Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Stock Sale Revealed by Rep. Michael A. Rulli

Key Points

• Rep. Michael A. Rulli sold $1,001–$15,000 of Microsoft shares on September 28 from a Merrill Lynch managed account, following several other purchases and sales in technology, financial and real estate stocks.
• Microsoft reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and EPS of $4.74 beating estimates. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98, or $3.92 annually.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: Microsoft has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $578.73, supported by optimism around Azure, AI and Copilot, although investors continue to monitor infrastructure spending, AI execution and talent-retention risks.

Representative Michael A. Rulli (Republican-Ohio) recently sold shares of Microsoft Corporation NASDAQ: MSFT. In a filing disclosed on October 2nd, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Microsoft stock on September 28th. The trade occurred in the Representative's "MERRILL LYNCH SIMPLE MANAGED ACCOUNT" account.

Representative Michael A. Rulli also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Wells Fargo & Company NYSE: WFC on 9/3/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group NYSE: GS on 9/3/2026.
• Sold $50,001 - $100,000 in shares of Alphabet NASDAQ: GOOGL on 8/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Allstate NYSE: ALL on 8/12/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Equinix NASDAQ: EQIX on 8/7/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Crown Castle NYSE: CCI on 8/6/2026.

Microsoft Stock Up 1.5%

NASDAQ MSFT opened at $525.18 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market cap of $3.90 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.24, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a 50 day moving average of $492.81 and a 200-day moving average of $431.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company's revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft's previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.27%.

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $665. The firm said rising corporate concerns about AI risks could increase demand for Microsoft’s security, governance and compliance products, while positioning Azure as a relatively dependable way to participate in the AI trend. Microsoft stock rises as Melius upgrades to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength also supported MSFT. The Nasdaq reached a record as megacap technology stocks rallied on optimism about earnings growth, with Microsoft among the sector leaders. Expectations for strong technology-sector profits continue to support investor appetite for the shares. Nasdaq hits record as megacap gains offset elevated Treasury yields
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft continues expanding Copilot’s enterprise usefulness. Wood Mackenzie connected its proprietary energy data and analytics to Microsoft Copilot through a new Model Context Protocol connector, providing another example of specialized business content being integrated into Microsoft’s AI ecosystem. Wood Mackenzie connects energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot
• Positive Sentiment: Upcoming Xbox and Xbox Game Pass releases provided a smaller consumer-business catalyst. New game launches may support engagement and subscription activity, although the impact is likely less significant than Azure and AI developments. Microsoft stock rises ahead of new Xbox game releases
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft and Meta reportedly encouraged employees to reduce their use of Anthropic’s Claude in favor of internal AI tools. The move could lower Microsoft’s external AI expenses and strengthen Copilot adoption, but it also indicates ongoing competition and uncertainty over which AI models will deliver the best economics. Microsoft and Meta steer staff from Anthropic Claude to in-house AI
• Negative Sentiment: Amazon hired longtime Microsoft AI executive Pedram Rezaei, formerly associated with Copilot. The departure could raise concerns about retaining senior AI talent as cloud and software rivals intensify their competition. Amazon hires a Microsoft AI leader
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on execution risks. Microsoft’s large backlog offers revenue visibility, but the timing of recognition, infrastructure spending and cash conversion could limit near-term benefits. Questions also remain about whether Copilot can become a breakout AI application. How much revenue visibility does Microsoft’s backlog provide?

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Microsoft

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,338,370,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased 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 valued at $29,073,486,000 after acquiring an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $18,306,443,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at $6,928,664,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at $5,653,812,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America increased their target price on Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. UBS Group cut shares of Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday. William Blair began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $550.00 to $610.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Forty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $578.73.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

About Representative Rulli

Michael Rulli (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Ohio's 6th Congressional District. He assumed office on June 25, 2024. His current term ends on January 3, 2027. Rulli (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 6th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election. Michael Rulli graduated from Poland Seminary High School. He earned a degree from Emerson College. Rulli's career experience includes working as the director of operations with Rulli Bros. Markets.

About Microsoft

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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