WINTON GROUP Ltd Sells 39,619 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

WINTON GROUP Ltd lowered its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 87.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,475 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 39,619 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $2,042,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Fiduciary Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Microsoft by 37.4% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible 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 firm’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSFT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $586.00 to $595.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. BNP Paribas Exane cut Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Citizens Jmp lifted their price target on Microsoft from $550.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Microsoft from $570.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $609.54.

Microsoft Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market cap of $3.87 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $514.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $438.92. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $551.15.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $92.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $90.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.13 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 19.00%.

Microsoft News Summary

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

Microsoft Company 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.