Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stake Boosted by J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.

J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 1.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 258,982 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,077 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises about 2.6% of J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $134,140,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Microsoft by 2.0% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 705,077,786 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $350,712,742,000 after purchasing an additional 13,691,572 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 299,196,519 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $148,823,341,000 after buying an additional 3,166,275 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 2.0% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 179,001,751 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $88,714,256,000 after acquiring an additional 3,532,054 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $50,493,678,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 16.1% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 83,787,746 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $35,316,535,000 after purchasing an additional 11,600,470 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSFT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $641.00 price objective (down from $645.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price target on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Phillip Securities raised Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 1st. HSBC cut their price objective on Microsoft from $667.00 to $588.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Wedbush cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $625.00 to $575.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $591.95.

Insider Activity

In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $405.20 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $344.79 and a 52 week high of $555.45. The company’s 50 day moving average is $438.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $481.02. The company has a market cap of $3.01 trillion, a PE ratio of 25.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

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

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broadcom’s strong revenue outlook and commentary that AI semiconductor demand is accelerating reinforces the view that hyperscalers (including Microsoft) will keep investing heavily in data centers — a direct tailwind for Azure and MSFT’s cloud AI monetization. Broadcom sees revenue above estimates as AI fuels custom chip demand
• Positive Sentiment: Industry analysis pointing to a ~$650B AI capex cycle (chips, servers, networking) supports durable demand for Microsoft’s cloud, AI services, and enterprise partnerships — a structural revenue driver. The $650 Billion AI Surge Is Here—2 Semiconductor ETFs to Play It
• Positive Sentiment: Big Tech’s White House pledge to fund new power generation/infrastructure for AI data centers reduces regulatory/political risk and potential utility bill backlash for operators like Microsoft, easing a possible operational headwind. Tech Bosses Tell Trump They’ll Pay Up for Electricity
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive reshuffle at Microsoft Gaming (Asha Sharma named CEO) focuses integration and growth post‑Acquisition; strategic but longer‑dated for material revenue effects. Microsoft Gaming Leadership Reset Puts Integration And Growth In Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Satya Nadella’s public comments acknowledging AI‑driven job displacement underline Microsoft’s narrative that AI is transformative — useful for strategic positioning but neutral for immediate cash flow. Satya Nadella Says AI Will Displace Workers—’Best Protection…Transform Yourself’
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI profitability concerns resurfaced after recent share‑price pullbacks; analysts and investors are reassessing whether current multiples properly reflect execution risk and long‑term AI margins. Assessing Microsoft (MSFT) Valuation After Recent Share Price Pullback And AI Profitability Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Broker downgrades (Melius Research, Stifel) to Hold and public commentator concern (Jim Cramer) add selling pressure and reinforce short‑term skepticism. Melius Research and Stifel Downgrade Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/operational risk after reports of widespread Outlook email blocking drew user ire — this can draw regulatory scrutiny or customer friction if persistent. Microsoft Draws Internet Ire Over Wave of Email Blocking
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that OpenAI is developing a GitHub alternative highlight competitive risk in developer tools — a potential threat to parts of Microsoft’s developer ecosystem over time. OpenAI is developing alternative to Microsoft’s GitHub, The Information reports

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).