Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Holdings Decreased by Syntax Research Inc.

Key Points

• Syntax Research Inc. cut its Microsoft stake by 36.9% in the second quarter, selling 3,997 shares and retaining 6,845 shares valued at approximately $2.55 million. Institutional investors collectively own 71.13% of Microsoft.
• Microsoft beat quarterly expectations, reporting $4.89 in EPS and $92.28 billion in revenue, while Azure growth accelerated 48% to about $33.2 billion amid strong cloud and AI demand.
• Microsoft raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98 per share, or $3.92 annually, and analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $596.07.

Syntax Research Inc. lowered its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 36.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,845 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 3,997 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises about 1.9% of Syntax Research Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Syntax Research Inc.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $2,553,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,338,370,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $18,306,443,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,928,664,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $5,653,812,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter worth approximately $4,000,706,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft reported earnings of $4.89 per share versus the $4.71–$4.72 consensus and revenue of $92.28 billion, up 19% year over year and above estimates of approximately $90.6 billion. Net income increased 32%, while the company extended its streak of record quarterly revenue. Microsoft Beats Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Azure growth accelerated to 48%, generating approximately $33.2 billion in quarterly revenue. Stronger-than-expected cloud demand suggests Microsoft’s investments in artificial intelligence and Copilot-related services are beginning to translate into significant sales and profit growth. Microsoft Azure Revenue Surges
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft disclosed that commercial arrangements with OpenAI produced roughly $10 billion of revenue during the quarter, highlighting the value of the partnership but also the company’s substantial financial dependence on a single AI ecosystem. Microsoft Recorded $10 Billion in Revenue From OpenAI
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft lowered its 2026 capital-expenditure forecast to $170 billion from $175 billion, citing delays in third-party capacity. The reduction may ease cash-flow pressure, but it also raises concerns that infrastructure constraints could limit Azure growth and delay returns on AI investment. Microsoft Cuts Capex Forecast on AI Capacity Delays
• Negative Sentiment: The company is offering voluntary buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees while spending heavily on data centers. Although the effort could improve long-term efficiency, investors may view it as evidence that Microsoft is managing mounting AI-related costs. Rising interest rates also pose a valuation risk for the high-growth technology sector.

Microsoft Stock Down 0.1%

MSFT stock opened at $531.01 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $3.94 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $551.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $511.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $437.96.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.71 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.13 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Microsoft's previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSFT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Argus lowered their price target on Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $630.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Microsoft from $660.00 to $662.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Forty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $596.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company's stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following 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 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock valued at $75,404,992. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Microsoft 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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