Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Holdings Lowered by Farley Capital L.P.

Farley Capital L.P. lowered its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 17.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 42,349 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 9,033 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up 15.8% of Farley Capital L.P.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Farley Capital L.P.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $21,935,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% during the 2nd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the third quarter worth about $38,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft during the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $5,045,695.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares in the company, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on MSFT shares. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $591.95.

Microsoft Stock Down 0.2%

NASDAQ MSFT opened at $404.88 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $430.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $477.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $3.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $344.79 and a one year high of $555.45.

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

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 22.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is doubling down on a multi‑model AI strategy and deeper Anthropic integration (Copilot Cowork / Claude) that should boost Azure consumption and enterprise Copilot seat revenue. Microsoft aims to be multi-model: Exec talks Anthropic AI team-up
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft launched a higher‑priced M365 “Frontier” / E7 $99 AI subscription and other enterprise AI bundles—moves that can lift ARPU, accelerate Copilot adoption and create stickier recurring revenue. Microsoft unveils $99 ‘Frontier’ AI subscription
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies and other sell‑side firms remain constructive (Buy/Outperform and elevated price targets), supporting longer‑term upside narratives tied to Azure and Copilot monetization. Here’s What Jefferies Think About Microsoft (MSFT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is in talks to lease a Texas AI data‑center site (after Oracle shelved plans) — an operational step toward capacity growth but with timing/costs still uncertain. Microsoft in talks to lease Texas AI data center site
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft said it will ship a prototype of the next Xbox to developers in 2027 (AMD silicon, improved ray tracing) — positive for long‑term gaming revenue but not an immediate earnings driver. Microsoft plans to ship prototype of next Xbox console to developers in 2027
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and legal risk: Microsoft filed an amicus brief backing Anthropic in its suit to block the Pentagon’s supply‑chain designation — this preserves product access and Azure revenue but raises political and compliance exposure that could create near‑term uncertainty. Microsoft files amicus brief in support of Anthropic’s lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Growing bearish positioning and insider activity: short interest jumped materially in late Feb and an EVP disclosed a multi‑million‑dollar share sale — both can amplify downside momentum in volatile sessions. SEC Form 4 — Kathleen T. Hogan sale
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/headline risk: market strategists are warning of mid‑March seasonality, geopolitical tensions (Middle East) and heightened volatility — factors that tend to hit large tech names and can pressure multiples. Market Crash Warning? Wall Street Veteran Says Mid-March Could Mark a Turning Point

About Microsoft

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).