Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Position Trimmed by Fiduciary Alliance LLC

Key Points

• Fiduciary Alliance LLC trimmed its Microsoft stake by 2.5% in Q4, selling 2,994 shares and leaving it with 116,194 shares worth about $56.2M, making MSFT its third-largest holding (~3.7% of assets).
• Analysts remain largely bullish: MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target of $575.34 (2 Strong Buy, 38 Buy, 5 Hold), though several firms recently trimmed targets.
• Microsoft beat fiscal Q results (EPS $4.14 vs. $3.86; revenue $81.27B), declared a $0.91 quarterly dividend, and announced roughly $18B of AI/cloud investment in Australia, while a voluntary buyout (~7% of U.S. staff) and heavy AI capex have raised near-term concerns.

Fiduciary Alliance LLC lessened its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 116,194 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 2,994 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up approximately 3.7% of Fiduciary Alliance LLC's holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Fiduciary Alliance LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $56,194,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at $50,493,678,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 1st quarter valued at $18,733,827,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 500.0% during the 3rd 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 valued at $30,840,432,000 after buying an additional 49,618,571 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 49,640.3% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 29,967,038 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $14,905,904,000 after buying an additional 29,906,791 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in Microsoft by 16.1% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 83,787,746 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $35,316,535,000 after buying an additional 11,600,470 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on MSFT. KeyCorp reduced their target price on Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Microsoft from $610.00 to $540.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. DZ Bank reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. New Street Research increased their target price on Microsoft from $670.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $575.34.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $424.54 on Monday. The firm 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. 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 12 month low of $356.28 and a 12 month high of $555.45. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $393.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $450.09.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.86 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $81.27 billion for 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 for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.23 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 16.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

In other news, Director John W. Stanton purchased 5,000 shares of the business'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 completion of the purchase, the director owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. This represents a 6.34% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 approximately $56,486,322.16. This 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.

Key Microsoft News

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 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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