Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Sold by Vann Equity Management LLC

Vann Equity Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,478 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 1,269 shares during the quarter. Microsoft accounts for about 5.1% of Vann Equity Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Vann Equity Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $8,452,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Frankly Finances LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Fiduciary Advisors Inc. increased its position in Microsoft by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on MSFT. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $650.00 price objective (up from $610.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Guggenheim boosted their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $725.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $510.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Griffin Securities cut Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-six have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $609.54.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Microsoft stock opened at $545.18 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $517.28 and a 200-day moving average of $440.69. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 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 has a market capitalization of $4.05 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.05.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $92.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.13 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of Microsoft 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 owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Northern Trust introduced an AI-powered client-onboarding agent running on Microsoft Azure, with Excel and SharePoint integration. The reported reductions in data-preparation time and strong data-quality results illustrate potential enterprise demand for Microsoft’s cloud and AI tools. Microsoft stock and Northern Trust AI agent
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is reportedly becoming more selective about outside AI data-center and neocloud arrangements, including not renewing a cloud contract involving Oracle. Tighter spending could support cash flow, but changes to its infrastructure plans may also raise questions about capacity and execution. Microsoft AI data-center deals
• Negative Sentiment: AI investment remains a key risk: one report said Microsoft’s free cash flow over the last four quarters was about 23% below the prior-year period, amid rising infrastructure spending. A large reported backlog signals demand, but investors will look for that spending to translate into returns. Microsoft backlog, AI capex and neocloud ties
• Negative Sentiment: B&D White Capital, a fund with roughly $1.03 billion in assets, reported selling all its Microsoft shares in the third quarter. The filing is backward-looking and does not establish the fund’s reason for selling, but it may add to near-term sentiment concerns. B&D White Capital share sale

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, and digital solutions for consumers, businesses, and public-sector organizations. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Its products and services include the Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Azure cloud computing, LinkedIn, GitHub, Surface devices, and Xbox gaming products and services. Microsoft also provides business software, cybersecurity tools, and artificial intelligence technologies.

Microsoft serves customers around the world through its products, online platforms, and network of business partners.