Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Acquired by Krilogy Financial LLC

Key Points

• Krilogy Financial LLC increased its Microsoft stake by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, adding 9,784 shares and bringing its total to 77,274 shares worth about $36.34 million.
• Microsoft reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $4.27 beating estimates and revenue of $82.89 billion topping forecasts, while revenue rose 18.3% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share, and Wall Street remains broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $562.69.

Krilogy Financial LLC grew its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 14.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 77,274 shares of the software giant's stock after acquiring an additional 9,784 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for approximately 1.2% of Krilogy Financial LLC's holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Krilogy Financial LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $36,340,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $50,493,678,000. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the first quarter worth about $18,733,827,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 500.0% in the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 59,543,261 shares of the software giant's stock worth $30,840,432,000 after acquiring an additional 49,618,571 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 49,640.3% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 29,967,038 shares of the software giant's stock worth $14,905,904,000 after acquiring an additional 29,906,791 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Stock Down 1.2%

Microsoft stock opened at $407.77 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 24.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $397.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $443.14. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $356.28 and a 12 month high of $555.45.

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

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. This represents a 6.34% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $5,045,695.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares in the company, valued at $56,486,322.16. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, April 30th. DZ Bank restated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Microsoft from $392.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $540.00 to $500.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $562.69.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continued to argue that Microsoft remains a long-term AI winner, with several notes saying the stock still looks undervalued and that its AI/Cloud thesis remains intact. Microsoft’s (MSFT) Q3 Revealed 3 Things that Matter for the AI Bull Case
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s testimony in the Musk v. Altman trial reinforced Microsoft’s early backing of OpenAI and its expected payoff from that investment, which some investors view as supportive of the company’s AI strategy. OpenAI to cap Microsoft revenue-sharing at $38 billion, The Information reports
• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI reportedly capped revenue-sharing payments to Microsoft at $38 billion through 2030, which may be read as a structural clarification that still preserves a major economic relationship while supporting OpenAI’s IPO path. Microsoft secures structural wins in OpenAI revenue cap deal, Wedbush says
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft was mentioned in broader AI-market commentary about whether AI spending is generating enough ROI, which adds to sentiment volatility but does not directly change fundamentals. Chamath Warns Companies Must Prove ROI from AI Within ‘500 Days’
• Neutral Sentiment: Several reports focused on Microsoft’s role in OpenAI’s founding and governance in the Musk lawsuit; these headlines keep the stock in the news, but the market impact is mostly indirect unless they lead to regulatory or contractual changes. How Much Power Did Microsoft Have Over OpenAI?
• Negative Sentiment: The biggest near-term overhang is the perception that Microsoft may have less upside from OpenAI than previously assumed, after reports that revenue-sharing is capped far below earlier projections. OpenAI to cap Microsoft revenue-sharing at $38 billion, The Information reports
• Negative Sentiment: Nadella’s testimony in the Musk trial also highlighted how closely Microsoft is tied to OpenAI’s governance fight, keeping legal and reputational risks in focus for investors. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella takes stand in Musk v. Altman trial

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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