Microsoft Corporation $MSFT is Hanson & Doremus Investment Management's 8th Largest Position

Key Points

• Hanson & Doremus Investment Management trimmed its Microsoft position by 3.8% in Q4 to 45,050 shares, leaving MSFT as its 8th-largest holding (2.6% of the portfolio) worth about $21.79 million.
• Insider activity: Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares at roughly $397.35 (~$1.99M), increasing his stake, while EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares at about $409.52 (~$5.05M), reducing hers.
• AI execution and analyst backdrop: Microsoft gained a near-term boost as the Fairwater AI data center went live and won large enterprise deals (e.g., Stellantis), but several firms have trimmed price targets and the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average target near $577.58.

Hanson & Doremus Investment Management decreased its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 45,050 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 1,795 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 2.6% of Hanson & Doremus Investment Management's investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management's holdings in Microsoft were worth $21,787,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. IRON Financial LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 23.2% during the third quarter. IRON Financial LLC now owns 6,510 shares of the software giant's stock worth $3,372,000 after acquiring an additional 1,225 shares during the last quarter. PMG Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft during the third quarter worth about $828,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 2.3% during the third quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 70,175 shares of the software giant's stock worth $36,347,000 after acquiring an additional 1,572 shares during the last quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 14.0% during the third quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC now owns 18,340 shares of the software giant's stock worth $9,499,000 after acquiring an additional 2,247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its position in Microsoft by 1.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 949,901 shares of the software giant's stock worth $493,860,000 after acquiring an additional 9,700 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In related news, Director John W. Stanton acquired 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 acquisition, the director owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the company'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 transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares in the company, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fairwater AI data center in Wisconsin went live ahead of schedule, a tangible execution win that eases near‑term capacity concerns and signals Microsoft is accelerating AI infrastructure deployment — a direct positive for Azure AI revenue prospects. Microsoft stock jumps as AI data center goes live
• Positive Sentiment: Large enterprise partnerships and marketplace integrations broaden Azure adoption: Stellantis signed a five‑year AI/cloud deal and Expert.ai’s EidenAI Suite is now on Azure Marketplace — both expand addressable enterprise demand for Microsoft’s cloud + Copilot stack. Stellantis, Microsoft sign five-year partnership Expert.ai and Microsoft Italy announce collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Government and regulatory adoption — the CFTC is using Microsoft Copilot/AI tools for surveillance, a sign that public‑sector adoption of Microsoft AI products is rising and provides a durable revenue cohort. CFTC Uses Microsoft AI Tools
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst moves are mixed: TD Cowen lowered its price target to $540 but kept a Buy rating (maintains bullish long‑term view despite trimming upside), while other firms have grown cautious — watch revisions for near‑term momentum. TD Cowen price target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/earnings calendar: investors are watching fiscal Q3 results (Apr 29) for signs AI spend is translating into accelerating Azure revenue and Copilot monetization; near‑term volatility could persist into the print. Microsoft eyes AI execution, Azure growth
• Negative Sentiment: Industry capacity risk: Financial Times reports delays on a sizeable share of U.S. data‑center builds (affecting multiple players), underscoring supply‑chain and permitting risks that could constrain AI rollout timing and margin recovery. Data centre delays threaten to choke AI expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary and downside scenarios remain: some analysts and opinion pieces argue MSFT still faces near‑term growth/valuation risks (including calls for deeper corrections), so rallies could be met with profit‑taking until clearer proof of AI monetization appears. Microsoft: Don't Buy The Dip

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $600.00 to $500.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $659.00 to $556.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $600.00 to $510.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $575.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, HSBC decreased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $667.00 to $588.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $577.58.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $422.79 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $391.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $454.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.39. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $355.67 and a one year high of $555.45. The firm has a market cap of $3.14 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.11.

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 the consensus estimate of $3.86 by $0.28. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.04% and a return on equity of 32.34%. The firm had revenue of $81.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

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

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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