WestEnd Advisors LLC Sells 1,691 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

WestEnd Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 1.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 101,406 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 1,691 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for approximately 1.2% of WestEnd Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. WestEnd Advisors LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $52,525,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. WFA Asset Management Corp grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 27.0% in the 1st quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 1,016 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $427,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the period. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% during the second quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 12,658 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $5,658,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 410.4% during the third quarter. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 2,659 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,144,000 after purchasing an additional 2,138 shares during the period. Wealth Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 2,374 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,000,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Capital Management LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 23,097 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $9,735,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Microsoft stock opened at $454.52 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $344.79 and a fifty-two week high of $555.45. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $481.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $502.15. The stock has a market cap of $3.38 trillion, a P/E ratio of 32.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.40.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The software giant reported $4.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.65 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $77.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $75.49 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 35.71%.The company’s revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.30 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 25.89%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 12,750 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $491.52, for a total value of $6,266,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 129,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,577,620.48. The trade was a 8.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $478.72, for a total transaction of $1,364,352.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 55,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,703,959.04. This represents a 4.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 54,100 shares of company stock valued at $27,598,872. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSFT has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $700.00 to $665.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Arete Research upped their price target on Microsoft from $710.00 to $730.00 in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $637.00 to $645.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $640.00 to $620.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-seven have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $628.95.

More Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman/Tipranks coverage highlights a maintained Buy view as AI and cloud growth are seen offsetting structurally higher power costs; analyst support helps underpin investor confidence. Microsoft: Maintaining a Buy Rating as AI and Cloud Growth Offset Structurally Higher Power Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft landed a strategic healthcare AI deal with Bristol Myers Squibb to accelerate early lung cancer detection — a commercial win that showcases Azure/AI monetization beyond core enterprise workloads. Bristol Myers partners with Microsoft for AI-driven lung cancer detection
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and marketing upside: Microsoft will unveil a partnership with the Mercedes F1 team — a high‑profile tie that can boost enterprise and consumer visibility for Microsoft’s cloud/AI offerings. Microsoft clicks on Formula One grid with new Mercedes deal
• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI (backed by Microsoft) reportedly hit ~$20B revenue in 2025 — evidence of strong downstream demand for models and a tailwind for Microsoft’s AI services and strategic stake. Microsoft-Backed OpenAI Hits $20B Revenue Target in 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is pushing to lower data‑center energy use — a long‑term margin and PR positive, but benefits are gradual and won’t immediately offset 2025–2026 AI capex pressures. Microsoft Wants to Lower Data Center Energy Use. Does That Help the Bull Case for MSFT Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry energy solutions continue to surface (e.g., Alibaba joining a nuclear‑power push) — a sign that hyperscalers are seeking large‑scale energy fixes but such infrastructure shifts take years to affect margins. Alibaba Joins Microsoft, Meta In Nuclear Power Push For AI
• Negative Sentiment: Market skeptics: Michael Burry warned the AI sector could be in a bubble that government intervention won’t save — broad negative sentiment that can amplify selloffs in large AI‑exposed names like Microsoft. Michael Burry Warns Government Intervention Won’t Stop AI Bubble Burst
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term cloud concerns: coverage and market notes point to reported Azure growth/forward guidance that disappointed some investors, and a recent TD Cowen price‑target trim reduced perceived near‑term upside. Microsoft (MSFT) Traded Lower as Its Reported Azure Cloud Growth and Forward Guidance Fell Short of Expectations

Microsoft 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).