Wellington Altus USA Inc. Buys 2,213 Shares of Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Wellington Altus USA Inc. raised its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 63.2% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 5,716 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,213 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 1.4% of Wellington Altus USA Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position. Wellington Altus USA Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $2,116,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $27,338,370,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.9% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 64,375,360 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $24,013,297,000 after purchasing an additional 543,172 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at about $18,306,443,000. Amundi increased its holdings in Microsoft by 12.0% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 46,694,778 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $17,418,076,000 after purchasing an additional 5,019,702 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Microsoft by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 29,323,744 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $10,852,884,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784,809 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Price Performance

MSFT opened at $555.80 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market cap of $4.13 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $515.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $439.42. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $559.15.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.72 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 41.17% and a return on equity of 31.28%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.13 EPS. Research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

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

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cloud and AI results supported the rally. Microsoft’s fiscal first-quarter revenue rose 19% year over year to $92.28 billion, beating estimates, while Azure growth accelerated and AI adoption continued to expand. Reports also highlighted a $677 billion commercial backlog as evidence of future demand. Article: MSFT Q1 Earnings Call Highlights Azure Growth and AI Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Broader market strength lifted mega-cap technology shares. Microsoft joined a post-election rebound as investors rotated back into AI leaders; the company also reached a record high during the session. Article: Microsoft Stock Hits Record High as Midterm Results Boost AI Infrastructure Bets
• Positive Sentiment: New analytics tools target AI-assisted shopping. Microsoft added features to Clarity that help merchants track how AI agents interact with websites and apps, extending the company’s offerings for businesses adopting agentic AI. Article: Microsoft Clarity Helps Merchants Welcome AI Shopping Agents
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft disclosed a $25 billion senior-notes offering. The debt issuance provides financing flexibility, but also adds borrowing and interest obligations. Article: Microsoft Announces $25 Billion Senior Notes Offering
• Negative Sentiment: AI investment remains a key risk. Analysts and commentary flagged substantial infrastructure spending, possible pressure on free cash flow and margins, and political calls for tighter data-center rules that could constrain future expansion. Article: Microsoft: Don’t Get Too Excited About Its Positive FCF

Insider Transactions at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSFT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Guggenheim boosted their target price on Microsoft from $586.00 to $595.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $630.00 price objective (up from $600.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Phillip Securities lowered shares of Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $609.54.

About Microsoft

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.