68,695 Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Acquired by Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI

Key Points

• Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its Microsoft position by 8.9%, acquiring 68,695 shares to own 838,500 shares valued at approximately $312.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 71.13% of Microsoft.
• Microsoft reported strong quarterly results, with revenue rising 17.7% year over year to $90.01 billion and EPS of $4.74, exceeding analyst expectations. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $578.73.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98 per share, or $3.92 annually, while investors continue to weigh AI growth opportunities against concerns about heavy infrastructure spending, leverage and limited Copilot usage.

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 8.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 838,500 shares of the software giant's stock after acquiring an additional 68,695 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 6.2% of Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's holdings in Microsoft were worth $312,777,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position 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 worth $29,073,486,000 after acquiring an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Amundi raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% during the first 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 lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 10.5% in the first 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 period. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,138,798 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $10,715,379,000 after buying an additional 1,599,412 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Microsoft by 64.3% during the first 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. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The company has a 50-day moving average of $498.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $433.03. The company has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The business had revenue of $90.01 billion for 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%. Microsoft's revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Microsoft's previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on MSFT shares. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 price objective on Microsoft in a report on Monday, September 21st. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley cut Microsoft from an "overweight" rating to a "negative" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $578.73.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip
• Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635
• Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats.
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date
• Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like.
• Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot

Insider Transactions at Microsoft

In other news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699 over the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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