Microsoft Corporation $MSFT Shares Sold by Trust Asset Management LLC

Trust Asset Management LLC cut its stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 82,545 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 3,069 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 2.7% of Trust Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Trust Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $39,920,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MSFT. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 51.3% during the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 59 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth $49,000. Finally, University of Illinois Foundation bought a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $50,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MSFT shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $450.00 target price on Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Microsoft from $630.00 to $615.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $650.00 to $600.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, HSBC cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $667.00 to $588.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $588.97.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Kathleen T. Hogan sold 12,321 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total transaction of $5,045,695.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 137,933 shares in the company, valued at approximately $56,486,322.16. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John W. Stanton purchased 5,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $397.35 per share, with a total value of $1,986,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 83,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,339,651.75. The trade was a 6.34% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launched three proprietary AI models (MAI-Transcribe-1, MAI-Voice-1, MAI-Image-2) — signals faster, more self‑sufficient AI offerings that reduce dependence on external partners and can accelerate product monetization. Microsoft releases trio of AI models for transcription, voice generation and image creation
• Positive Sentiment: Bloomberg reports Microsoft has hit Copilot sales goals after a strategy shift — evidence that Copilot commercial traction is improving and could support near‑term revenue/booking growth. Microsoft hits Copilot sales goals after strategy shift – Bloomberg
• Positive Sentiment: Large regional infrastructure commitments — continued investment in Asia (e.g., multi‑billion plans for Singapore and Thailand) to expand cloud/AI capacity and address data‑sovereignty demand, supporting long‑term Azure and cloud revenue potential. What Microsoft (MSFT)’s Asia AI Infrastructure Bet Means For Shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and fresh buy coverage (Benchmark, New Street, others) with lofty price targets — reinforces buy‑the‑dip narratives and attracts dip buyers. Microsoft in focus as Benchmark starts with Buy rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Exclusive talks with Chevron/Engine No. 1 on a large Texas power project could secure dedicated energy for AI data centers — strategic but execution‑ and timing‑dependent. Microsoft and Chevron enter exclusivity deal on powering West Texas AI data center complex
• Neutral Sentiment: OpenAI’s huge funding/valuation debate and broader AI-market dynamics remain relevant to MSFT (partner/competitor ecosystem impacts), but effects are indirect and longer‑term. Is OpenAI’s $1 trillion IPO valuation realistic?
• Negative Sentiment: Billionaire Dan Loeb reduced his Microsoft stake, citing cloud growth and Azure supply concerns — signals some institutional reservations that can weigh on sentiment. Billionaire Investor Reduces Microsoft Stake Amid Cloud Growth Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Microsoft’s recent weak quarter(s) — “worst since 2008” narratives and concerns about elevated AI capex and mixed guidance keep downside risk for sentiment and near‑term multiples. Microsoft Just Had Its Worst Quarter Since 2008–Is This a Generational “Buy” Signal?
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/positioning pressure (breach below long‑term moving averages, some insider/institutional trimming) — raises possibility of further volatility even if fundamentals remain intact. Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Opinions on Breaching 200-Week Moving Average

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $373.46 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $344.79 and a 12 month high of $555.45. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $402.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $463.92. The firm has a market cap of $2.77 trillion, a PE ratio of 23.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The software giant reported $4.14 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $81.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.23 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 13.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 22.76%.

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).