Ledyard National Bank Sells 4,270 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Key Points

• Ledyard National Bank trimmed its Microsoft stake by 3.7%, selling 4,270 shares and leaving 111,734 shares worth $54,037,000 — Microsoft makes up about 4.7% of the bank's holdings and is its fourth-largest position.
• Microsoft beat the most recent quarter's estimates with $4.14 EPS versus $3.86 expected and $81.27 billion in revenue (+16.7% YoY), and the company will report fiscal Q3 results on April 29, a near-term catalyst for the stock.
• Analysts hold a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $575.34 average target and institutional ownership around 71%; market signals are mixed — a major $18B Australia AI/cloud investment and Michael Burry's new long suggest bullish interest, while insider selling and concerns about AI capex and a voluntary buyout program add near-term uncertainty.

Ledyard National Bank trimmed its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 111,734 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 4,270 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up about 4.7% of Ledyard National Bank's holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Ledyard National Bank's holdings in Microsoft were worth $54,037,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. BLVD Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 0.6% in the third quarter. BLVD Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,169 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $1,641,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC grew its stake in 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. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% in the third quarter. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. now owns 6,509 shares of the software giant's stock worth $3,371,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. ARK & TLK Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 1.0% in the third quarter. ARK & TLK Investments LLC now owns 1,935 shares of the software giant's stock worth $1,002,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rochester Wealth Strategies LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on MSFT. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, March 2nd. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $641.00 price objective (down from $645.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $392.00 target price (down from $540.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $575.34.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $424.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The company's fifty day moving average price is $393.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $451.12. 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 12 month low of $356.28 and a 12 month high of $555.45.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.86 by $0.28. Microsoft had a return on equity of 32.34% and a net margin of 39.04%.The company had revenue of $81.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.28 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.23 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Microsoft's payout ratio is currently 22.76%.

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other news, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John W. Stanton purchased 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 83,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Microsoft News

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

About Microsoft

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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