2,607 Shares in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Purchased by FORM Wealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• FORM Wealth Advisors LLC opened a new position in Microsoft, buying 2,607 shares valued at about $1.26 million. The stake makes Microsoft its 25th-largest holding and roughly 0.1% of its portfolio.
• Microsoft continues to attract attention from major investors and analysts, with Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square recently disclosing a large stake and citing valuation, Azure, Microsoft 365, and AI as key drivers. Wall Street sentiment remains bullish overall, with 39 Buy ratings and an average Moderate Buy rating.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share. However, investors are watching potential headwinds such as a UK antitrust probe and job cuts at LinkedIn.

FORM Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,607 shares of the software giant's stock, valued at approximately $1,261,000. Microsoft makes up approximately 0.1% of FORM Wealth Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 51.3% during the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Microsoft during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft during the third quarter worth about $49,000. University of Illinois Foundation purchased a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter worth about $50,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares in the company, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bill Ackman revealed a new multi-billion-dollar stake in Microsoft (MSFT), saying the company looks attractively valued and highlighting Azure, Microsoft 365, and AI as key growth drivers. Reuters: Ackman's Pershing Square takes stake in Microsoft, citing 'compelling' valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continued to argue that Microsoft’s AI infrastructure, Azure growth, and OpenAI exposure could support further upside, with some seeing the stock’s weaker recent performance as a buying opportunity. TipRanks: Microsoft Buy Rating Reiterated as AI and Cloud Momentum Builds
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft also announced a board addition, appointing former EY chief Carmine Di Sibio to its board of directors, which is a governance update but not an immediate operating catalyst. PR Newswire: Microsoft announces appointment of Carmine Di Sibio to board of directors
• Negative Sentiment: The UK opened an antitrust probe into Microsoft’s business software and cloud practices, creating a potential regulatory overhang for the stock. Reuters: UK opens antitrust probe into Microsoft's business software
• Negative Sentiment: LinkedIn, a Microsoft-owned unit, announced 5% workforce cuts, reinforcing that the company is still trimming costs even as it ramps AI spending. Reuters: LinkedIn to lay off 5% of workforce amid tech industry cuts

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MSFT shares. Daiwa Securities Group cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $550.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $675.00 to $575.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, May 4th. Thirty-nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $560.88.

Microsoft Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $421.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market cap of $3.13 trillion, a PE ratio of 25.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $398.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $441.39. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $356.28 and a 1-year high of $555.45.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The software giant reported $4.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.06 by $0.21. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.34% and a return on equity of 31.94%. The firm had revenue of $82.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $81.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.46 earnings per share. Microsoft's revenue was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.76 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.67%.

Microsoft Company Profile

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft develops, licenses and supports a broad range of software products, services and devices for consumers, enterprises and governments worldwide. Its operations span personal computing, productivity software, cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications, developer tools and gaming.

Microsoft's product portfolio includes the Windows operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity and collaboration tools (Office apps, Outlook, Teams).

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