Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. Buys 68,582 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Key Points

• Bouchey Financial Group increased its Microsoft stake by 480.1% in the second quarter, buying 68,582 shares to bring its holdings to 82,867 shares, valued at about $30.9 million.
• Microsoft reported quarterly revenue of $92.28 billion and EPS of $4.89, beating analyst estimates; revenue grew 18.8% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend from $0.91 to $0.98 per share.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $609.54; views include 45 Buy and four Hold ratings, alongside one Strong Buy.

Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 480.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 82,867 shares of the software giant's stock after purchasing an additional 68,582 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 2.0% of Bouchey Financial Group Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $30,911,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $27,338,370,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 64,375,360 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $24,013,297,000 after purchasing an additional 543,172 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $18,306,443,000. Amundi grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 46,694,778 shares of the software giant's stock worth $17,418,076,000 after purchasing an additional 5,019,702 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant's stock worth $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on MSFT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $600.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Microsoft from $662.00 to $722.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Griffin Securities cut Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $650.00 target price (up from $610.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, CLSA reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $609.54.

Microsoft Trading Up 6.7%

NASDAQ MSFT opened at $555.80 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $559.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market cap of $4.13 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.01, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.05. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $515.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $439.42.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.72 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $92.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.28% and a net margin of 41.17%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.13 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft's previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Microsoft's payout ratio is presently 19.00%.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cloud and AI results supported the rally. Microsoft’s fiscal first-quarter revenue rose 19% year over year to $92.28 billion, beating estimates, while Azure growth accelerated and AI adoption continued to expand. Reports also highlighted a $677 billion commercial backlog as evidence of future demand. Article: MSFT Q1 Earnings Call Highlights Azure Growth and AI Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Broader market strength lifted mega-cap technology shares. Microsoft joined a post-election rebound as investors rotated back into AI leaders; the company also reached a record high during the session. Article: Microsoft Stock Hits Record High as Midterm Results Boost AI Infrastructure Bets
• Positive Sentiment: New analytics tools target AI-assisted shopping. Microsoft added features to Clarity that help merchants track how AI agents interact with websites and apps, extending the company’s offerings for businesses adopting agentic AI. Article: Microsoft Clarity Helps Merchants Welcome AI Shopping Agents
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft disclosed a $25 billion senior-notes offering. The debt issuance provides financing flexibility, but also adds borrowing and interest obligations. Article: Microsoft Announces $25 Billion Senior Notes Offering
• Negative Sentiment: AI investment remains a key risk. Analysts and commentary flagged substantial infrastructure spending, possible pressure on free cash flow and margins, and political calls for tighter data-center rules that could constrain future expansion. Article: Microsoft: Don't Get Too Excited About Its Positive FCF

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

In related news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal 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, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm's 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at $265,888,830.48. The trade was a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024 over the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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