Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Holdings Lessened by Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.

Key Points

• Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. trimmed its Microsoft stake by 5.7% in Q3, selling 11,255 shares and ending the quarter with 185,609 shares worth about $96.14 million, making MSFT its fourth-largest holding (4.5% of the portfolio).
• Major institutional flows show continued conviction: Vanguard, State Street and Geode increased holdings and Norges Bank opened a new position (reported at roughly $50.5 billion), with hedge funds and institutional investors now owning 71.13% of MSFT.
• Company and market context: Microsoft beat Q2 expectations (EPS $4.14 vs. $3.86) and trades with a ~$3.04 trillion market cap and a consensus price target near $591.95, while bullish AI developments (large price targets, enterprise deals) are balanced by regulatory and capex/margin risks that are driving volatility.

Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. reduced its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 185,609 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 11,255 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for 4.5% of Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $96,136,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Microsoft by 2.0% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 705,077,786 shares of the software giant's stock worth $350,712,742,000 after purchasing an additional 13,691,572 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.1% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 299,196,519 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $148,823,341,000 after purchasing an additional 3,166,275 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 179,001,751 shares of the software giant's stock worth $88,714,256,000 after buying an additional 3,532,054 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $50,493,678,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 83,787,746 shares of the software giant's stock worth $35,316,535,000 after acquiring an additional 11,600,470 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reiterates a bullish view on Microsoft, naming MSFT its leading AI investment and assigning a $675 price target — a vote of confidence that supports upside for the stock. Jefferies Names Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Its Leading AI Investment With $675 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed an AI collaboration with Codelco (Chile’s state miner) to evaluate AI, automation and analytics for mining — another enterprise win that strengthens Azure/Microsoft AI cash flows over time. Codelco, Microsoft sign AI deal for mining operations
• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI’s large funding round and continued strategic ties give Microsoft breathing room around its AI investments and partnerships, reducing near-term partnership tail-risk. OpenAI Funding Gives Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Breathing Space
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft says it will continue integrating Anthropic’s Claude into products despite the Pentagon labeling Anthropic a “supply chain risk” — continuity for product roadmaps but with some government-contract uncertainty. Microsoft (MSFT) Maintains Anthropic Claude Integration Despite Pentagon Supply Chain Ban
• Neutral Sentiment: Google and Microsoft both said Anthropic remains available for non-defense projects, which limits immediate disruption but keeps regulatory headlines in play. Google joins Microsoft in telling users Anthropic is still available outside defense projects
• Neutral Sentiment: Options strategists and some investors view the pullback as a buying opportunity (protective collar strategies highlighted), indicating increased interest from longer-term/hedged buyers even amid volatility. Trade the Deep Value and Dubious Option Pricing in Microsoft Stock with This 1 Great Options Strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators flag downside risk before MSFT can justify very high targets — concerns center on heavy AI-related capex, moderating Azure growth and margin pressure despite long-term upside. That debate is creating selling pressure and volatility. Buy the Dip or Wait? Analyst Flags Downside Risk Before $680 Breakout In Microsoft (MSFT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: Japan’s antitrust probe into Microsoft’s cloud/software practices adds regional legal uncertainty that could weigh on valuation multiple or deal activity in Asia. Microsoft Faces Japan Antitrust Probe As Gaming Shifts And AI Deals Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressures — rising yields, higher energy prices and sector rotation — are pulling down high-multiple software names; Microsoft’s heavy AI spend makes it more sensitive to sentiment swings despite strong fundamentals. How Microsoft Stock Falls To $325?

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT opened at $408.96 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $344.79 and a 52-week high of $555.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $435.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $479.57.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.86 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $81.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $80.28 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.04% and a return on equity of 32.34%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.23 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John W. Stanton purchased 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MSFT. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $625.00 to $575.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $575.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $591.95.

Microsoft 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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