Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Sold by Trinity Street Asset Management LLP

Key Points

• Trinity Street Asset Management LLP reduced its Microsoft stake by 5.1% in Q4, selling 3,990 shares and now holds 74,850 shares valued at about $36.2 million, making MSFT 2.3% of its portfolio and its seventh-largest holding.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish—MarketBeat shows an average rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $575.34—after Microsoft beat the most recent quarter's estimates (EPS $4.14 vs. $3.86; revenue $81.27B) and declared a $0.91 quarterly dividend.
• Insider and strategic moves: EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares for roughly $5.05M while director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares, and Microsoft announced a roughly $18B investment in Australia for Azure AI and cloud capacity—actions that support AI growth but coincide with cost‑structure concerns and a voluntary buyout program.

Trinity Street Asset Management LLP cut its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 5.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 74,850 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 3,990 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 2.3% of Trinity Street Asset Management LLP's holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Trinity Street Asset Management LLP's holdings in Microsoft were worth $36,199,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. Mechanics Financial Corp boosted its stake in Microsoft by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Mechanics Financial Corp now owns 16,813 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $8,131,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Mount Vernon Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Microsoft by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Mount Vernon Associates Inc. MD now owns 22,708 shares of the software giant's stock worth $10,982,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC now owns 3,043 shares of the software giant's stock worth $1,472,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Willis Investment Counsel raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 113,070 shares of the software giant's stock worth $54,683,000 after purchasing an additional 2,246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new position in shares of Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,525,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MSFT. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $575.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $650.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $575.34.

Insider Transactions at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. The trade was a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 83,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Stock Down 0.0%

MSFT stock opened at $424.54 on Monday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $393.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $450.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $356.28 and a 1-year high of $555.45. The stock has a market cap of $3.15 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.86 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $81.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.28 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 32.34% and a net margin of 39.04%.The business's revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.23 EPS. Analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.54 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

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

Microsoft News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft announced a roughly $18B investment in Australia to expand Azure AI supercomputing, cloud capacity, cybersecurity and upskilling — a major long‑term revenue and capacity commitment that supports the AI growth narrative. Microsoft to invest $18B in Australia to expand AI, cloud and digital infrastructure
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile investor Michael Burry disclosed a new long position in MSFT, signaling conviction from a value‑oriented, headline‑driving buyer — this can attract other investors looking for a contrarian entry. Big Short Investor Michael Burry Opens New Position in Microsoft Stock (MSFT)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat: Jefferies reaffirmed a Buy and other firms (Guggenheim, TD Cowen) have high price targets or bullish notes citing Copilot/Azure monetization, supporting upside sentiment into earnings. Jefferies gives a buy rating on Microsoft
• Positive Sentiment: Gaming/product signals: Xbox branding returned and leaked details of a cheaper Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition have lifted expectations for consumer engagement and subscription growth. Microsoft Gaming reverts to Xbox branding as part of new mission statement
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming catalyst: Microsoft reports fiscal Q3 results on April 29 — earnings will likely drive larger intraday moves as investors look for Azure growth, Copilot adoption and AI capex conversion. Microsoft Will Report Q3 Earnings on April 29
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context: Tech sector strength and broader AI‑led optimism are supporting MSFT alongside peers; short‑interest data in the feed is not meaningful (reported 0 shares). Sector Update: Tech Stocks Gain Late Afternoon
• Negative Sentiment: Cost/structure concerns: Microsoft launched its first‑ever voluntary buyout program (~7% of U.S. workforce) as it reshapes for AI — while aimed at efficiency, the move and public discussion of heavy AI capex have pressured sentiment and raised near‑term uncertainty. Microsoft plans first voluntary employee buyout in company's 51-year history
• Negative Sentiment: Investor worry over AI capital intensity and OpenAI dependence persists in commentary and some sell‑side notes, which could keep volatility elevated into earnings despite long‑term upside. Microsoft Is A Value Trap, OpenAI Dependence Could Backfire

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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