3,386 Shares in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Acquired by Chatterton & Associates Inc.

Key Points

• Chatterton & Associates Inc. initiated a position in Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) during Q4, purchasing 3,386 shares worth about $1.64 million, which equals roughly 1.4% of its portfolio and is its 28th-largest holding.
• Operational catalysts support growth: a Fairwater AI data center in Wisconsin came online ahead of schedule and Microsoft has landed large enterprise and government AI deals (e.g., Stellantis partnership, CFTC adoption of Copilot), bolstering Azure AI revenue prospects ahead of fiscal Q3 results on April 29.
• Insider activity was mixed—Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares at about $397.35 while EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares at about $409.52—and analysts still show a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target near $577.58.

Chatterton & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,386 shares of the software giant's stock, valued at approximately $1,638,000. Microsoft accounts for about 1.4% of Chatterton & Associates Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MSFT. IRON Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. IRON Financial LLC now owns 6,510 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $3,372,000 after purchasing an additional 1,225 shares during the last quarter. PMG Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $828,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 70,175 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $36,347,000 after purchasing an additional 1,572 shares during the last quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 14.0% in the 3rd quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC now owns 18,340 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $9,499,000 after purchasing an additional 2,247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 949,901 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $493,860,000 after purchasing an additional 9,700 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fairwater AI data center in Wisconsin went live ahead of schedule, a tangible execution win that eases near‑term capacity concerns and signals Microsoft is accelerating AI infrastructure deployment — a direct positive for Azure AI revenue prospects. Microsoft stock jumps as AI data center goes live
• Positive Sentiment: Large enterprise partnerships and marketplace integrations broaden Azure adoption: Stellantis signed a five‑year AI/cloud deal and Expert.ai’s EidenAI Suite is now on Azure Marketplace — both expand addressable enterprise demand for Microsoft’s cloud + Copilot stack. Stellantis, Microsoft sign five-year partnership Expert.ai and Microsoft Italy announce collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Government and regulatory adoption — the CFTC is using Microsoft Copilot/AI tools for surveillance, a sign that public‑sector adoption of Microsoft AI products is rising and provides a durable revenue cohort. CFTC Uses Microsoft AI Tools
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst moves are mixed: TD Cowen lowered its price target to $540 but kept a Buy rating (maintains bullish long‑term view despite trimming upside), while other firms have grown cautious — watch revisions for near‑term momentum. TD Cowen price target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/earnings calendar: investors are watching fiscal Q3 results (Apr 29) for signs AI spend is translating into accelerating Azure revenue and Copilot monetization; near‑term volatility could persist into the print. Microsoft eyes AI execution, Azure growth
• Negative Sentiment: Industry capacity risk: Financial Times reports delays on a sizeable share of U.S. data‑center builds (affecting multiple players), underscoring supply‑chain and permitting risks that could constrain AI rollout timing and margin recovery. Data centre delays threaten to choke AI expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary and downside scenarios remain: some analysts and opinion pieces argue MSFT still faces near‑term growth/valuation risks (including calls for deeper corrections), so rallies could be met with profit‑taking until clearer proof of AI monetization appears. Microsoft: Don't Buy The Dip

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John W. Stanton acquired 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $5,045,695.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares of the company's stock, valued at $56,486,322.16. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MSFT. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $575.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $650.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $577.58.

Microsoft Price Performance

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $422.79 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $355.67 and a 52-week high of $555.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.14 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $391.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $454.04.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.86 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $81.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.28 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 32.34% and a net margin of 39.04%.Microsoft's revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.23 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Microsoft's payout ratio is 22.76%.

About Microsoft

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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