Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stake Raised by Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC

Key Points

• Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC increased its Microsoft stake by 20.5% in the second quarter to 23,516 shares valued at approximately $8.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 71.13% of Microsoft.
• Microsoft reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $4.74 and revenue of $90.01 billion, exceeding analyst expectations; revenue rose 17.7% year over year.
• Microsoft raised its quarterly dividend from $0.91 to $0.98 per share, while analysts maintained an overall “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $569.29.

Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 20.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,516 shares of the software giant's stock after buying an additional 3,994 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for 1.8% of Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $8,772,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 3.2% during the second quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 1,875 shares of the software giant's stock worth $700,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Udine Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 4.4% in the second quarter. Udine Wealth Management Inc. now owns 49,241 shares of the software giant's stock worth $18,368,000 after acquiring an additional 2,087 shares during the last quarter. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC now owns 14,812 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $5,525,000 after purchasing an additional 1,720 shares in the last quarter. WealthBridge Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. WealthBridge Capital Management LLC now owns 13,263 shares of the software giant's stock worth $4,947,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the period. Finally, Quaker Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Microsoft by 18.6% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the software giant's stock worth $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 597 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Price Performance

MSFT stock opened at $516.17 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $477.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $426.17. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock has a market cap of $3.83 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. 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 (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft's revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft's previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Copilot “super app” that combines access to Office applications with coding tools, autonomous AI agents and an Autopilot feature. The initiative is aimed primarily at business users and could improve enterprise adoption, usage and monetization of Microsoft’s AI offerings. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its Microsoft price target to $570, citing the company’s shift toward enterprise AI agents and a billing model tied more closely to customer usage. Other recent analyst targets have also moved higher, reinforcing expectations for sustained Azure and AI growth. Oppenheimer target article
• Positive Sentiment: Investors appear more confident that Microsoft can benefit from AI without depending on a single large-model provider. Its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise distribution provide multiple avenues for converting AI investment into recurring revenue. MarketWatch article
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy bullish options activity, including a large call spread, suggests traders are positioning for additional upside. Technical analysts identified a potential move toward approximately $555, although this is market positioning rather than a fundamental forecast. Barchart options article
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains, led by AI stocks, provided an additional tailwind. However, elevated oil prices, Treasury yields and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy changes remain important macroeconomic risks.
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is moving away from a consumer-focused personal-assistant strategy and concentrating Copilot on workplace use. The usage-based approach could unlock greater revenue, but it may also make sales less predictable than traditional subscriptions if customer adoption is slower than expected. Financial Post article
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Microsoft’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, data-center capacity constraints and a reported 277-job reduction in Washington. These factors could pressure near-term margins even as Azure demand remains strong.

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

In other news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company's stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Argus lowered their target price on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Microsoft from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Microsoft from $522.00 to $608.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Forty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $569.29.

Microsoft Company Profile

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital solutions for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations. Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Teams collaboration software, Dynamics business applications and Azure cloud computing services.

The company also operates LinkedIn, GitHub and Xbox, which includes gaming consoles, video games and related online services.

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