Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Stock Position Trimmed by IKE Capital LLC

IKE Capital LLC lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 5.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,440 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 1,191 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises about 3.7% of IKE Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. IKE Capital LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $7,251,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSFT. Anchor Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 105,520 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $39,361,000 after acquiring an additional 3,733 shares in the last quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 9.9% during the second quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC now owns 219,809 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $81,993,000 after purchasing an additional 19,760 shares during the period. Revere Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $298,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $3,820,000. Finally, Marathon Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Microsoft by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Marathon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 26,552 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $9,904,000 after buying an additional 1,081 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft

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 Stock Up 6.7%

MSFT stock opened at $555.80 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $4.13 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $515.34 and a 200 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.72 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $90.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.28% and a net margin of 41.17%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.13 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock worth $68,138,024. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on MSFT. Argus decreased their price target on shares of Microsoft from $620.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Microsoft from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $600.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Evercore raised Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Griffin Securities downgraded Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.