RFG Advisory LLC Sells 11,690 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

RFG Advisory LLC lessened its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 15.2% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 65,031 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 11,690 shares during the period. RFG Advisory LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $24,258,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total transaction of $43,388,826.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 7,305 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total value of $3,984,293.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 555,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $302,924,086.32. The trade was a 1.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 have sold 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MSFT. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $440.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $609.54.

Microsoft Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of MSFT opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $551.15. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $3.87 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $514.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $438.92.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.72 by $0.17. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.28% and a net margin of 41.17%. The firm 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 firm posted $4.13 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is 19.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Microsoft

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.