Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Stock Sale Reported by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

Key Points

• Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse reported selling $1,001–$15,000 of Microsoft shares on October 15.
• Microsoft beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue up 18.8% year over year; it also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98 per share from $0.91.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $609.54.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic-Rhode Island) recently sold part of their stake in Microsoft Corporation NASDAQ: MSFT. In a filing disclosed on November 2nd, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Microsoft stock on October 15th.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $15,001 - $50,000 in shares of Amgen NASDAQ: AMGN on 10/15/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Analog Devices NASDAQ: ADI on 9/4/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Visa NYSE: V on 9/4/2026.
• Sold $15,001 - $50,000 in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. NYSE: JPM on 9/4/2026.
• Sold $15,001 - $50,000 in shares of NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA on 8/13/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA on 8/13/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Lam Research NASDAQ: LRCX on 8/13/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Amgen NASDAQ: AMGN on 8/12/2026.

Microsoft Trading Up 2.7%

Microsoft stock opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.87 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $551.15. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $514.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $438.92.

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

Microsoft Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Microsoft

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Frankly Finances LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $37,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Fiduciary Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. The trade was a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024 in the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MSFT shares. Yorkville Ives initiated coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday, October 5th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $615.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets set a $610.00 price target on Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. KeyCorp set a $625.00 target price on Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $586.00 to $595.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $550.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $609.54.

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031. Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Microsoft Company Profile

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

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

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