Baillie Gifford & Co. Lowers Stake in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Posted by Defense World Staff on Feb 18th, 2026

Baillie Gifford & Co. lessened its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,860,839 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 168,437 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for about 2.2% of Baillie Gifford & Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 0.08% of Microsoft worth $3,035,622,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WFA Asset Management Corp grew its stake in Microsoft by 27.0% in the first quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 1,016 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $427,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 12,658 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $5,658,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 410.4% in the 3rd quarter. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 2,659 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,144,000 after buying an additional 2,138 shares during the period. Wealth Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 2,374 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,000,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 23,097 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $9,735,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT stock 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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $457.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $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 company has a market cap of $2.95 trillion, a PE ratio of 24.82, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.08.

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

Microsoft Announces Dividend

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

Microsoft News Summary

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $615.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Arete Research upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $710.00 to $730.00 in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $590.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $660.00 to $635.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $591.95.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on MSFT

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $478.72, for a total value of $1,364,352.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 55,782 shares in the company, valued at $26,703,959.04. This trade represents a 4.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 12,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 129,349 shares in the company, valued at $63,577,620.48. The trade was a 8.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Profile

(Free Report)

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).