Van Strum & Towne Inc. Has $28.12 Million Position in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Van Strum & Towne Inc. reduced its holdings in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 4.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,291 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 2,276 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up 8.3% of Van Strum & Towne Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Van Strum & Towne Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $28,120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MSFT. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake 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 buying an additional 13,691,572 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 1.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 299,196,519 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $148,823,341,000 after acquiring an additional 3,166,275 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 2.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 179,001,751 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $88,714,256,000 after acquiring an additional 3,532,054 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth about $50,493,678,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 11,600,470 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on MSFT shares. Robert W. Baird set a $540.00 target price on shares of Microsoft and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Raymond James Financial reduced their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Arete Research lifted their target price on Microsoft from $710.00 to $730.00 in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price target on Microsoft from $630.00 to $600.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $591.95.

Microsoft Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $396.86 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $457.04 and a 200-day moving average of $490.56. The firm has a market cap of $2.95 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.08. 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 twelve month low of $344.79 and a twelve month high of $555.45.

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

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.76%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 12,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $491.52, for a total value of $6,266,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 129,349 shares in the company, valued at $63,577,620.48. This trade represents a 8.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $478.72, for a total value of $1,364,352.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 55,782 shares in the company, valued at $26,703,959.04. This represents a 4.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft 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).