Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Acquired by BNP Paribas

Key Points

• BNP Paribas increased its Microsoft position by 0.6% in the second quarter, adding 2,704 shares for a total of 473,863 shares valued at approximately $176.6 million. Microsoft represents about 4.8% of the fund’s portfolio.
• Microsoft reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with $4.74 in earnings per share and $90.01 billion in revenue, up 17.7% year over year. Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $592.15.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98 per share, equivalent to a $3.92 annualized payout and a 0.7% yield, while investors continue to monitor AI infrastructure spending, Azure growth and upcoming earnings guidance.

BNP Paribas grew its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 473,863 shares of the software giant's stock after buying an additional 2,704 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up about 4.8% of BNP Paribas' investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. BNP Paribas' holdings in Microsoft were worth $176,576,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth $37,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $38,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $60,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Azure and earnings expectations remain strong. Bank of America reaffirmed its Buy rating and forecast approximately 44.8% Azure growth. Analysts expect quarterly results to be broadly in line with estimates, with Azure strength potentially offsetting heavy investment in AI infrastructure. Microsoft Stock Forecast: BofA Reaffirms Buy Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom silicon and security businesses could support future cloud margins. The Maia AI accelerator and other internally developed chips may reduce reliance on Nvidia, improve cost control and retain more economics from Microsoft’s AI services. Investors are also watching whether security growth helps offset data-center expenses. Microsoft: Security And Silicon Set The Stage For Cloud Margin Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Medical AI results add another potential growth opportunity. Microsoft’s MAI-DxO reportedly diagnosed complex cases more than twice as often as general physicians in a simulation, strengthening the company’s positioning in healthcare AI, although commercialization and regulatory hurdles remain. Microsoft develops AI tool that can diagnose sequentially like a doctor
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming report is a major near-term catalyst. Investors will focus on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization, capital expenditures, backlog conversion and management’s outlook. The stock is trading near its yearly high, raising expectations for a strong forecast. Microsoft's Earnings Problem: Even Great May Not Be Enough
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending and market conditions could pressure valuation and margins. Investors have recently sold some technology shares when companies raised infrastructure budgets, while a weaker overall market and higher oil prices have added volatility. Microsoft’s large data-center investment must translate into revenue growth to justify the spending. Microsoft Earnings Report To Focus On AI Momentum, Capex
• Negative Sentiment: Operational and product concerns remain. Microsoft withdrew from a U.K. data-center deal because of power-delivery delays, and Xbox cloud-streaming price changes have generated customer friction. Former CEO Bill Gates has also warned about AI safety risks, potentially increasing regulatory scrutiny. Microsoft pulls out of UK Nscale data centre deal over power delay

Microsoft Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $524.51 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $508.51 and a 200-day moving average of $446.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $553.72.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MSFT shares. Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, July 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Microsoft from $660.00 to $662.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, October 5th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $600.00 to $636.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Forty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $592.15.

About Microsoft

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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