Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Bought by Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC

Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 88,637 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,121 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 2.0% of Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $33,063,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Community Bank N.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Community Bank N.A. now owns 59,967 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $22,368,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,661,376 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $619,725,000 after buying an additional 88,531 shares during the period. Hedeker Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Hedeker Wealth LLC now owns 55,236 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $20,604,000 after buying an additional 3,546 shares during the period. Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Tichoniim Havera Menahelet LTD purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at $14,959,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 180,462 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $67,316,000 after buying an additional 5,662 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft News Summary

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MSFT shares. William Blair initiated coverage on Microsoft in a research report on Monday, October 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Microsoft from $510.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $650.00 price objective (up from $610.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $609.54.

Microsoft Price Performance

Microsoft stock opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $551.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $514.06 and a 200-day moving average of $438.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.87 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued 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 business had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 41.17% and a return on equity of 31.28%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.13 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 19.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at $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 SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total value of $3,984,293.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 555,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $302,924,086.32. The trade was a 1.30% 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 quarter, insiders sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.