Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Sold by Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC

Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 13.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 99,491 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 16,002 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 2.6% of Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $37,112,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MSFT. Cahill Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Microsoft by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Cahill Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 11,545 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $4,306,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 14.7% in the second quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 50,790 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $18,946,000 after buying an additional 6,494 shares in the last quarter. Bienville Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 5.8% in the second quarter. Bienville Capital Management LLC now owns 13,314 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $4,966,000 after buying an additional 731 shares in the last quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 2.4% during the second quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 68,089 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $25,398,000 after buying an additional 1,566 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gemmer Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Microsoft by 3.2% during the second quarter. Gemmer Asset Management LLC now owns 14,514 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $5,414,000 after buying an additional 454 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Microsoft Trading Up 6.7%

Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $555.80 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.22. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $559.15. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $515.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $439.42. The stock has a market cap of $4.13 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.05.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.72 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $92.28 billion during 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.13 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $600.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Tigress Financial boosted their price objective on Microsoft from $680.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Microsoft from $570.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Citizens Jmp increased their target price on Microsoft from $550.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $609.54.

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

Microsoft 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.