Bessemer Group Inc. Has $3.88 Billion Position in Microsoft Corporation $MSFT

Bessemer Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 7,494,696 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 150,064 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 5.9% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $3,881,878,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC boosted 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 buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft in the third quarter worth about $49,000. University of Illinois Foundation purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in Microsoft during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John W. Stanton purchased 5,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 83,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Friday, February 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $590.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $586.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Evercore decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $640.00 to $580.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Two 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.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $591.95.

Microsoft Price Performance

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $405.20 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $438.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $481.02. The company has a market capitalization of $3.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $344.79 and a one year high of $555.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.38.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.23 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broadcom’s strong revenue outlook and commentary that AI semiconductor demand is accelerating reinforces the view that hyperscalers (including Microsoft) will keep investing heavily in data centers — a direct tailwind for Azure and MSFT’s cloud AI monetization. Broadcom sees revenue above estimates as AI fuels custom chip demand
• Positive Sentiment: Industry analysis pointing to a ~$650B AI capex cycle (chips, servers, networking) supports durable demand for Microsoft’s cloud, AI services, and enterprise partnerships — a structural revenue driver. The $650 Billion AI Surge Is Here—2 Semiconductor ETFs to Play It
• Positive Sentiment: Big Tech’s White House pledge to fund new power generation/infrastructure for AI data centers reduces regulatory/political risk and potential utility bill backlash for operators like Microsoft, easing a possible operational headwind. Tech Bosses Tell Trump They’ll Pay Up for Electricity
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive reshuffle at Microsoft Gaming (Asha Sharma named CEO) focuses integration and growth post‑Acquisition; strategic but longer‑dated for material revenue effects. Microsoft Gaming Leadership Reset Puts Integration And Growth In Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Satya Nadella’s public comments acknowledging AI‑driven job displacement underline Microsoft’s narrative that AI is transformative — useful for strategic positioning but neutral for immediate cash flow. Satya Nadella Says AI Will Displace Workers—’Best Protection…Transform Yourself’
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI profitability concerns resurfaced after recent share‑price pullbacks; analysts and investors are reassessing whether current multiples properly reflect execution risk and long‑term AI margins. Assessing Microsoft (MSFT) Valuation After Recent Share Price Pullback And AI Profitability Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Broker downgrades (Melius Research, Stifel) to Hold and public commentator concern (Jim Cramer) add selling pressure and reinforce short‑term skepticism. Melius Research and Stifel Downgrade Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/operational risk after reports of widespread Outlook email blocking drew user ire — this can draw regulatory scrutiny or customer friction if persistent. Microsoft Draws Internet Ire Over Wave of Email Blocking
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that OpenAI is developing a GitHub alternative highlight competitive risk in developer tools — a potential threat to parts of Microsoft’s developer ecosystem over time. OpenAI is developing alternative to Microsoft’s GitHub, The Information reports

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).