Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Sold by Pursue Wealth Partners LLC

Key Points

• Pursue Wealth Partners reduced its Microsoft stake by 29.2% in the second quarter, selling 6,928 shares and retaining 16,837 shares valued at approximately $6.28 million. Institutional investors collectively own 71.13% of Microsoft.
• Microsoft reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $4.74 per share and revenue of $90.01 billion, exceeding analyst expectations; revenue rose 17.7% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 41 Buy ratings and a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and $578.73 price target. However, insider selling and concerns about debt-funded AI expansion and uncertain Copilot adoption remain key risks.

Pursue Wealth Partners LLC lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 29.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,837 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 6,928 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 3.5% of Pursue Wealth Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Pursue Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $6,280,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 4.9% in the second quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 9,063 shares of the software giant's stock worth $3,524,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at $94,867,000. Principle Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116,758 shares of the software giant's stock worth $43,553,000 after buying an additional 2,104 shares in the last quarter. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Financial Group Inc. Co. ADV now owns 1,544 shares of the software giant's stock worth $576,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focused Wealth Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 9.4% in the second quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 22,779 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $8,497,000 after buying an additional 1,954 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Stock Up 0.1%

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $529.76 on Thursday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $498.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $433.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.50, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year 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, topping 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 analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company's stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New AI hardware and Windows strategy: Microsoft unveiled the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia’s RTX chip, allowing users to run AI models and agents locally rather than through the cloud. The launch could strengthen Windows’ position in AI PCs, support device demand and create new opportunities for Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip
• Positive Sentiment: AI monetization remains the core bull case: Analysts and investors continue to point to Azure growth, Copilot revenue potential and Microsoft’s perceived strength in AI security and enterprise trust. Evercore ISI reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target to $635, while Melius Research upgraded the stock to Buy with a $665 target. Microsoft: AI-Driven Azure Upside Spurs Buy Rating and Target Price Hike to $635
• Positive Sentiment: Strong fundamentals provide support: Microsoft’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with revenue up 17.7% year over year and earnings above consensus. Optimism ahead of the next earnings report is also supported by reported Azure momentum and a history of earnings beats.
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date: Microsoft will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the market close on October 28. The date gives investors a near-term catalyst, but it may also keep attention focused on Azure growth, Copilot usage, capital spending and free cash flow. Microsoft announces quarterly earnings release date
• Negative Sentiment: Debt-funded AI expansion raises risk: Microsoft is issuing additional debt to finance data centers and AI hardware. While this supports capacity growth, investors are increasingly concerned about leverage, declining free cash flow and the possibility that AI infrastructure spending becomes excessive or bubble-like.
• Negative Sentiment: Copilot utilization concerns: Usage-tracking commentary suggests many employees at companies with Microsoft Copilot licenses use the service minimally. If low engagement leads to weaker renewals or slower seat expansion, it could challenge assumptions that Copilot will quickly become a major source of recurring AI revenue. Bad News for Microsoft: Basically Zero AI Use for Most Employees on Copilot

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MSFT shares. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Argus cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $540.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Microsoft from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, William Blair began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. Forty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $578.73.

Microsoft Profile

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft's productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

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