Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock: The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Decreases Position

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 3.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,725,305 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 439,548 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises about 2.0% of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $4,000,706,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hedeker Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 6.9% during the second quarter. Hedeker Wealth LLC now owns 55,236 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $20,604,000 after buying an additional 3,546 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its stake in Microsoft by 4.0% in the second quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 229,490 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $85,604,000 after buying an additional 8,773 shares in the last quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC bought a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $3,652,000. Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $75,641,000. Finally, GTS Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 44.6% in the second quarter. GTS Securities LLC now owns 271,597 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $101,311,000 after buying an additional 83,734 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, EVP Amy Hood sold 7,305 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total transaction of $3,984,293.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 555,396 shares in the company, valued at approximately $302,924,086.32. The trade was a 1.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $244,092,173.98. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024 in the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Microsoft Trading Up 6.7%

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $555.80 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $349.20 and a one year high of $559.15. 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 company’s 50-day simple moving average is $515.34 and its 200 day simple moving average is $439.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.13 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.01, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.05.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $90.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.13 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 19.00%.

Microsoft News Summary

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $600.00 to $610.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on Microsoft from $608.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Wolfe Research upgraded Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Argus dropped their price target on Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. One equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.