Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) had its price objective lowered by research analysts at Citigroup from $620.00 to $570.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the software giant's stock. Citigroup's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 43.39% from the company's current price.
Several other equities analysts have also commented on MSFT. Bank of America started coverage on Microsoft in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. China Renaissance reduced their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $550.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and set a $515.00 price objective (down from $630.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wolfe Research cut their target price on Microsoft from $570.00 to $525.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Forty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $557.96.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
Microsoft Stock Up 3.3%
Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT traded up $12.59 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $397.52. The company had a trading volume of 12,530,632 shares, compared to its average volume of 37,337,074. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.95 trillion, a P/E ratio of 23.66, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.13. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $401.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $412.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Microsoft has a one year low of $349.20 and a one year high of $555.45.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The software giant reported $4.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.06 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $82.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.44 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.34% and a return on equity of 31.94%. The firm's revenue was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.46 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Microsoft will post 16.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity at Microsoft
In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $402.84, for a total transaction of $1,812,780.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 47,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,122,009.12. This represents a 8.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Coleman sold 1,262 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.34, for a total value of $519,111.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,922,874.02. This represents a 2.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 23,762 shares of company stock valued at $10,508,361 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Microsoft
A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC grew its holdings in Microsoft by 51.3% during the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Bernzott Capital Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC grew its stake in Microsoft by 287.0% in the 4th quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 89 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft
Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Citi reportedly identified Microsoft as one of the top AI vendors, reinforcing the company’s leadership in enterprise AI and Azure-related growth. Citi Finds Microsoft (MSFT) as One of the Top AI Vendors
- Positive Sentiment: Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with 3M to advance AI data center infrastructure and enterprise transformation, a sign of continued demand for its cloud and AI stack. 3M and Microsoft announce strategic partnership to advance AI data center infrastructure and enterprise transformation
- Positive Sentiment: Bernstein’s CIO survey pointed to strong IT budget growth in 2026, supporting the outlook for Microsoft’s Azure, software, and AI services spending. Bernstein’s mid-year CIO survey calls for strong IT budget growth in 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is highlighted in multiple notes as an attractive long-term AI/cloud compounder ahead of earnings, suggesting some analysts still see upside into the July 29 report. One Hike, One Cut: Analysts Take Different Actions on Microsoft Stock Ahead of Earnings
- Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft remains in focus ahead of its upcoming fiscal Q4 earnings, with investors looking for updates on Azure growth, AI spending, and margin trends. Have Major Catalysts Lined Up for Microsoft Stock NASDAQ: MSFT?
- Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s CEO recently warned that companies can give away proprietary knowledge when using AI, which underscores the strategic importance of Microsoft’s enterprise AI tools but is not an immediate financial catalyst. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says Businesses 'Pay for Intelligence Twice,' Warns AI Can Cost Companies Proprietary Knowledge
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are advertising class-action claims over alleged Copilot-related misstatements and securities fraud, creating headline risk for MSFT shares. MSFT Shareholder Alert: August 11, 2026 Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Microsoft Corporation Securities Class Action
- Negative Sentiment: Security concerns are also in the news after Microsoft patched a record number of flaws, including zero-days under active attack, which may remind investors of ongoing product and platform risks. Microsoft Patches a Record 570 Security Flaws
- Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target on Microsoft, which can pressure sentiment even though the firm kept an overweight rating. Microsoft price target lowered by Wells Fargo
- Negative Sentiment: Microsoft is also facing criticism over rising emissions tied to its AI data-center buildout, adding ESG pressure as the company expands infrastructure. Microsoft's emissions rose 25% last year
About Microsoft
(
Get Free Report)
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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