Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Acquired by Vista Capital Partners Inc.

Key Points

• Vista Capital Partners increased its Microsoft stake by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, adding 1,420 shares and bringing its total to 31,309 shares valued at about $15.1 million. Microsoft now accounts for roughly 1.5% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Microsoft continues to draw strong institutional support, with 71.13% of shares owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Several other funds also modestly increased their positions during recent quarters.
• The stock’s longer-term outlook remains tied to AI and cloud growth, with upcoming Build conference announcements, Azure momentum, and Copilot adoption cited as key bullish drivers. Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $561.20.

Vista Capital Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 4.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,309 shares of the software giant's stock after buying an additional 1,420 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up about 1.5% of Vista Capital Partners Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Vista Capital Partners Inc.'s holdings in Microsoft were worth $15,142,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. BLVD Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.6% during the third quarter. BLVD Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,169 shares of the software giant's stock worth $1,641,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% during the third quarter. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. now owns 6,509 shares of the software giant's stock worth $3,371,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. ARK & TLK Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 1.0% during the third quarter. ARK & TLK Investments LLC now owns 1,935 shares of the software giant's stock worth $1,002,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Rochester Wealth Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 2.9% during the third quarter. Rochester Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 700 shares of the software giant's stock worth $363,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% during the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is expected to showcase new AI tools for developers at its Build conference, including software for PCs and the cloud, which could reinforce its lead in enterprise AI and cloud computing. Microsoft expected to showcase new PC, cloud AI tools at developer conference
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s AI momentum remains a major bullish theme, with reports highlighting Copilot adoption and accelerating Azure growth as key drivers for the stock. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Microsoft, Dell, Thermo Fisher,Village Super Market and Comstock
• Positive Sentiment: Shares rose after Nvidia unveiled an AI-focused PC chip developed with Microsoft, reinforcing optimism around Microsoft’s Windows and AI PC ecosystem. Microsoft, Dell, and HP stocks rise as Nvidia announces new AI chip for personal computers
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are pointing to Microsoft as a top long-term AI beneficiary, with upbeat notes on its cloud franchise and software comeback. Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Extends Rally as Analysts Back ‘Compelling Vision of AI Sovereignty’
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft Build 2026 is set to begin, and investors are watching for product announcements that could move the stock further. Dear Microsoft Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for June 2
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted internal employee-sentiment changes and higher performance pressure, but this appears more like a background operating issue than a near-term stock driver. Internal Microsoft employee surveys reveal how sentiment is changing inside the software giant
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern persists around insider selling, which can temper enthusiasm even as the AI narrative improves. Microsoft Stock Analysis: Buy or Sell?

Microsoft Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $460.52 on Tuesday. The company's fifty day moving average is $403.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $433.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $356.28 and a 12-month high of $555.45. The company has a market cap of $3.42 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.11.

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 the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.21. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.34% and a return on equity of 31.94%. The company had revenue of $82.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.46 EPS. The company's revenue was up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Microsoft's payout ratio is 21.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

In other news, EVP Amy Coleman sold 1,262 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.34, for a total transaction of $519,111.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,003 shares in the company, valued at $18,922,874.02. The trade was a 2.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Bank of America started coverage on Microsoft in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen upgraded Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $525.00 target price (up from $450.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays restated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $575.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Forty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $561.20.

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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