Ayrshire Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 28,532 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 2,016 shares during the quarter. Microsoft comprises 6.3% of Ayrshire Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Ayrshire Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $13,798,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 51.3% in the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Microsoft in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft Stock Performance
NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $423.54 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.15 trillion, a PE ratio of 25.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $398.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $439.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $356.28 and a 12 month high of $555.45.
Microsoft Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 21.67%.
Insider Activity at Microsoft
In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,339,651.75. This represents a 6.34% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Amy Coleman sold 1,262 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.34, for a total value of $519,111.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,003 shares in the company, valued at $18,922,874.02. This trade represents a 2.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
MSFT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Raymond James Financial cut Microsoft from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $525.00 target price (up from $450.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $575.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. DZ Bank reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Thirty-nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $560.88.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Microsoft
Microsoft News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
- Positive Sentiment: The OpenAI lawsuit defeat for Elon Musk clears a major legal overhang and is seen as helping Microsoft’s AI ecosystem and partner exposure. Musk loses blockbuster OpenAI suit as jury says too late
- Positive Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square disclosed a new, large Microsoft stake, reinforcing the view that some major investors see MSFT as undervalued relative to its AI growth prospects. MSFT Stock Alert: What to Know as Bill Ackman Adds Microsoft Position
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators highlighted Microsoft as a beneficiary of enterprise AI adoption, with Azure and Copilot demand still driving the long-term growth story. Microsoft Rides on Enterprise AI Advancements: More Upside Ahead?
- Neutral Sentiment: Several fund updates showed mixed institutional activity, including notable purchases and trims, which points to continued debate over Microsoft’s near-term valuation rather than a clear change in fundamentals. Pershing Square boosts Microsoft stake with 5.65M shares
- Negative Sentiment: Some headlines flagged potential pressure points, including worries that GitHub AI competition is intensifying and that higher AI infrastructure spending could weigh on margins. Microsoft (MSFT) Faces GitHub AI Crisis as OpenAI’s Codex and Rivals Catch Up
Microsoft Company Profile
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).
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Microsoft
- Why Applied Optoelectronics Stock May Be Near a Turning Point
- From High-Yield to High-Growth: 3 Stocks Boosting Dividends
- Is Everspin Technologies the Next AI Edge Breakout?
- 5 Robotics Stocks to Watch as Physical AI Builds Momentum
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Microsoft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Microsoft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
