Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Sold by Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas

Key Points

• Smith Chas P & Associates reduced its Microsoft holding by 1.2% in the second quarter, selling 2,282 shares. It retained 189,183 shares valued at about $70.6 million, representing 3.4% of its portfolio.
• Microsoft reported quarterly EPS of $4.89 and revenue of $92.28 billion, beating analyst estimates; revenue grew 18.8% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend from $0.91 to $0.98 per share.
• Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $609.54. Shares opened at $555.80, near their 52-week high of $559.15.

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas lowered its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 1.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 189,183 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 2,282 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 3.4% of Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas' portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas' holdings in Microsoft were worth $70,569,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Marathon Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Marathon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 26,552 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $9,904,000 after acquiring an additional 1,081 shares during the last quarter. U S Wealth Group LLC. grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 39.3% during the second quarter. U S Wealth Group LLC. now owns 15,220 shares of the software giant's stock worth $5,677,000 after purchasing an additional 4,292 shares during the period. Rench Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Microsoft by 0.6% in the second quarter. Rench Wealth Management Inc. now owns 47,939 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $17,882,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Microsoft by 480.1% in the second quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 82,867 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $30,911,000 after purchasing an additional 68,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miramontes Capital LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 3.6% in the second quarter. Miramontes Capital LLC now owns 17,358 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $6,475,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company's stock.

Microsoft Trading Up 6.7%

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $555.80 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $515.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $439.42. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $349.20 and a fifty-two week high of $559.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.13 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.05.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.72 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 41.17% and a return on equity of 31.28%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.13 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a positive change 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 of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft's payout ratio is currently 19.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSFT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Microsoft from $662.00 to $722.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Yorkville Ives assumed coverage on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday, October 5th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $615.00 price objective for the company. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Griffin Securities lowered shares of Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $609.54.

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cloud and AI results supported the rally. Microsoft’s fiscal first-quarter revenue rose 19% year over year to $92.28 billion, beating estimates, while Azure growth accelerated and AI adoption continued to expand. Reports also highlighted a $677 billion commercial backlog as evidence of future demand. Article: MSFT Q1 Earnings Call Highlights Azure Growth and AI Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Broader market strength lifted mega-cap technology shares. Microsoft joined a post-election rebound as investors rotated back into AI leaders; the company also reached a record high during the session. Article: Microsoft Stock Hits Record High as Midterm Results Boost AI Infrastructure Bets
• Positive Sentiment: New analytics tools target AI-assisted shopping. Microsoft added features to Clarity that help merchants track how AI agents interact with websites and apps, extending the company’s offerings for businesses adopting agentic AI. Article: Microsoft Clarity Helps Merchants Welcome AI Shopping Agents
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft disclosed a $25 billion senior-notes offering. The debt issuance provides financing flexibility, but also adds borrowing and interest obligations. Article: Microsoft Announces $25 Billion Senior Notes Offering
• Negative Sentiment: AI investment remains a key risk. Analysts and commentary flagged substantial infrastructure spending, possible pressure on free cash flow and margins, and political calls for tighter data-center rules that could constrain future expansion. Article: Microsoft: Don't Get Too Excited About Its Positive FCF

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 7,305 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total value of $3,984,293.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 555,396 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $302,924,086.32. This trade represents a 1.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Microsoft Profile

Microsoft Corporation NASDAQ: MSFT is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital platforms. Its products and services are used by consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

The company's principal offerings include the Windows operating system; Microsoft 365 productivity applications such as Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook; Azure cloud computing and infrastructure services; Dynamics business applications; and enterprise security solutions.

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