Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Stock Sale Revealed by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic-Rhode Island) recently sold part of their stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). In a filing disclosed on November 2nd, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Microsoft stock on October 15th.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) on 10/15/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Analog Devices (NASDAQ:ADI) on 9/4/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Visa (NYSE:V) on 9/4/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) on 9/4/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 8/13/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 8/13/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) on 8/13/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) on 8/12/2026.

Microsoft Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $520.99 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $551.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The business’s 50 day moving average is $514.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $438.92. The company has a market cap of $3.87 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.05.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The software giant reported $4.89 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.72 by $0.17. Microsoft had a net margin of 41.17% and a return on equity of 31.28%. The company had revenue of $92.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.13 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 19.00%.

Insider Activity at Microsoft

In related news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total value of $20,764,903.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $265,888,830.48. This trade represents a 7.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 135,504 shares of company stock valued at $68,138,024 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Microsoft from $662.00 to $722.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $650.00 price target (up from $610.00) on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $570.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Microsoft presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $609.54.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Microsoft

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp raised its stake in Microsoft by 2.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 315,653,206 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $117,744,959,000 after acquiring an additional 8,944,917 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $27,338,370,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Microsoft by 0.9% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 64,375,360 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $24,013,297,000 after acquiring an additional 543,172 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $18,306,443,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in Microsoft by 12.0% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 46,694,778 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $17,418,076,000 after acquiring an additional 5,019,702 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Microsoft recently climbed as investors focused on Azure growth of 48% and AI demand that is exceeding available capacity. These trends support the outlook for cloud revenue, though analysts are debating the cost of meeting demand. What’s Going on with Microsoft Stock on Tuesday?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary points to Microsoft’s AI capabilities, cash flow and large contract backlog as potential strengths in the AI race. A report cited $677 billion in signed contracts, bolstering the case that demand could support future growth. Microsoft Just Revealed a $677 Billion Reason to Buy Its Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s AI infrastructure spending is drawing scrutiny. The company reportedly spent $45.2 billion on capital expenditures in one quarter, mostly on AI; some coverage views its ability to fund expansion as a strength, while investors remain focused on when the investment will generate returns. Microsoft buyouts and capital spending
• Negative Sentiment: Market leadership is shifting toward other technology names, with Jim Cramer noting that Microsoft and Nvidia have struggled as AMD, Broadcom and Micron outperform. That rotation may limit near-term enthusiasm for MSFT despite its AI prospects. Jim Cramer on emerging tech leaders
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha article downgraded Microsoft, arguing that the easiest gains may be behind it. This adds to concerns about valuation and whether sizable AI investments will translate into sufficient profits. Microsoft: The Easy Gains Are Already Over

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Microsoft Company Profile

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices and digital platforms. Its products and services are used by consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

The company’s principal offerings include the Windows operating system; Microsoft 365 productivity applications such as Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook; Azure cloud computing and infrastructure services; Dynamics business applications; and enterprise security solutions.