RAM Investment Partners LLC reduced its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 108,281 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 3,497 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up 10.5% of RAM Investment Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. RAM Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $56,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 51.3% in the 2nd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Microsoft in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, University of Illinois Foundation bought a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Microsoft from $630.00 to $615.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Microsoft from $575.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wedbush dropped their target price 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. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $450.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $591.95.
Microsoft Trading Down 3.2%
Shares of Microsoft stock opened at $384.47 on Tuesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $344.79 and a 52-week high of $555.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.85 trillion, a PE ratio of 24.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $450.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $486.83.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.86 by $0.28. The company 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%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.23 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. Microsoft’s payout ratio is presently 22.76%.
Key Stories Impacting Microsoft
Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:
- Positive Sentiment: BNP Paribas says OpenAI’s updated spending plan still benefits big cloud suppliers, reinforcing Azure demand for Microsoft’s AI infrastructure. OpenAI’s New Spending Plan Is Still a Positive for Microsoft and Oracle, Says BNP Paribas
- Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs’ bullish take on Microsoft after Maia 200 (Microsoft’s AI accelerator) narrows performance gaps with competitors gives a growth narrative that can support multiple expansion or limit downside. Maia 200 Gives Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) a Boost With Goldman Sachs, But Nowhere Else
- Positive Sentiment: Third‑party software and agents continue to land in Microsoft Marketplace (CrowdStrike Falcon, AI/R’s Llia, Reltio Azure certification), expanding Azure ecosystem monetization and ARR stickiness. Microsoft (MSFT) Positions for Long-Term AI and Enterprise Growth AI/R’s Intelligent AI Agent for Recruitment Operations Now Available in the Microsoft Marketplace
- Positive Sentiment: Bridgewater’s estimate that big tech will invest roughly $650B in AI this year supports continued hyperscaler demand for cloud/datacenter capacity—structural tailwind for Azure. Big Tech to invest about $650 billion in AI in 2026, Bridgewater says
- Neutral Sentiment: Market technicals and insider activity are mixed: a senior director’s recent buy and oversold indicators (RSI, MACD) suggest the selloff may be nearing exhaustion, but that’s not a guarantee of an immediate rebound. Microsoft stock page (MarketBeat)
- Negative Sentiment: Rising capex for AI/datacenters (66% surge noted by some analysts) is raising investor fears about the timing of returns and free‑cash‑flow pressure—even if Microsoft can fund spending internally. Is MSFT Stock Vulnerable to Rising CapEx Pressure From AI Spending?
- Negative Sentiment: Leadership change at Xbox—Phil Spencer’s retirement and Asha Sharma’s promotion—spooked investors who see gaming as a near‑term revenue headwind and worry about execution during the transition. That news contributed to intraday weakness. Gaming Reinvents Itself Around Software and Subscriptions Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Slips on Departure of Gaming CEO Phil Spencer
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst churn: some downgrades and skeptical coverage (e.g., recent downgrade notes) add selling pressure during the broader tech pullback. Palantir Upgraded, Microsoft Downgraded: Updated Rankings on Top Blue-Chip Stocks
- Negative Sentiment: Competitive and strategic risks: OpenAI’s expanding partnerships (consultancies) and questions about the long‑term return on Microsoft’s ~\$13B OpenAI investment create uncertainty about exclusive advantages and future monetization. OpenAI partners with McKinsey, BCG, Accenture, and Capgemini to push its Frontier AI agent platform Microsoft (MSFT) Stock: Tech Giant Locks 20% of OpenAI Revenue to 2032
Insider Activity
In related news, Director John W. Stanton bought 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. This represents a 6.34% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 12,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 129,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,577,620.48. This trade represents a 8.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate 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).
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