Microsoft Corporation $MSFT is Bessemer Group Inc.’s 2nd Largest Position

Bessemer Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 2.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,494,696 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 150,064 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 5.9% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.10% of Microsoft worth $3,881,878,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at about $50,493,678,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 1st quarter valued at about $18,733,827,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 49,640.3% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 29,967,038 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $14,905,904,000 after acquiring an additional 29,906,791 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Microsoft by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 705,077,786 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $350,712,742,000 after acquiring an additional 13,691,572 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in Microsoft by 16.1% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 83,787,746 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $35,316,535,000 after purchasing an additional 11,600,470 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wolfe Research cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $625.00 to $530.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. New Street Research boosted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $670.00 to $675.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $641.00 target price (down from $645.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Phillip Securities raised Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $591.95.

Microsoft Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $405.20 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $438.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $481.02. Microsoft Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $344.79 and a fifty-two week high of $555.45. The company has a market capitalization of $3.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.39.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.86 by $0.28. Microsoft had a net margin of 39.04% and a return on equity of 32.34%. The company had revenue of $81.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $80.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. Microsoft’s revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broadcom’s strong revenue outlook and commentary that AI semiconductor demand is accelerating reinforces the view that hyperscalers (including Microsoft) will keep investing heavily in data centers — a direct tailwind for Azure and MSFT’s cloud AI monetization. Broadcom sees revenue above estimates as AI fuels custom chip demand
• Positive Sentiment: Industry analysis pointing to a ~$650B AI capex cycle (chips, servers, networking) supports durable demand for Microsoft’s cloud, AI services, and enterprise partnerships — a structural revenue driver. The $650 Billion AI Surge Is Here—2 Semiconductor ETFs to Play It
• Positive Sentiment: Big Tech’s White House pledge to fund new power generation/infrastructure for AI data centers reduces regulatory/political risk and potential utility bill backlash for operators like Microsoft, easing a possible operational headwind. Tech Bosses Tell Trump They’ll Pay Up for Electricity
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive reshuffle at Microsoft Gaming (Asha Sharma named CEO) focuses integration and growth post‑Acquisition; strategic but longer‑dated for material revenue effects. Microsoft Gaming Leadership Reset Puts Integration And Growth In Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Satya Nadella’s public comments acknowledging AI‑driven job displacement underline Microsoft’s narrative that AI is transformative — useful for strategic positioning but neutral for immediate cash flow. Satya Nadella Says AI Will Displace Workers—’Best Protection…Transform Yourself’
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI profitability concerns resurfaced after recent share‑price pullbacks; analysts and investors are reassessing whether current multiples properly reflect execution risk and long‑term AI margins. Assessing Microsoft (MSFT) Valuation After Recent Share Price Pullback And AI Profitability Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Broker downgrades (Melius Research, Stifel) to Hold and public commentator concern (Jim Cramer) add selling pressure and reinforce short‑term skepticism. Melius Research and Stifel Downgrade Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/operational risk after reports of widespread Outlook email blocking drew user ire — this can draw regulatory scrutiny or customer friction if persistent. Microsoft Draws Internet Ire Over Wave of Email Blocking
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that OpenAI is developing a GitHub alternative highlight competitive risk in developer tools — a potential threat to parts of Microsoft’s developer ecosystem over time. OpenAI is developing alternative to Microsoft’s GitHub, The Information reports

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In related news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 83,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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).