Confluence Wealth Services Inc. Sells 2,905 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Key Points

• Confluence Wealth Services trimmed its Microsoft stake by 4.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 2,905 shares and leaving it with 58,757 shares worth about $28.4 million.
• Microsoft reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $4.27 beating estimates and revenue of $82.89 billion topping expectations, while sales rose 18.3% year over year.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share, and analysts remain mostly bullish with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $560.88.

Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lowered its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 4.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 58,757 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 2,905 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for approximately 1.2% of Confluence Wealth Services Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Confluence Wealth Services Inc.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $28,416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 51.3% in the 2nd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT opened at $421.92 on Monday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $356.28 and a 52-week high of $555.45. The business's fifty day moving average is $398.18 and its 200-day moving average is $440.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market cap of $3.13 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.11, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.10.

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

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $525.00 price objective (up from $450.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $620.00 to $515.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, April 27th. Thirty-nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $560.88.

Microsoft News Summary

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

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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