Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. Increases Stake in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. grew its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 41.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,200 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,300 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises 4.6% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $9,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. WFA Asset Management Corp lifted its holdings in Microsoft by 27.0% in the 1st quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 1,016 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $427,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the period. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% during the second quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 12,658 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $5,658,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 410.4% during the third quarter. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 2,659 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,144,000 after acquiring an additional 2,138 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 2,374 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,000,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 23,097 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $9,735,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reiterates a bullish view on Microsoft, naming MSFT its leading AI investment and assigning a $675 price target — a vote of confidence that supports upside for the stock. Jefferies Names Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Its Leading AI Investment With $675 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed an AI collaboration with Codelco (Chile’s state miner) to evaluate AI, automation and analytics for mining — another enterprise win that strengthens Azure/Microsoft AI cash flows over time. Codelco, Microsoft sign AI deal for mining operations
• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI’s large funding round and continued strategic ties give Microsoft breathing room around its AI investments and partnerships, reducing near-term partnership tail-risk. OpenAI Funding Gives Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Breathing Space
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft says it will continue integrating Anthropic’s Claude into products despite the Pentagon labeling Anthropic a “supply chain risk” — continuity for product roadmaps but with some government-contract uncertainty. Microsoft (MSFT) Maintains Anthropic Claude Integration Despite Pentagon Supply Chain Ban
• Neutral Sentiment: Google and Microsoft both said Anthropic remains available for non-defense projects, which limits immediate disruption but keeps regulatory headlines in play. Google joins Microsoft in telling users Anthropic is still available outside defense projects
• Neutral Sentiment: Options strategists and some investors view the pullback as a buying opportunity (protective collar strategies highlighted), indicating increased interest from longer-term/hedged buyers even amid volatility. Trade the Deep Value and Dubious Option Pricing in Microsoft Stock with This 1 Great Options Strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators flag downside risk before MSFT can justify very high targets — concerns center on heavy AI-related capex, moderating Azure growth and margin pressure despite long-term upside. That debate is creating selling pressure and volatility. Buy the Dip or Wait? Analyst Flags Downside Risk Before $680 Breakout In Microsoft (MSFT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: Japan’s antitrust probe into Microsoft’s cloud/software practices adds regional legal uncertainty that could weigh on valuation multiple or deal activity in Asia. Microsoft Faces Japan Antitrust Probe As Gaming Shifts And AI Deals Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressures — rising yields, higher energy prices and sector rotation — are pulling down high-multiple software names; Microsoft’s heavy AI spend makes it more sensitive to sentiment swings despite strong fundamentals. How Microsoft Stock Falls To $325?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. Wedbush reduced their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $625.00 to $575.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $640.00 to $520.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Phillip Securities raised shares of Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $600.00 price target (down from $650.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Microsoft from $575.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $591.95.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 83,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $408.96 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $435.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $479.38. The stock has a market cap of $3.04 trillion, a PE ratio of 25.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $344.79 and a 12 month high of $555.45.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.28 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.23 EPS. Microsoft’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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).