Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Bought by Diversify Wealth Management LLC

Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 3.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 50,860 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,552 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up about 1.5% of Diversify Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Diversify Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $26,296,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% in the 2nd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the third quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at about $50,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is doubling down on a multi‑model AI strategy and deeper Anthropic integration (Copilot Cowork / Claude) that should boost Azure consumption and enterprise Copilot seat revenue. Microsoft aims to be multi-model: Exec talks Anthropic AI team-up
• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft launched a higher‑priced M365 “Frontier” / E7 $99 AI subscription and other enterprise AI bundles—moves that can lift ARPU, accelerate Copilot adoption and create stickier recurring revenue. Microsoft unveils $99 ‘Frontier’ AI subscription
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies and other sell‑side firms remain constructive (Buy/Outperform and elevated price targets), supporting longer‑term upside narratives tied to Azure and Copilot monetization. Here’s What Jefferies Think About Microsoft (MSFT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft is in talks to lease a Texas AI data‑center site (after Oracle shelved plans) — an operational step toward capacity growth but with timing/costs still uncertain. Microsoft in talks to lease Texas AI data center site
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft said it will ship a prototype of the next Xbox to developers in 2027 (AMD silicon, improved ray tracing) — positive for long‑term gaming revenue but not an immediate earnings driver. Microsoft plans to ship prototype of next Xbox console to developers in 2027
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and legal risk: Microsoft filed an amicus brief backing Anthropic in its suit to block the Pentagon’s supply‑chain designation — this preserves product access and Azure revenue but raises political and compliance exposure that could create near‑term uncertainty. Microsoft files amicus brief in support of Anthropic’s lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Growing bearish positioning and insider activity: short interest jumped materially in late Feb and an EVP disclosed a multi‑million‑dollar share sale — both can amplify downside momentum in volatile sessions. SEC Form 4 — Kathleen T. Hogan sale
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/headline risk: market strategists are warning of mid‑March seasonality, geopolitical tensions (Middle East) and heightened volatility — factors that tend to hit large tech names and can pressure multiples. Market Crash Warning? Wall Street Veteran Says Mid-March Could Mark a Turning Point

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on MSFT. Wolfe Research lowered their target price on Microsoft from $625.00 to $530.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $575.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $450.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $600.00 price objective (down from $650.00) on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $591.95.

Microsoft Trading Down 0.2%

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $404.88 on Thursday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $344.79 and a 52 week high of $555.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.39. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $430.65 and its 200-day moving average is $477.49. The firm has a market cap of $3.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.10.

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

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.76%.

Insider Transactions at Microsoft

In other Microsoft news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $397.35 per share, for a total transaction of $1,986,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. This trade represents a 6.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $5,045,695.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 137,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $56,486,322.16. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is owned by 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).