Financial Consulate Inc. Sells 7,877 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Key Points

• Financial Consulate Inc. sold 7,877 shares of Microsoft in Q4, cutting its stake by 48.7% to 8,313 shares worth about $4.02 million, leaving MSFT as roughly 0.5% of the fund’s portfolio (its 21st largest holding).
• Several brokers have trimmed price targets recently, but the stock retains a market consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of about $575.34.
• Operational catalysts include a recent quarterly beat ($4.14 EPS on $81.27B revenue), a quarterly dividend of $0.91 (0.9% yield), Microsoft’s planned ~$18B investment in Australia for AI/cloud, and upcoming fiscal Q3 results on April 29.

Financial Consulate Inc. lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 48.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,313 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 7,877 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises about 0.5% of Financial Consulate Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Financial Consulate Inc.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $4,020,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. BLVD Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. BLVD Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,169 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $1,641,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. now owns 6,509 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $3,371,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. ARK & TLK Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. ARK & TLK Investments LLC now owns 1,935 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $1,002,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Rochester Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Rochester Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 700 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSFT. Wedbush dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $625.00 to $575.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $659.00 to $556.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $600.00 to $500.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $575.34.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT opened at $424.54 on Friday. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $393.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $450.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.15 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.11. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $356.28 and a 52 week high of $555.45.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.86 by $0.28. The firm 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%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.23 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

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

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft announced a roughly $18B investment in Australia to expand Azure AI supercomputing, cloud capacity, cybersecurity and upskilling — a major long‑term revenue and capacity commitment that supports the AI growth narrative. Microsoft to invest $18B in Australia to expand AI, cloud and digital infrastructure
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile investor Michael Burry disclosed a new long position in MSFT, signaling conviction from a value‑oriented, headline‑driving buyer — this can attract other investors looking for a contrarian entry. Big Short Investor Michael Burry Opens New Position in Microsoft Stock (MSFT)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat: Jefferies reaffirmed a Buy and other firms (Guggenheim, TD Cowen) have high price targets or bullish notes citing Copilot/Azure monetization, supporting upside sentiment into earnings. Jefferies gives a buy rating on Microsoft
• Positive Sentiment: Gaming/product signals: Xbox branding returned and leaked details of a cheaper Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition have lifted expectations for consumer engagement and subscription growth. Microsoft Gaming reverts to Xbox branding as part of new mission statement
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming catalyst: Microsoft reports fiscal Q3 results on April 29 — earnings will likely drive larger intraday moves as investors look for Azure growth, Copilot adoption and AI capex conversion. Microsoft Will Report Q3 Earnings on April 29
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context: Tech sector strength and broader AI‑led optimism are supporting MSFT alongside peers; short‑interest data in the feed is not meaningful (reported 0 shares). Sector Update: Tech Stocks Gain Late Afternoon
• Negative Sentiment: Cost/structure concerns: Microsoft launched its first‑ever voluntary buyout program (~7% of U.S. workforce) as it reshapes for AI — while aimed at efficiency, the move and public discussion of heavy AI capex have pressured sentiment and raised near‑term uncertainty. Microsoft plans first voluntary employee buyout in company's 51-year history
• Negative Sentiment: Investor worry over AI capital intensity and OpenAI dependence persists in commentary and some sell‑side notes, which could keep volatility elevated into earnings despite long‑term upside. Microsoft Is A Value Trap, OpenAI Dependence Could Backfire

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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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