Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Holdings Boosted by KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC

KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC lifted its position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 130,160 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,670 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises approximately 4.5% of KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $67,416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Wellington Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $9,941,000. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 94,120 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $46,816,000 after acquiring an additional 2,373 shares during the period. Real Talk Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Real Talk Capital LLC now owns 2,290 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $860,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG now owns 922,524 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $457,119,000 after purchasing an additional 33,382 shares during the period. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 4.3% in the third quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 285,163 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $147,700,000 after purchasing an additional 11,770 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Microsoft News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush reiterated an Outperform and set a $625 price target, calling MSFT a “core AI winner” — this boosts buy-side conviction that Microsoft will convert AI investments into outsized revenue and supports higher multiple expansion. Wedbush Calls Microsoft (MSFT) a Core AI Winner With $625 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces (Seeking Alpha et al.) argue Microsoft is the “real AI winner in plain sight,” reinforcing the narrative that Azure, Copilot integrations and enterprise lock‑in position MSFT to capture long‑term AI revenue. Microsoft: The Real AI Winner Hiding In Plain Sight
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat highlights Microsoft’s durable switching costs (Office, Azure, identity) and embedded enterprise workflows — a reminder to investors that customer stickiness can protect margins and sustain recurring revenue. Microsoft May Look Pricey, But Customers Can’t Walk Away
• Neutral Sentiment: OpenAI (which Microsoft backs) appears closer to showing ads in ChatGPT — a potential new revenue lever but uncertain timing/monetization; investors view this as a watch item rather than an immediate earnings driver. OpenAI Is Getting Closer to Showing Ads on ChatGPT
• Neutral Sentiment: Social/quant summaries note strong Azure/AI growth but also heavy FY25 capex and significant insider sales; these data points keep volatility elevated as investors debate growth vs. capital intensity. Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Opinions on AI and Cloud Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Reports question whether Microsoft is “overbuilding” data centers and note Copilot adoption challenges; rising capex and slower-than-expected enterprise adoption could pressure margins and temper near‑term returns. Is Microsoft overbuilding? Microsoft stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) ticks up with mounting concern
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting Copilot adoption friction and Nadella stepping in as product overseer raises execution risk headlines — such operational concerns can fuel short‑term selling despite the longer‑term AI story. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella steps up as AI product overseer amid Copilot adoption challenges

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho downgraded Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $500.00 price objective (down from $560.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Microsoft from $650.00 to $625.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Microsoft from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $631.03.

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, insider Bradford L. Smith sold 38,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $518.64, for a total value of $19,967,640.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 461,597 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $239,402,668.08. This trade represents a 7.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $478.72, for a total value of $1,364,352.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 55,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,703,959.04. The trade was a 4.86% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 54,100 shares of company stock valued at $27,598,872. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $487.61 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $497.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $503.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $344.79 and a 12-month high of $555.45. The company has a market cap of $3.62 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.68, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.89%.

About Microsoft

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).