Central Bank & Trust Co. decreased its position in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 45,280 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 1,026 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 2.6% of Central Bank & Trust Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Central Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $15,419,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aletheian Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Microsoft by 17.8% during the second quarter. Aletheian Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,280 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $3,501,000 after buying an additional 1,553 shares during the last quarter. Davis Rea LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Davis Rea LTD. now owns 24,457 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $8,329,000 after purchasing an additional 2,162 shares during the period. TCP Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Microsoft by 614.6% during the second quarter. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 32,556 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $11,087,000 after purchasing an additional 28,000 shares during the period. Finally, Secure Asset Management LLC increased its position in Microsoft by 0.4% in the second quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 18,072 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $6,154,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.20% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity
In related news, insider Bradford L. Smith sold 50,000 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $337.20, for a total transaction of $16,860,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 588,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $198,301,924.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 38,234 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.43, for a total value of $12,557,192.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 800,668 shares in the company, valued at $262,963,391.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Bradford L. Smith sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $337.20, for a total value of $16,860,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 588,084 shares in the company, valued at $198,301,924.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 115,049 shares of company stock worth $38,195,619 in the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Microsoft Stock Up 0.3 %
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The software giant reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.55 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $56.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.49 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 38.70% and a net margin of 34.15%. Microsoft’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.23 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Microsoft Co. will post 10.9 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 15th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.96%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 28.07%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $385.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, September 22nd. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Microsoft from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $337.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $340.00 to $405.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on Microsoft from $360.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty-four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.03.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT
Microsoft Company Profile
Microsoft Corporation develops and supports software, services, devices and solutions worldwide. The Productivity and Business Processes segment offers office, exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, office 365 Security and Compliance, Microsoft viva, and Microsoft 365 copilot; and office consumer services, such as Microsoft 365 consumer subscriptions, Office licensed on-premises, and other office services.
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