insights from management highlight how this execution supports long-term value.

1. Relentless Efficiency Drive Reduces Headcount for Six Straight YearsManagement keeps trimming non-revenue overhead to direct capital toward higher-returning units. Reducing staff every single quarter for six years gives the bank structural cost leverage over higher-cost competitors.

Headcount continued to decline, down 2% in the quarter, 8% year-over-year and down 30% from its second quarter 2020 peak and has decreased every quarter for the past 6 years.
-- Charles Scharf, Chief Executive Officer2. Targeted Banker Hiring Converts Business Clients Into High-Yield RelationshipsAdding specialized relationship managers in commercial and business banking expands primary deposit relationships and cross-selling. Paying for dedicated talent directly accelerates account expansion and higher-margin product uptake.

We've been investing in business banking, including adding over 130 business bankers over the past year. We are seeing the initial benefits in our results, including checking account openings up 9% and credit cards opening 61% from a year ago.
-- Charles Scharf, Chief Executive Officer3. Smart Balance Sheet Optimization Stabilizes Net Interest MarginsRefining institutional funding and netting structures expands earning efficiency across trading operations. Better balance sheet deployment protects net interest margin, which is the gap between what a bank earns on assets and pays on deposits, without requiring excessive risk-taking.

As we continue to grow the markets balance sheet on a gross basis, we are becoming increasingly more efficient in how we deploy it, and we made more progress this quarter than we originally anticipated.
-- Michael Santomassimo, Chief Financial OfficerLooking AheadReturn on tangible common equity (ROTCE), a key measure of how efficiently a bank generates profit from shareholder capital, is approaching target levels. Expanding commercial banking share, deepening client relationships, and harnessing artificial intelligence tools create durable structural advantages. Management is watching broader credit trends and macroeconomic swings while keeping risk limits tight.

Our progress toward building a growing high-returning company continues. Our ROTCE continues to increase and is getting closer to our 17% to 18% target.
-- Charles Scharf, Chief Executive OfficerDisciplined capital allocation and steady expense control anchor the lender's strategic momentum through changing interest rate cycles.

Though timing is influenced by markets and the credit environment, we are confident this trajectory can continue and ultimately, our targets should be higher.
-- Charles Scharf, Chief Executive OfficerWells Fargo is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

China's state-backed memory giant just flipped from billions in losses to a profit haul big enough to fund the factories that could end the AI chip boom Micron is banking on.

China’s largest memory chipmaker, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), told the Shanghai Stock Exchange on October 16, 2026, that it earned between $19.6 billion and $19.8 billion in net profit from January through September 2026. That works out to 131 billion to 132.5 billion yuan. The figures are preliminary and unaudited, so they are the company’s estimates until audited results confirm them.

In the same period of 2025, CXMT lost 5.3 billion yuan. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction) fell 5.63% to $878.84 that day. The whole chip sector sold off, so CXMT’s filing cannot be blamed for the drop on its own.

This creates a problem for Micron holders. CXMT’s profit shows the shortage is lifting every memory maker, but it also gives a state-backed rival the cash to build the new supply that usually ends memory booms.

What CXMT Put in Writing Revenue came in between 265 billion and 270 billion yuan, compared with 32.1 billion yuan a year earlier. That is more than an eightfold increase. CXMT gave three reasons: AI demand has squeezed the DRAM market (the main working memory in computers and servers) since the second half of 2025, the company added capacity, and it got more chips out of each silicon wafer.

Chairman Zhu Yiming proposed a buyback of 1 billion to 2 billion yuan over 12 months. So far, that is only a proposal, and no shares have been bought under it.

CXMT listed in Shanghai in July and jumped 466% on its first day. On October 16, shares rose 3.28% to 45.02 yuan, valuing the company at about 3.06 trillion yuan. You cannot buy CXMT on a US exchange, which makes Micron the US-listed stock most tied to this story.

How CXMT Measures Up Against Micron Micron earned $37.701 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter alone. That single quarter is more than CXMT’s nine-month total, and it came on full-year revenue of $133.19 billion.

US export controls limit China’s access to the most advanced chipmaking tools. Those tools matter most for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the stacked chips used in AI servers. Micron says it has completed deals for the “vast majority” of its calendar 2027 HBM supply. Its September 30, 2026 earnings call included no specific comment on Chinese competitors.

Signals That the Memory Cycle Is Turning Memory booms tend to follow the same path. Shortages push prices up, the profits pay for new factories, and the new supply eventually pulls prices back down. CXMT now has the cash for that second step.

Micron’s management argues the turn is still a long way off: “We do not have line of sight to when supply and demand will return to balance.” Keep in mind that a seller has every reason to say supply is tight. Still, Micron backs the claim with more than 75% of its 2027 output already committed.

Micron Metric Figure October 16 close $878.84 Past week -14.58% Year to date 208.16% Past year 334.44% 52-week high $1,255.00 Peers fell more than Micron on October 16. SK Hynix dropped 6.58%, and SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) lost 6.85%. The selloff left Micron’s market value at $994.34 billion, just under $1 trillion.

What Could Drive MU Stock From Here Micron’s share price has pulled back from its peak. The stock sits about 30% below its high, while the company guided fiscal first-quarter revenue to $61.5 billion ± $1.5 billion.

Micron’s long-term supply contracts with customers also set minimum prices for its chips. Its finance chief said, “Even at floor prices, we expect margins meaningfully above any prior cycle peak margins.”

Since CXMT trades only in Shanghai, Micron is still the US-listed company most exposed to this theme. SanDisk is more exposed to NAND storage, and it fell harder that day.

Two developments would weaken this outlook. The first is Micron’s next earnings report coming in below the bottom of that guidance range. The second is CXMT announcing a large capacity expansion alongside its audited full-year results.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Moderna isn't the only mRNA biotech stock that could deliver big gains for investors. BioNTech (BNTX -2.76%) has billions in cash on its books and a cancer treatment pipeline that could transform it from a COVID-19 vaccine maker into a major force in oncology.

With several promising therapies advancing through clinical trials, this biotech could already have the ingredients to fuel its next chapter of growth.

Image source: Getty Images.

The potential starts with its balance sheet.

BioNTech has plenty of cash to develop its candidates As of the end of the second quarter, the German biotech business had 16.6 billion euros in cash, cash equivalents, and securities on its balance sheet. That gives BioNTech significant financial flexibility to fund research, advance clinical trials, enter into partnerships, and develop new medicines for the market.

It also announced a share repurchase program of up to $1 billion. That's an encouraging sign that the company has strong operating cash flows that will allow it to fund that buyback while continuing to invest in its core business.

The bigger question, however, is what the company plans to do with the rest of the money.

Right now, its only commercialized product is Comirnaty, the COVID-19 vaccine that it developed and marketed in partnership with Pfizer. But BioNTech is working toward becoming a multiproduct company focused on oncology by 2030.

That shift could give investors exposure to a much broader business if its research pays off. Plus, unlike a cash-strapped biotech that must keep raising money to fund R&D, BioNTech can finance its development programs with resources already sitting on its balance sheet.

Indeed, what makes BioNTech interesting today is its combination of financial firepower and a pipeline moving beyond early-stage trials.

The cancer pipeline is becoming harder to ignore BioNTech's oncology strategy extends well beyond personalized mRNA cancer vaccines. The company is developing treatments across several categories, including immunomodulators, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and cancer immunotherapies.

This diversification matters because cancer is not one disease with one solution. Different tumor types respond differently to treatment, and even patients with the same type of cancer may need different approaches. Building a broader portfolio gives BioNTech more potential avenues to drive future revenue growth.

For example, BioNTech reported 14 ongoing pivotal clinical trials and more than 10 novel combination approaches across major tumor types. These phase 2/3 and phase 3 trials are especially important because they can provide the evidence needed to support regulatory applications. Positive results could move candidate drugs closer to commercialization, while negative results would help the company narrow down which candidates it's focusing on.

One of BioNTech's most closely watched candidates is pumitamig, a potential cancer treatment developed in collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb. The company reported encouraging results from a trial that combined the drug with chemotherapy as a treatment regimen for lung cancer.

On top of that, the commercial opportunity could extend well beyond lung cancer. BioNTech's ROSETTA development program includes seven pivotal trials evaluating pumitamig, covering multiple cancer types and treatment settings. It also initiated additional global trials in areas like breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer.

That growing pipeline is one of the strongest reasons to watch BioNTech closely, but valuation matters just as much.

Is BioNTech stock a buy at today's valuation? BNTX BioNTech Se$87.71-$2.49 (-2.76%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Wall Street is quite bullish on BioNTech. In fact, among the 20 analysts covering it, 13 rate the stock a strong buy, while the remainder rate it a hold. Their target prices imply potential upside of 5% to 64% over the next year, with an average implied gain of 39%.

On valuation, the stock trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 7, a level that could seem reasonable if the company successfully turns its pipeline into blockbuster drugs.

Of course, there are no guarantees in drug development. Clinical trials can fail, regulatory approvals can be delayed, and even if a company brings an effective treatment to market, competitors may develop treatments that outperform it.

At the same time, declining COVID-19 vaccine revenue and ongoing R&D spending could eat into BioNTech's cash reserves. These factors could weaken the bull case for the company.

Looking ahead, results from BioNTech's pivotal trials will provide fresh insights about whether its pipeline can deliver. If it does, BioNTech's massive cash reserves will give it plenty of dry powder to move beyond its COVID-19 business and fund its next phase of growth.

For long-term investors who are comfortable with the risks, a pipeline this deep and a cash cushion large enough to bring those candidates through the clinical trial process could make BioNTech worth considering.

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds persons or entities that: (a) sold shares of Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNB) (“D&B”) common stock in the open market from May 13, 2025 through August 26, 2025; (b) exchanged shares of D&B common stock into the August 26, 2025 merger of D&B with affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. for $9.15 per share in cash (the “Merger”); and/or (c) held shares of D&B common stock as of the May 9, 2025 Record Date for the special meeting of stockholders and whose shares were voted on, or entitled to vote on, the Merger, of the important November 10, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you sold Dun & Bradstreet common stock, held shares of D&B common stock on May 9, 2025, or exchanged shares of D&B common stock as a result of its merger, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Dun & Bradstreet class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/dun-bradstreet-holdings-inc/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 10, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: The lawsuit seeks to recover damages on behalf of investors that were damaged as a result of allegedly false and misleading statements and omissions of material facts in D&B’s March 23, 2025 announcement of the Merger and the May 13, 2025 definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy”). Among other things, the complaint alleges the Proxy and other solicitation materials misled investors regarding the true value of D&B and the subject transaction, including portraying the Merger as the product of an ordinary-course strategic review and organic arm’s-length interest in D&B, while omitting Executive Chairman Foley’s personal interest in a quick sale. The complaint also alleges the Proxy omitted Bank of America Securities’ valuations of superior alternatives to a whole-company sale, misstated that D&B’s Board of Directors had approved downward revisions to D&B’s financial projections and failed to disclose long-standing, material ties between Foley and D&B’s financial and legal advisors.

To join the Dun & Bradstreet class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/dun-bradstreet-holdings-inc/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

        Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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This week, Apple (AAPL +0.43%) unveiled its Apple Home Collection, which includes nine smart home accessories. The lineup is in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. Some accessories will be available starting in December, with the rest coming in early 2027. 

After seeing what is being offered, I think the thermostats, smart locks, and cameras are a natural progression for Apple. First, Apple's smart home products are being manufactured by its partners LG and Schneider. The user's iPhone controls all the devices within the Home app. This just makes the iPhone stickier and more difficult to switch away from.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The consumer relationship is deepened tremendously with these home accessories. The home camera's footage is even stored in the user's iCloud. This will give Apple another meaningful revenue stream with limited risk because of the outside manufacturing deal.

AAPL Apple$343.46+$1.46 (+0.43%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Wall Street was disappointed by Apple's conservative fourth-quarter growth guidance of 9% to 11%, but this new home lineup should give long-term investors another reason to remain bullish. This is also an important move for the new CEO, John Ternus, as he faces pressure to innovate and release new Apple products.

The Apple Home Collection will boost the company's Services revenue over the coming years and lock customers into its growing ecosystem. While the stock is at an all-time high and its market cap is hovering around $5 trillion, Apple is still one of the best technology investments available.

Catie Hogan has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple and Schneider Electric. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Microsoft (MSFT -1.93%) is among the big three cloud computing infrastructure providers and is always included in any list of AI hyperscalers. It's heavily pursuing a massive amount of AI computing power for its internal service, Copilot, while also powering other products like OpenAI's ChatGPT through its cloud computing platform, Azure.

To support this growth, Microsoft is investing heavily in data centers. This year alone, it expects its capital expenditures to hit $175 billion, with most of that going toward constructing and equipping data centers. That is leading to strong growth, but what if this growth is actually hurting its business?

While it may sound odd, Microsoft's business is actually being harmed by the heavy pursuit of its cloud computing empire. Here's why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Microsoft is spending big
At first, you may imagine that the reason that these capital expenditures are hurting Microsoft is that it could be spending that $175 billion in ways that generate a more direct return for shareholders, such as on share buybacks or dividends. But that's not what I'm talking about. In fact, I'm OK with Microsoft spending big on AI because it needs to evolve its business to adapt to the AI age or risk being left behind.

MSFT Microsoft$529.05-$10.39 (-1.93%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Moreover, Microsoft's spending is resulting in strong growth. Azure saw its revenue rise 43% during its latest quarter, passing a $100 billion annual run rate. Additionally, Copilot reached 30 million paid seats, indicating strong adoption of the proprietary AI platform. Overall, Microsoft's revenue rose 18% last quarter.

While that's impressive for a company that's as large as Microsoft, there's a major caveat.

Azure's operating margin likely isn't as good as the rest of Microsoft's business
Unfortunately for investors, Microsoft doesn't publicly break out detailed statistics for its individual segments, such as Azure's operating margins. However, Azure's chief competitors, Amazon Web Services (AWS) (AMZN -1.87%) and Google Cloud from Alphabet (GOOG -2.32%) (GOOGL -2.47%), freely share that information. It's unlikely that Microsoft Azure's margins are much different from theirs, since they operate using essentially the same business model. During the most recent quarter, Google Cloud's operating margin was 36% while AWS' was 39%. So, I think it's highly likely that Azure's operating margins are in the high-30% range.

The problem? Microsoft's operating margin as a whole is well above that range.

MSFT Operating Margin (TTM) data by YCharts.

So, what does this mean? The more Microsoft invests in its Azure cloud computing business, the more downward pressure this business unit will apply to Microsoft's overall operating margin picture. Investing $175 billion into AI computing capacity may sound like a smart idea, but it will fundamentally shift how Microsoft's operating picture looks five years from now.

Not all growth is created equal, and this lower-margin growth may cause its profits to grow more slowly than revenue.

However, all of this assumes that Azure's operating margins are in line with those of its industry peers, rather than a higher figure like 45%, which would be on par with its overall business. If this is the case, then all of this spending on data centers makes a lot of sense. But if its margins are similar to those of its peers, then it's hurting Microsoft's business.

Regardless, Microsoft needs to spend this money to keep up; otherwise, its cloud business could lose substantial ground to AWS, Google Cloud, and the other players investing heavily in new compute capacity. This puts Microsoft in a bit of a pickle, and it's why I prefer investing in Amazon and Alphabet instead. This could also help explain why No. 2 cloud player Microsoft is a bit more reserved in its spending, with $175 billion budgeted for capital expenditures this year versus No. 3 Alphabet's $200 billion or No. 1 Amazon's $220 billion.

While Microsoft is still a solid AI pick, AI won't have nearly as much of a positive impact on its business as it will on Alphabet and Amazon. I'd rather own those two.

When most of us think of Berkshire Hathaway, we rightfully think of Warren Buffett, who built the company -- and ran it for more than 60 years. But at age 96 now, Buffett has retired, putting a longtime lieutenant, Greg Abel, in charge.

Abel is making some moves of his own, but he -- and Berkshire shareholders -- are also benefiting from moves that Warren Buffett made long ago. Case in point: American Express (AXP -0.09%). Read on, to learn how Berkshire is collecting much more from American Express than it paid for it.

Image source: Getty Images.

Berkshire Hathaway has been an amazing stock performer for decades (especially a few decades ago), but American Express is no slouch, either:

American Express

Average Annual Gain

1 year

(2.97%)

3 years

28.33%

5 years

13.92%

10 years

18.56%

15 years

14.13%

Source: Morningstar.com, as of October 13, 2026.

Over more than 175 years, American Express has grown into a multifaceted financial services company, known most these days for its payment cards. But it also offers banking services, travel support, and payment and expense management tools for businesses. It's also home to a major global electronic transaction network.

Its second-quarter earnings report featured earnings per share (EPS) up 11% year over year, with revenue up 10%. Better still, the company reported card-member spending up, too, by 9%.

The company has long been a dividend payer, and it recently sported a 1.2% dividend yield. Add in the effect of stock buybacks, and the company's total yield is more like 4.7%.

AXP American Express$313.59-$0.28 (-0.09%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Berkshire's American Express Stake
In Berkshire Hathaway's last annual report, for 2025, Greg Abel explained that "a large portion of our [stock] portfolio is concentrated in a small number of American companies such as Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, and Moody's -- businesses we understand well, have a high regard for their leaders, and expect will compound over decades."

Berkshire bought into American Express over multiple years, ending in 1995. The total cost: $1.3 billion. In the 2025 letter, Abel notes that as of the end of 2025, Berkshire owned 22% of American Express, for a market value then of $56 billion. Most amazing, though, is that Berkshire collected a whopping $479 million in dividends from the company in 2025. At that rate, a mere three years of dividends would more than pay for the cost of the shares.

How is that possible when American Express's dividend yield was recently just 1.2%? Well, it's all because healthy and growing dividend payers tend to increase their payouts over time. American Express's recent total annual dividend payment was $3.54 per share, and that's up from $2.08 in 2022 and $1.22 in 2016.

American Express and you
What can you take from this story? Well, you might want to consider investing in American Express. Its shares actually look a bit undervalued, with a recent forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.3, a bit below the five-year average of 16.8.

Better still, consider looking into any well-priced, healthy and growing dividend payer -- aiming to hang on for years, if not decades. The power of holding on to growing dividends is abundantly clear from Berkshire Hathaway's long-term investment in American Express.

Oil prices, rising interest rates, and 24-year highs for 10-year Treasuries can certainly make investors get defensive. However, that doesn't mean you should exit stocks as quickly as possible. In fact, buying growth stocks when investors are fleeing in droves can lead to elevated long-term returns, if you buy the right stocks.

Although Micron Technology (MU -5.63%) has been battered in recent weeks and remains in the spotlight, it has become more attractive at current levels. Here's why I would buy Micron and hold it through a recession.

Image source: Getty Images.

Tech giants still have the capital and need for memory products
Recessions do not affect every person and business in the same way. Some enterprises can thrive in recessions, or at least maintain their market share, and Micron looks like one of them because of its large customer base.

For instance, Microsoft (MSFT -1.93%) is one of the many tech companies aggressively ramping up its AI infrastructure expenditures. The tech giant reported $35.8 billion in net income in its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter. It also had $76.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents.

That's the type of profile Micron's largest customers have. It's akin to the K-shaped economy, a phenomenon that involves high-net-worth individuals and households propping up the economy. The AI boom is supported by the companies with the deepest pockets, which offers built-in recession protection. It's not recession-proof, but Micron produces a vital product for the most innovative technology right now. Hyperscalers don't seem to care how much they have to pay for it.

MU Micron Technology$878.84-$52.40 (-5.63%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Micron expects a stronger fiscal 2027
It's no secret that Micron has been posting incredible financial results amid the AI boom, but it's easy to forget that type of success amid recession concerns. For starters, the chipmaker delivered 31% sequential revenue growth in its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter (379% year-over-year growth).

Micron also anticipates a stronger fiscal 2027, and that assertion is built on multi-year strategic agreements with large customers, not hype. Some of the recent pullback on Micron is based on a Chinese memory chipmaker saying that it has made significant progress in developing more efficient chips, but this reminds me of when DeepSeek caused an ill-guided AI stock meltdown in January 2025.

In other words, the China-fueled dip in Micron seems unjustified. The current result is a forward P/E ratio of 7, which makes it one of the most undervalued stocks in the entire market.

That absurd valuation won't last forever. A stronger fiscal 2027 and customers with deep pockets give Micron more insulation from a recession than the average stock.

Medtronic (MDT -0.73%) has raised its quarterly dividend for 49 consecutive years. This means the medical device and technology company is just one year away from earning Dividend King status, which is reserved for stocks with at least 50 years of consecutive annual dividend growth.

Last June, Medtronic raised its quarterly dividend to $0.72 per share, yielding an annualized dividend of $2.88 per share. With this in mind, how many shares would you need to own to generate $1,000 per year in annual dividend income?

Image source: Getty Images.

Medtronic and the math behind $1,000 in dividend income
Based on the annualized dividend of $2.88 per share, an investor would need to own roughly 348 shares of Medtronic. This position would generate $1,002.24 in annual dividend income. Based on Medtronic's current stock price, you would need about $32,792 to buy those 348 shares. Investing in Medtronic shares right now would yield around 3% annually.

MDT Medtronic$94.75-$0.70 (-0.73%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Although Medtronic's dividend increases lately have been modest, with a 1.4% increase this year and an average 2% increase over the past three years, there is potential for larger dividend increases in the years ahead.

MiniMed spinoff could change the growth story
Last March, Medtronic took MiniMed Group (MMED -2.83%), its lower-margin diabetes business, public. Just this week, the company completed its spinoff of MiniMed, via an exchange offer.

Post-spinoff, Medtronic can now focus more on its higher-margin cardiovascular, neuroscience, and surgical businesses. Moreover, with MiniMed trading at a higher earnings multiple, the spinoff points to steady earnings growth. Analyst estimates call for earnings growth of 8.1% and 7.1%, respectively, during the fiscal years ending January 2027 and January 2028.

With its forward payout ratio already at a reasonable 48%, upper-single-digit earnings growth could pave the way for larger dividend increases than in the recent past. Alongside the prospect of improved dividend growth, investors could also reward Medtronic, trading at the midrange of valuations among medical device stocks, with a higher valuation.

Defense companies are traditionally known for their resilience across a range of economic conditions. The main customer of Lockheed Martin (LMT +3.65%) and others is the U.S. government and its defense agencies, closely followed by the governments of U.S. allies. They are highly reliable payers, and demand for defense tends to remain stable across economic cycles.

As such, analyzing Lockheed Martin's backlog tells you a lot about where the company is heading, and it's good news.

Image source: Getty Images.

Lockheed Martin's current backlog stands at $230 billion, a figure nearly $37 billion higher than at the end of 2025. To put that figure into context, the midpoint of management's 2026 revenue guidance is $80.75 billion, so the backlog represents 2.8 times estimated 2026 revenue. It clearly implies strong growth ahead.

LMT Lockheed Martin$552.09+$19.45 (+3.65%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

I've broken out the backlog at the end of 2025 and the end of June. The table shows how the backlog increase is nearly entirely in the missiles and fire control (MFC) segment. This matters for two reasons, which I will outline below.

Segment

End of 2025 Backlog

End of June 2026 Backlog 

Operating Profit 2025

Operating Margin 2025

Aeronautics

$59.44 billion

$54.36 billion

$2.09 billion

6.9%

Missiles and Fire Control

$46.65 billion

$87.89 billion

$1.99 billion

13.8%

Rotary and Mission Systems

$47.72 billion

$48.45 billion

$1.32 billion

7.6%

Space

$39.82 billion

$39.72 billion

$1.36 billion

10.3%

Data source: Lockheed Martin presentations.

Why the increase in the missiles and fire control backlog matters
First, as the table indicates, the segment carries the highest profit margin for the company, and a relative increase in the backlog from MFC implies an improving backlog profit margin. Second, and arguably more importantly, it's worth noting that many defense companies, including Lockheed Martin, have suffered from delays, cost overruns, and multibillion-dollar charges on highly complex fixed-price development programs in recent years.

These issues led Lockheed's management to say at the start of 2024 that "we just are employing a lot more pricing discipline than we have more recently" regarding contracts.

That appears to be the case, because the increase in the MFC backlog has been driven by orders for mature systems where the main risk is manufacturing at scale rather than research and development. For example, the $35 billion award for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors in June and the $4.7 billion contract for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors.

Moreover, the $230 billion backlog figure doesn't include the $53.86 billion PAC-3 order made after the second quarter ended.

Lockheed Martin's backlog is a plus
Not only is the company's backlog improving, but it's arguably lower-risk than in previous years and potentially higher-margin, too. These factors help support the investment case for the stock.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE – Free Report) by 34.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 323,295 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 83,418 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.11% of Bloom Energy worth $89,546,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BE. Montanova Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Bloom Energy during the second quarter valued at $10,231,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Bloom Energy by 78.3% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,327,549 shares of the company’s stock valued at $401,849,000 after purchasing an additional 583,135 shares during the period. Militia Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Bloom Energy in the first quarter valued at $813,000. Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Bloom Energy in the first quarter valued at $8,468,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Bloom Energy by 28.7% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 365,975 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,586,000 after purchasing an additional 81,584 shares during the last quarter. 77.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have commented on BE shares. Clear Str upgraded Bloom Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Roth Capital restated a “neutral” rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Bloom Energy in a research report on Tuesday. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of Bloom Energy in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Bloom Energy from $229.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Bloom Energy in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $260.05.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Bloom Energy Key Headlines Impacting Bloom Energy Here are the key news stories impacting Bloom Energy this week:

Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target for Bloom Energy (BE) to $351 from $310 and maintained an “outperform” rating, signaling substantial potential upside if the company delivers on its AI-power growth opportunity. Benzinga report on Bloom Energy analyst activity Positive Sentiment: Truist lifted its price target to $240 from $218, although it retained a “hold” rating. Morgan Stanley also initiated or reiterated a “buy” view, providing additional institutional support. Morgan Stanley gives Bloom Energy a buy rating Positive Sentiment: Coverage continues to highlight Bloom’s solid-oxide fuel cells as a potential solution to electricity bottlenecks at AI data centers. The company’s Oracle-related AI-campus opportunity and projected 2026 revenue of $3.9 billion to $4.2 billion support the longer-term growth narrative. Bloom Energy Oracle AI campus coverage Neutral Sentiment: Bloom Energy’s $10,000 donations to firefighter and public-safety organizations in Texas and Florida enhance its community profile but are not expected to materially affect financial results or the stock. Bloom Energy supports Central Texas first responders Negative Sentiment: The recent AI-power rally is unwinding as investors question whether data-center construction and electricity demand can justify the sector’s valuations. Bloom has risen sharply this year, increasing profit-taking and pullback risk. Barron’s analysis of Bloom Energy’s decline Negative Sentiment: Bloom trades at a very demanding valuation, while coverage ahead of earnings says the company may lack the usual indicators associated with a likely earnings beat. Investors are focused on backlog, guidance and whether strong prior revenue growth can continue. Zacks earnings preview for Bloom Energy Insider Activity In related news, Director Jeffrey Immelt sold 30,000 shares of Bloom Energy stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.91, for a total value of $7,167,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 201,243 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,078,965.13. This trade represents a 12.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Satish Chitoori sold 2,870 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.06, for a total value of $775,072.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 202,494 shares in the company, valued at $54,685,529.64. This represents a 1.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 89,698 shares of company stock worth $21,780,758. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Bloom Energy Stock Down 6.2% BE opened at $221.61 on Friday. Bloom Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $75.70 and a twelve month high of $351.28. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $249.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $246.10. The stock has a market cap of $65.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 207.28, a PEG ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 3.77. The company has a quick ratio of 3.41, a current ratio of 4.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59.

Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.39. Bloom Energy had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The company had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $826.13 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.10 EPS. Bloom Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 165.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Bloom Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.850 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bloom Energy Corporation will post 2.04 earnings per share for the current year.

About Bloom Energy (Free Report)

Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE: BE) develops and manufactures energy-generation and hydrogen technologies. Its primary product is the Bloom Energy Server, a solid-oxide fuel cell system designed to produce electricity onsite from fuels such as natural gas, biogas and hydrogen. The company’s distributed-generation systems are intended to provide reliable, low-emission power for commercial and industrial facilities, data centers, utilities and other large energy users.

Bloom Energy also produces electrolyzers that use electricity to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Bloom Energy Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 3,768 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $594,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,303,889,000. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $485,436,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Hershey by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,395,644 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,141,000 after purchasing an additional 127,113 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Hershey by 1.7% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,210,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $251,706,000 after purchasing an additional 19,772 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in Hershey by 315.4% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,083,675 shares of the company’s stock valued at $225,285,000 after purchasing an additional 822,772 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently issued reports on HSY. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 25th. UBS Group set a $178.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson set a $190.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $193.00 to $183.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $199.44.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on HSY Hershey Trading Up 1.3% NYSE HSY opened at $170.90 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $156.16 and a twelve month high of $239.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.34 billion, a PE ratio of 23.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.10. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $172.93 and its 200 day moving average is $181.20.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a $1.4520 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey In related news, CFO Steven Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,195 shares in the company, valued at $9,043,150. This trade represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Hershey (Free Report)

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a global confectionery and snack food company headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the company began as a chocolate manufacturer and has grown into one of the largest producers of confectionery products in North America.

Hershey’s portfolio includes chocolate, candy, gum, mints, protein bars and salty snacks. Its well-known brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kisses, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Dot’s.

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ManpowerGroup NYSE: MAN triggered a 16% decline in its stock price when it released Q3 results, creating a solid entry point for long-term investors.

ManpowerGroup Today

MAN

ManpowerGroup

$41.48 -2.27 (-5.18%)

As of 10/16/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

$25.15▼

$63.883.47%

16.39

$51.88

The company is in the midst of turnaround efforts, revealed core strengths, and the “bad” news wasn’t exactly unexpected, merely poorly timed. Among the factors that impaired price action was the surprise revelation that a longtime insider and current Chief Strategy Officer would take over as CEO.

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The board has indicated the transition as a natural course of business, and Becky Frankiewicz is the logical choice to lead the next business phase. The news was poorly timed because it came alongside visible impacts of turnaround efforts, i.e., rising costs and a significant variance between GAAP and adjusted earnings. The critical detail is that the company is positioning itself for sustainable growth and wider margins, and will begin to see the positive impacts of cost-cutting, efficiency improvements, and higher-margin revenue streams next year.

ManpowerGroup Has a Capital Return Catalyst Waiting to Be UnleashedManpowerGroup is a cash flow machine, capable of sustaining a solid dividend and aggressive share buybacks. Although buybacks are effectively paused during the company's financial turnaround, they will likely resume at the prior pace within the next year or so. Historically, the count has declined by 3.5% to 4.5% annually, providing significant leverage for share prices and earnings growth.

The dividend offers a reason to buy. Cut in 2025 alongside the buyback, the payout yields 3.5% with shares near long-term lows and is on track for robust increases. The caveat is that dividend increases will be tied to margin improvements expected in the coming year, leaving the market in limbo as it waits for better news.

ManpowerGroup Grows in Q3, Margins WidenManpowerGroup didn’t have a bad Q3, just one with headwinds and uncertainty. Revenue rose to $4.8 billion, up 4.4% year over year (YOY), but fell short of consensus by a slim margin. Growth was supported by expansion across all segments, with 6% systemwide organic growth, currency-neutral.

Currency is a factor in the margin details, but not the only headwind, as restructuring costs also play a role. The key is that spotty weaknesses are improving, are offset by strengths, and systemwide results show progress. While gross margin contracted by 20 basis points, SG&A improved, leaving operating income up by 23.7%, GAAP net income up by 89%, and adjusted earnings per share at $1.01, up 24% YOY and as expected despite the top-line miss. The bad news is that earnings per share (EPS) fell short of expectations, fueling investor anxiety.

Q4 guidance is a headwind for price action, with the EPS forecast below consensus, but the same caveats apply: the company is investing in its future and positioning for better performance next year. The question isn’t so much about what the company is spending today as about the long-term impact on operations. Execs target $200 million in operational savings by 2028, bolstering the outlook for improved capital returns over the next two to three years.

Manpower’s Major Catalyst? Improved Hiring TrendsBusiness improvements are good despite hiring trends being as tepid as they are. Labor market data doesn’t reflect a downturn, but employers aren’t hiring robustly, merely holding on to the employees they have while they wait out rising oil prices, inflation, and interest rates. The International Monetary Fund estimates a broad-based acceleration in employment in mid-to-late 2027, driven by non-tech, cyclical industries and the effects of this year’s balance sheet strengthening.

Analyst trends reflect a cautious stance, with only nine analysts tracked and the consensus rating at Hold. However, no Sell ratings are logged.

Institutions reflect a high degree of confidence, owning more than 98% of the shares and buying in late 2026. They underpin the stock price bottom seen in the charts and are likely to buy the dip in Q4, given the deep discount and potential for turnaround efforts to gain traction in upcoming quarters.

This year’s catalysts include platform upgrades, technological advancements, and shifts toward higher-margin business. The company is integrating AI and agentic tools into its platform, while also focusing on more specialized talent. Experis connects employers with in-demand IT employees while Talent Solutions provides end-to-end, data-driven strategies across the employee cycle.

What the market gets wrong today is thinking economic headwinds and staffing headwinds will last forever. In this scenario, the market is pricing the stock as if there is no recovery ahead, pushing it to 19x earnings, a 50% discount to cyclical highs.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. bought a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 9,174 shares of the medical research company’s stock, valued at approximately $792,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences during the 2nd quarter worth $5,318,092,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,274,082,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the second quarter valued at about $605,397,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the second quarter valued at about $516,552,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 0.6% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,488,643 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $496,503,000 after purchasing an additional 30,495 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.46% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity In other news, VP Daniel Lippis sold 619 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.03, for a total transaction of $56,966.57. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 40,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,684,329.02. This trade represents a 1.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Andrew M. Dahl sold 544 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.06, for a total transaction of $49,536.64. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,868 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,353,880.08. This trade represents a 3.53% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 5,045 shares of company stock worth $451,596. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have commented on EW. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research note on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Edwards Lifesciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.27. View Our Latest Analysis on Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences Price Performance EW opened at $86.52 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $88.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $86.33. The firm has a market cap of $49.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.72, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has a twelve month low of $72.67 and a twelve month high of $96.29. The company has a current ratio of 4.52, a quick ratio of 3.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.04. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 15.43% and a return on equity of 15.68%. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Edwards Lifesciences has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.770 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Edwards Lifesciences Corporation will post 3.00 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Edwards Lifesciences Profile (Free Report)

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation is a medical technology company focused on therapies for structural heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. The company develops and manufactures heart valve replacement and repair technologies, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement systems, surgical heart valves, transcatheter mitral and tricuspid therapies, and related delivery systems and accessories.

Founded in 1958 by engineer Miles “Lowell” Edwards, the company helped pioneer artificial heart valves and has played a significant role in the development of transcatheter valve replacement.

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Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in shares of Semtech Corporation (NASDAQ:SMTC – Free Report) by 56.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 546,422 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after purchasing an additional 196,734 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.59% of Semtech worth $97,454,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Leonteq Securities AG increased its stake in shares of Semtech by 11.2% during the first quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 1,171 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its stake in Semtech by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 3,147 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $515,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. ABS Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Semtech during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $178,035,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC grew its holdings in Semtech by 900.0% during the 2nd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 200 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Semtech during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently commented on SMTC. New Street Research set a $230.00 target price on shares of Semtech in a report on Thursday, August 20th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Semtech in a report on Friday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Semtech in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Semtech from $225.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Semtech in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $213.11.

View Our Latest Analysis on SMTC Insider Transactions at Semtech In other Semtech news, Director Rodolpho C. Cardenuto sold 5,321 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total transaction of $877,965.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jason Elliot Green sold 2,766 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.35, for a total transaction of $526,508.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,367 shares in the company, valued at $1,402,308.45. This represents a 27.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 13,737 shares of company stock worth $2,267,877. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

Semtech Trading Down 5.2% NASDAQ:SMTC opened at $136.73 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $156.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.21. Semtech Corporation has a one year low of $60.28 and a one year high of $201.99. The firm has a market cap of $12.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 90.55 and a beta of 2.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.70.

Semtech (NASDAQ:SMTC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $341.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $328.67 million. Semtech had a net margin of 13.11% and a return on equity of 21.74%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 32.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.41 earnings per share. Semtech has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 1.020-1.080 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Semtech Corporation will post 2.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Semtech News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Semtech this week:

Positive Sentiment: Semtech raised its near-term Q3 guidance and presented a longer-term outlook through 2030, helping support a recovery in the stock. Northland Securities upgraded SMTC from “market perform” to “outperform” and set a $186 price target. Semtech rises as it boosts Q3 guidance, offers up 2030 outlook; Northland upgrades Positive Sentiment: The company expects data-center revenue to more than double in fiscal 2028 and 2029. Baird reaffirmed its “outperform” rating and $300 target, citing record bookings and strong two-year visibility from demand for copper, fiber and optical connectivity used in AI infrastructure. Semtech eyes data center revenue surge as AI infrastructure spending grows Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen maintained a “buy” rating with a $215 price target, while BMO raised its target to $230. These targets indicate analysts see substantial upside if Semtech delivers on its data-center growth plans. Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased approximately 6,179 SMTC call options, about 43% above average daily volume, signaling increased speculative interest in a rebound. Neutral Sentiment: Stifel lowered its price target from $220 to $200 but retained a “buy” rating, suggesting valuation or execution concerns while preserving a positive long-term view. Semtech Stock Rebounds as Wall Street Turns Focus to Near-Term Earnings Targets Negative Sentiment: Despite the improved outlook, some investors viewed SMTC as expensive after its roughly eightfold run over the past year. That valuation concern likely contributed to selling pressure around analyst day and could limit further gains unless earnings growth accelerates. Semtech Stock Looks Expensive After Its 8x Run Semtech Company Profile (Free Report)

Semtech Corporation is a global semiconductor and technology company that designs and supplies analog and mixed-signal products for communications, industrial, automotive, consumer, and infrastructure applications. Its solutions are used to manage, protect, connect, and transmit data in electronic systems.

The company’s portfolio includes signal-integrity products, protection devices, power-management components, optical and high-speed connectivity solutions, and video-processing technologies.

Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Semtech Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SMTC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Semtech Corporation (NASDAQ:SMTC – Free Report).

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Barbara Oil Co. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 23,220 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $8,702,000. Microsoft comprises about 2.9% of Barbara Oil Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at about $60,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 34.2% during the 2nd quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. 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: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Insider Activity at Microsoft In related 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 transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock valued at $75,404,992. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group raised their target price on Microsoft from $525.00 to $675.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley lowered Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. William Blair began coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Monday, October 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Forty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $589.71.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on MSFT

Microsoft Stock Performance NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $505.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $440.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. 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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out? 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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Clarion Wealth Managment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 4,249 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $1,585,000. Microsoft comprises about 1.3% of Clarion Wealth Managment Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its position in Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,073,486,000 after purchasing an additional 60,009,531 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake 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 last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Microsoft by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,852,884,000 after buying an additional 2,784,809 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of Microsoft by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,715,379,000 after buying an additional 1,599,412 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted 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 worth $8,982,083,000 after buying an additional 9,493,778 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’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 owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 150,314 shares of company stock valued at $75,404,992 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on Microsoft from $600.00 to $636.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus raised Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $530.00 to $575.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday, October 5th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Forty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $589.71.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT

Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT stock opened at $529.05 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $505.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $440.59. The stock has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The company 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 EPS. Microsoft’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. 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 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.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd purchased a new stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 665,910 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $248,398,000. Microsoft comprises about 1.1% of Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.7% during the second quarter. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,473 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $549,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Friedenthal Financial raised its stake in Microsoft by 6.2% during the 1st 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 last quarter. Sequent Planning LLC raised its stake in Microsoft by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Sequent Planning LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,382,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC now owns 687 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $256,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC now owns 5,543 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,052,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 28th. BNP Paribas Exane downgraded Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, October 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Melius Research set a $665.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Tigress Financial upped their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Forty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $589.71.

Check Out Our Latest Report on MSFT Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $505.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $440.59. The company has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.46, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its 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. The company 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%. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.65 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS 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 an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.27%.

Key Microsoft News Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Microsoft news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total 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. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 150,314 shares of company stock valued at $75,404,992. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Microsoft Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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.

Elefante Mark B purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 21,836 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $8,145,000. Microsoft accounts for about 3.5% of Elefante Mark B’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth $35,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter worth $37,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% in the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $60,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 34.2% during the second quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Stock Down 1.9%
Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average is $505.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $440.59. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to 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% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.

More Microsoft News
Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper
Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins.
Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip
Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
MSFT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $525.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $600.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Evercore upgraded shares of Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Microsoft from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $589.71.

Read Our Latest Report on MSFT

Insider Activity
In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction 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 $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Microsoft Profile
(Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

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AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff?
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Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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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Biondo Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 45,559 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $16,994,000. Microsoft accounts for about 2.1% of Biondo Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its holdings in Microsoft by 56,160.8% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 30.8% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,426,862,000 after buying an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 10.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $10,852,884,000 after buying an additional 2,784,809 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,715,379,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599,412 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position 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 valued at $8,982,083,000 after acquiring an additional 9,493,778 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $640.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $600.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. Phillip Securities downgraded Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Barclays lifted their target price on Microsoft from $512.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Forty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $589.71.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Microsoft Microsoft News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Insider Activity at Microsoft In related news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Price Performance Microsoft stock opened at $529.05 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $505.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $440.59. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion 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 revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.

About Microsoft (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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.

Capital Square LLC purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 5,284 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $2,035,000.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its stake in Microsoft by 56,160.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Amundi grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $15,426,862,000 after buying an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position 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 buying an additional 2,784,809 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,715,379,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599,412 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 64.3% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,982,083,000 after acquiring an additional 9,493,778 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the 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 approximately $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week: Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Microsoft Stock Down 1.9% MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $553.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.23. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $505.53 and a 200-day moving average of $440.59. The company has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MSFT. Argus cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Microsoft from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $530.00 to $575.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Forty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $589.71.

View Our Latest Research Report on MSFT

Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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.

Covington Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 85,141 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $31,759,000. Microsoft makes up about 4.1% of Covington Investment Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Biondo Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $16,994,000. Palidye Holdings Caymans Ltd bought a new position in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth about $115,071,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd bought a new position in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth about $248,398,000. Barbara Oil Co. bought a new position in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth about $8,702,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at about $12,339,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling In other Microsoft 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 transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 7,305 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total transaction of $3,984,293.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 555,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $302,924,086.32. This represents a 1.30% 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 150,314 shares of company stock valued at $75,404,992. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Stock Down 1.9% Shares of MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $505.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $440.59. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. The company has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.46, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.

Key Stories Impacting Microsoft Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Phillip Securities downgraded Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Tigress Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Microsoft from $525.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Microsoft from $512.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Forty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $589.71.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Microsoft

Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out?

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.

Ford Motor Company (F +0.97%) is one of America's oldest industrial names. Henry Ford, who founded the business in 1903, perfected the moving assembly line. This enabled mass production of his first automobile, the Model T.

The company has evolved, and now it operates three key segments. Ford Blue sells gas and hybrid vehicles. Ford Pro serves commercial customers. And Ford Model e is the electric vehicle (EV) division.

The automotive stock has been volatile. And it has traded down 6% in 2026 (as of Oct. 15). Now under $15 per share, is it time you add Ford to your portfolio?

This is a historic business. But here's why investors should pump the brakes.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Executives misallocated shareholder capital
Ford was burning money for years within its EV segment. Operating losses totaled almost $15 billion from the start of 2023 through the end of 2025.

Industry EV demand was trending weaker than anticipated in the U.S. Even Tesla, the disruptor that popularized premium EVs globally, has felt the pain in recent years. Its automotive sales were a reported $20.5 billion in Q2 (ended June 30). That is essentially flat compared to Q4 2022.

Last December, Ford recorded a material charge related to its EV reset. "As a result, Ford expects to record about $19.5 billion in special items, the majority in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the remainder in 2026 and 2027," the December 2025 press release read. "As part of these special items, the company expects approximately $5.5 billion in cash effects, with the majority paid in 2026 and the remainder in 2027."

This charge hit the financial statements in different ways. There were asset impairments and write-downs in the Model e segment. Ford ended its battery joint venture with SK On, which was a $6 billion hit to operating income. And there were billions in restructuring expenses.

Ford's management deserves some credit for making the tough decision to cut its losses and scale back its EV ambitions. The goal was to align the business in the best way possible for future success. And to add to the positive tone, legacy peers have also had to restructure their EV operations. So, this wasn't just a Ford problem.

However, investors are right to view this as a gigantic waste of capital. That $19.5 billion amounts to 40% of the company's entire market capitalization.

F Ford Motor Company$12.43+$0.12 (+0.97%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

This is a brutal industry
Of course, Ford's leadership team didn't act with malicious intent. It's not like they woke up one day and decided to direct capital on wasteful projects. They surely believed that EVs were going to rapidly take market share for a very long time. And they tried to position the company to capture what they thought was a sizable opportunity.

But the EV strategic pivot, and resulting financial misstep, highlights how brutal the mass-market auto industry can be. It's accurate to say that Ford is a low-quality and risky business to own. It must constantly spend huge sums on capital expenditures just to maintain its competitive position. During the three-year period from 2015 to 2018, at a time of low 72-month auto loan rates, its capex totaled over $21 billion. However, net income was cut in half from 2015 to 2018.

And when it does try to go on the offensive, as it attempted with the Model e segment, it has to accurately predict which way the market is going. That's a multiyear and multibillion-dollar endeavor. When it doesn't work out, it's a costly mistake.

The valuation is cheap right now, if that means anything. The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 7. And for what it's worth, Ford is repurposing some of those EV assets to capture strong AI-related battery demand. At scale, this isn't going to drive meaningful profit, though.

Even under $15 per share, Ford is best avoided.

AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE – Free Report) by 809.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 43,563 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,774 shares during the quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc’s holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise were worth $2,749,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HPE. Elliott Investment Management L.P. raised its holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 47.2% in the 1st quarter. Elliott Investment Management L.P. now owns 27,421,735 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $652,912,000 after acquiring an additional 8,790,757 shares during the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise during the second quarter worth about $1,027,139,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 2nd quarter worth about $773,225,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 13,088,774 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $590,435,000 after buying an additional 756,972 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise during the second quarter worth approximately $512,721,000. 80.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Antonio F. Neri sold 250,000 shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise stock in a transaction on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.31, for a total value of $17,077,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,182,393 shares in the company, valued at $80,769,265.83. This trade represents a 17.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Gary Reiner sold 17,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.91, for a total transaction of $967,470.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 65,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,703,247.52. The trade was a 20.71% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 551,456 shares of company stock valued at $35,271,258. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Hewlett Packard Enterprise this week: Positive Sentiment: HPE announced a planned $75 million expansion in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, expected to create 75 jobs. The investment supports the company’s manufacturing and infrastructure operations, although its near-term effect on earnings is likely limited. HPE to spend $75M to expand, add 75 jobs in Chippewa Falls Positive Sentiment: Some investors remain constructive because HPE has reported record revenue, orders and backlog, while demand for traditional servers, AI systems and networking—and higher server prices—has supported recent results. HPE stock was also reported to be up substantially for the year before the latest retreat. What Was HPE Telling You Before Its Stock Ran? Neutral Sentiment: ETF selling added to short-term pressure, while some dip buyers are betting that HPE can convert its AI and server orders into revenue. However, the recent decline has raised questions about whether earlier dip-buying strategies will continue to work. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Negative Sentiment: Barclays downgraded HPE to Equal Weight from Overweight and lowered its price target to $77 from $83. The firm questioned how quickly corporate customers will adopt AI hardware and suggested that memory-component inflation, rather than new AI deployments, may be driving server revenue growth. Why Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Is Trading Lower Today Negative Sentiment: Concerns over how customers will finance large AI infrastructure projects have spread across hardware stocks, including HPE, Dell and Super Micro. The resulting sector-wide selling, combined with scrutiny of HPE’s server revenue quality and adoption timeline, drove a roughly 20% decline between October 9 and October 15. AI Financing Worries Extend Hardware Selloff Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $65.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $74.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.44.

View Our Latest Research Report on HPE

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Trading Down 5.6% Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise stock opened at $55.32 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $59.34 and its 200 day moving average is $46.33. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company has a 1 year low of $19.84 and a 1 year high of $73.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.44 billion, a PE ratio of 28.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, September 2nd. The technology company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.18. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 15.50%. The business had revenue of $12.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.44 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.750-3.850 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were given a dividend of $0.1425 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. This represents a $0.57 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.69%.

(Free Report)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) is a global technology company that provides information technology products, services and solutions for businesses, governments and other organizations. Its offerings are designed to help customers build, manage and secure data center, cloud and edge-computing environments.

HPE’s portfolio includes enterprise servers, high-performance computing systems, data storage, networking equipment, software and technology consulting services. The company also provides hybrid cloud and as-a-service solutions through HPE GreenLake, allowing customers to access and manage computing, storage, data protection and other IT capabilities through a flexible consumption model.

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