Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Acquired by GF Fund Management CO. LTD.

GF Fund Management CO. LTD. lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 755,692 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,464 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 7.1% of GF Fund Management CO. LTD.’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. GF Fund Management CO. LTD.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $391,411,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC lifted its position in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% during the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth $49,000. University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth $50,000. Finally, LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth $44,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $408.96 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $435.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $479.78. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $344.79 and a 52-week high of $555.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.04 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.58, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.86 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $81.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.28 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 32.34% and a net margin of 39.04%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.23 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 directly owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Microsoft News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reiterates a bullish view on Microsoft, naming MSFT its leading AI investment and assigning a $675 price target — a vote of confidence that supports upside for the stock. Jefferies Names Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Its Leading AI Investment With $675 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed an AI collaboration with Codelco (Chile’s state miner) to evaluate AI, automation and analytics for mining — another enterprise win that strengthens Azure/Microsoft AI cash flows over time. Codelco, Microsoft sign AI deal for mining operations
• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI’s large funding round and continued strategic ties give Microsoft breathing room around its AI investments and partnerships, reducing near-term partnership tail-risk. OpenAI Funding Gives Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Breathing Space
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft says it will continue integrating Anthropic’s Claude into products despite the Pentagon labeling Anthropic a “supply chain risk” — continuity for product roadmaps but with some government-contract uncertainty. Microsoft (MSFT) Maintains Anthropic Claude Integration Despite Pentagon Supply Chain Ban
• Neutral Sentiment: Google and Microsoft both said Anthropic remains available for non-defense projects, which limits immediate disruption but keeps regulatory headlines in play. Google joins Microsoft in telling users Anthropic is still available outside defense projects
• Neutral Sentiment: Options strategists and some investors view the pullback as a buying opportunity (protective collar strategies highlighted), indicating increased interest from longer-term/hedged buyers even amid volatility. Trade the Deep Value and Dubious Option Pricing in Microsoft Stock with This 1 Great Options Strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators flag downside risk before MSFT can justify very high targets — concerns center on heavy AI-related capex, moderating Azure growth and margin pressure despite long-term upside. That debate is creating selling pressure and volatility. Buy the Dip or Wait? Analyst Flags Downside Risk Before $680 Breakout In Microsoft (MSFT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: Japan’s antitrust probe into Microsoft’s cloud/software practices adds regional legal uncertainty that could weigh on valuation multiple or deal activity in Asia. Microsoft Faces Japan Antitrust Probe As Gaming Shifts And AI Deals Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressures — rising yields, higher energy prices and sector rotation — are pulling down high-multiple software names; Microsoft’s heavy AI spend makes it more sensitive to sentiment swings despite strong fundamentals. How Microsoft Stock Falls To $325?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research lowered their target price on Microsoft from $625.00 to $530.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $650.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Microsoft from $640.00 to $520.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $591.95.

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).