Cantillon Capital Management LLC Has $648.75 Million Stock Position in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Cantillon Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,252,524 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 13,800 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up about 3.6% of Cantillon Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. Cantillon Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $648,745,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Microsoft Trading Down 1.1%

NASDAQ MSFT opened at $396.86 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $344.79 and a 12-month high of $555.45. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $457.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $490.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $2.95 trillion, a P/E ratio of 24.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.08.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $81.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $80.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSFT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Microsoft from $640.00 to $620.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $540.00 target price on shares of Microsoft and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $640.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and set a $650.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $591.95.

Key Headlines Impacting Microsoft

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: SeekingAlpha notes a potential Azure reacceleration that could surprise Wall Street — if Azure growth reaccelerates, revenue and margin outlooks would improve and relieve some valuation pressure. Microsoft’s Azure Reacceleration Could Shock Wall Street
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage arguing Microsoft’s cloud + AI model provides stability — its subscription and enterprise backlog can sustain cash flow while MSFT invests in AI products like Copilot. Microsoft: Cloud And AI-Driven Stability
• Positive Sentiment: Market activity in AI infrastructure suggests durable demand: BlackRock’s big position in Nebius (an AI infra vendor used by MSFT) signals institutional conviction in AI data‑center buildouts that benefit Microsoft’s cloud services. Whale Watching: BlackRock’s Massive Bet on Nebius Group (MSFT)
• Positive Sentiment: Large external capital plans (e.g., Adani’s $100B AI data‑center push with Google & Microsoft ties) point to multi‑year cloud/demand tailwinds for hyperscalers. India’s Adani Group To Invest $100 Billion In AI Data Centers Amid Strategic Partnership With Google, Microsoft
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro bullish view: an AI productivity “miracle” case could lift long‑cycle earnings for cloud/AI leaders, but timing and calibration are uncertain. Scott Bessent’s Case for a 2026 AI Productivity Miracle
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis noting MSFT’s pullback sets up a potential bull run if AI investments convert into durable revenue — but also highlights recent deceleration drivers that pressured the stock. Why Microsoft Stock Is Bracing For A Bull Run
• Negative Sentiment: Surveys and experts warn Big Tech may be overinvesting in AI infrastructure — that narrative is driving sector multiple compression and investor caution. Investing Experts Sound Alarm on Big Tech’s Massive AI Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst headlines and downgrades (e.g., TipRanks coverage calling a “lose‑lose” scenario and Melius Research moving MSFT to Hold) are pressuring sentiment and can trigger short‑term selling. ‘A Lose-Lose Situation,’ Says Analyst as Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Faces Downgrade Melius Research Downgrades Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Stock to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Product/security risk: coverage of “AI recommendation poisoning” highlights emerging AI safety/reputational threats that could dent enterprise adoption or add compliance costs. “AI Recommendation Poisoning”: Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) Sinks on New Threat

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 12,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $491.52, for a total transaction of $6,266,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 129,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,577,620.48. This represents a 8.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $478.72, for a total transaction of $1,364,352.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 55,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,703,959.04. The trade was a 4.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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).