Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock: WINTON GROUP Ltd Lowers Holdings

WINTON GROUP Ltd cut its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 87.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,475 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 39,619 shares during the quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $2,042,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Box Hill Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.5% in the second quarter. Box Hill Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,272 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,593,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 1.7% in the second quarter. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,473 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $549,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 3.8% in the second quarter. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC now owns 687 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $256,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Mann Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Microsoft by 1.3% in the second quarter. Mann Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,921 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $717,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Microsoft by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC now owns 5,543 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,052,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Price Performance

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $3.87 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $514.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $438.92. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $551.15.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.72 by $0.17. Microsoft had a net margin of 41.17% and a return on equity of 31.28%. The firm had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.13 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.00%.

Insider Transactions at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. The trade was a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Azure’s reported 48% growth helped lift Microsoft amid an AI-related tech rebound. Commentary also points to AI demand exceeding available capacity and argues Microsoft can fund its expansion from strong cash flow—an advantage as investors scrutinize rivals’ borrowing and spending. Article: What’s Going on with Microsoft Stock on Tuesday? Article: Why Microsoft Was Rewarded for Spending Less on AI
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s AI tools may reach a broader base of PC users: the company says AI can run on a computer with 8GB of memory, potentially supporting adoption of Copilot and related services. Article: AI on an 8GB PC? Yes, Says Microsoft
• Neutral Sentiment: Xbox’s reveal of a new Elder Scrolls title drew attention to Microsoft’s gaming business, but the article provides no indication of near-term financial impact. Article: Microsoft Stock Rises After The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel Reveal
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha contributor downgraded Microsoft, arguing that the easiest gains may be behind the stock—an assessment that could temper expectations after its recent strength. Article: Microsoft: The Easy Gains Are Already Over (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft’s reported $45.2 billion in quarterly capital spending, largely for AI, underscores the risk that infrastructure costs could weigh on cash flow before returns fully materialize. Reports of buyouts offered to roughly 60,000 employees may also prompt questions about workforce changes. Article: 5 questions to ask if your boss offers you a buyout

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSFT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $650.00 target price (up from $610.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Microsoft from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Argus lowered their price target on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $609.54.

About Microsoft

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.