Cornerstone Planning LLC Takes Position in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Key Points

• Cornerstone Planning LLC initiated a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter, buying 13,335 shares worth about $6.47 million. Microsoft now makes up roughly 1.4% of its portfolio and is its 22nd-largest holding.
• Microsoft insiders have been selling shares recently, including EVP Amy Coleman and CEO Judson Althoff, with total insider sales in the last quarter reaching 23,762 shares valued at $10.5 million. Despite that, insiders still own only 0.03% of the company.
• Microsoft continues to show strong fundamentals, reporting EPS of $4.27 and revenue of $82.89 billion in its latest quarter, both above expectations. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share and has a Wall Street consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 13,335 shares of the software giant's stock, valued at approximately $6,474,000. Microsoft accounts for approximately 1.4% of Cornerstone Planning LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Bernzott Capital Advisors purchased a new position in Microsoft in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Fairway Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 287.0% in the 4th quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 89 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Amy Coleman sold 1,262 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.34, for a total transaction of $519,111.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,922,874.02. This trade represents a 2.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 15,500 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.99, for a total transaction of $7,145,345.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 110,477 shares in the company, valued at $50,928,792.23. The trade was a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 23,762 shares of company stock valued at $10,508,361 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Stock Performance

NASDAQ MSFT opened at $373.94 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $412.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $423.55. The company has a market capitalization of $2.78 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.11. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $356.28 and a 1 year high of $555.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.27.

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

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Microsoft's payout ratio is 21.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSFT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $505.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Microsoft from $641.00 to $646.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, April 24th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $650.00 to $550.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $561.20.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft announced a 20-year power agreement with Chevron for Project Kilby, a 2.67-gigawatt natural-gas-powered data center in West Texas. The deal underscores Microsoft’s commitment to expanding AI/cloud capacity and helps secure long-term electricity for its growing data center needs. Article: Chevron signs power supply deal with Microsoft for Texas data center
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles argue Microsoft’s selloff has made the stock attractive, citing history that suggests a rebound and pointing to still-strong AI and cloud fundamentals. These pieces may be encouraging bargain hunters and long-term investors. Article: History Suggests a Rebound Ahead, Says Top Investor About Microsoft Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is also being highlighted for new AI banking connections and deeper enterprise AI integrations, reinforcing the idea that its AI monetization story is still progressing. Article: Microsoft Stock NASDAQ: MSFT Notches Up With New AI Banking Connections
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary around Satya Nadella’s remarks suggests Microsoft wants broader, cheaper, and more trusted AI rather than a winner-take-all model race. That may help the company strategically, but it is more of a long-term positioning story than an immediate stock catalyst. Article: Why Microsoft Needs to Carve its Own AI Path
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is facing fresh securities class action/lawsuit headlines tied to alleged disclosures about Copilot and Azure. Even if the legal impact is uncertain, this adds an overhang for investors. Article: Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Microsoft Corporation
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish notes continue to question whether Microsoft’s best growth days are behind it, and some analysts are keeping a cautious stance despite the lower valuation. That skepticism can limit upside in the near term. Article: Microsoft: The Best Days Are Behind It

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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