Microsoft Corporation $MSFT is JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd’s 7th Largest Position

JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd cut its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,277,760 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 119,794 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up about 3.6% of JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $661,816,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC boosted its position in Microsoft by 51.3% in the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Bulwark Capital Corp purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Westend Capital Management LLC grew its position in Microsoft by 386.7% during the second quarter. Westend Capital Management LLC now owns 73 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Microsoft during the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, University of Illinois Foundation purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $50,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on MSFT. DZ Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $700.00 to $665.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on Microsoft in a report on Friday, November 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $600.00 price objective for the company. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-six have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $630.37.

Microsoft Trading Up 0.7%

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $459.86 on Tuesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $344.79 and a 1 year high of $555.45. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $483.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $502.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $3.42 trillion, a P/E ratio of 32.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.07.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The software giant reported $4.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.65 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $77.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $75.49 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 35.71%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.30 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders 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 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.89%.

Key Microsoft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI reported it hit a >$20B revenue target in 2025 — a direct positive for Microsoft because higher OpenAI sales boost demand for Azure compute, licensing and co‑commercial opportunities with MSFT. Microsoft-Backed OpenAI Hits $20B Revenue Target in 2025
• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI says 2026 will be a turning point for practical AI adoption — signals accelerating enterprise uptake of AI tools that feed Azure consumption and Microsoft’s AI product stack. OpenAI Says 2026 Will Be a Turning Point for Practical AI Adoption
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman and other firms have been bullish on MSFT’s AI/cloud leadership (Goldman’s coverage implies material upside), reinforcing investor confidence in MSFT’s growth trajectory tied to enterprise AI. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Seen with 37% Upside as Goldman Highlights AI and Cloud Leadership
• Positive Sentiment: Overall analyst sentiment remains strongly bullish despite some price‑target trimming and heavy AI investment — many analysts still see sizable upside, which supports buying interest. Strong Analyst Sentiment on Microsoft (MSFT) Despite Price Target Cuts and Heavy AI Spend
• Neutral Sentiment: MSFT is highlighted on several AI/cloud “top picks” and ETFs — useful for flows into the stock but a slower, less direct catalyst than OpenAI revenue. Top AI Stocks to Boost Returns and Reignite Portfolio Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/ESG moves — large carbon removal purchases and initiatives to lower data‑center energy use support long‑term cost control and reputational upside but are not immediate revenue drivers. Microsoft Kicks Off 2026 With Flurry Of Large-Scale Carbon Removal Purchase Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: Elon Musk filed claims seeking up to $134B from OpenAI and Microsoft — creates headline risk and uncertainty even if chances of material payout are unclear. Elon Musk Claims OpenAI and Microsoft Gained $134 Billion From His Early AI Work
• Negative Sentiment: Negative investor commentary and skeptics (e.g., Michael Burry, critical pieces) warn that AI spending and valuation could be overheated — increases volatility and could pressure multiples if led by macro or earnings disappointment. ‘Big Short’ investor Michael Burry says the AI boom will end badly
• Negative Sentiment: Some critical analysis questions MSFT’s valuation and near‑term mix (see Seeking Alpha); combined with heavy AI spending, this fuels debate over margin/ROI timing. Microsoft: Something Doesn’t Add Up

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, insider Bradford L. Smith sold 38,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $518.64, for a total value of $19,967,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $478.72, for a total transaction of $1,364,352.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 55,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,703,959.04. The trade was a 4.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 54,100 shares of company stock valued at $27,598,872. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

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).