Microsoft Corporation $MSFT is Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's 4th Largest Position

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its Microsoft stake by 4.4% in the first quarter, adding 9,515 shares to reach 223,993 shares valued at about $82.9 million. Microsoft now represents roughly 3.1% of the firm’s portfolio and is its fourth-largest holding.
• Microsoft’s latest quarterly results were strong, with EPS of $4.27 beating estimates and revenue of $82.89 billion topping forecasts. Revenue rose 18.3% year over year, underscoring continued operating strength.
• Despite upbeat analyst sentiment and an average price target of $560.86, Microsoft is facing pressure from concerns about heavy AI spending, legal scrutiny tied to Copilot/Azure, and reports of additional layoffs and antitrust attention.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 4.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 223,993 shares of the software giant's stock after acquiring an additional 9,515 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises approximately 3.1% of Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in Microsoft were worth $82,915,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Taylor Securities Services Inc. acquired a new position in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at $2,616,000. PMG Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft during the third quarter valued at approximately $828,000. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management grew its stake in Microsoft by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 12,492 shares of the software giant's stock worth $6,041,000 after buying an additional 1,698 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in Microsoft by 2,332.1% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 6,746,017 shares of the software giant's stock worth $3,262,509,000 after buying an additional 6,468,645 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 22.1% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 272,424 shares of the software giant's stock worth $131,750,000 after acquiring an additional 49,371 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted continued strength in Microsoft’s Azure cloud and AI businesses, with bullish commentary saying demand remains robust and that the recent selloff may be creating a more attractive entry point. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors cited Microsoft’s security business as a potential growth driver, while recent partnership news and product integrations suggest the company is still expanding its enterprise ecosystem. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Some Wall Street coverage remained constructive, with firms such as Deutsche Bank and Erste Group lifting their outlooks, reinforcing the view that Microsoft’s long-term earnings power remains intact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft also announced product and ecosystem updates, including a new Marketplace listing and broader AI/security-related integrations, which are supportive but not likely to move the stock on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several opinion pieces argued the stock may be oversold and could rebound, but these were largely valuation-driven commentary rather than new fundamental catalysts. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is facing renewed scrutiny over AI spending, with multiple stories noting the stock’s sharp June decline as investors worry that massive AI capex is not translating into profits quickly enough. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms and reports flagged securities-fraud class actions tied to alleged misstatements about Copilot and Azure, adding legal uncertainty and potential headline risk. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Additional pressure came from reports of another round of job cuts and from antitrust attention in Europe, both of which can weigh on sentiment even if they help costs over time. Article Title

Microsoft Trading Up 1.2%

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $373.02 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The business's 50 day moving average is $408.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $419.37. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $349.20 and a 52 week high of $555.45. The company has a market cap of $2.77 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.11.

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

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MSFT shares. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $505.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $502.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Microsoft in a report on Monday, June 1st. They set a "market outperform" rating on the stock. Evercore reduced their price target on Microsoft from $580.00 to $510.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, May 4th. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $560.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Microsoft news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $402.84, for a total value of $1,812,780.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 47,468 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,122,009.12. This trade represents a 8.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Amy Coleman sold 1,262 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.34, for a total value of $519,111.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 46,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,922,874.02. The trade was a 2.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 23,762 shares of company stock worth $10,508,361 over the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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