Stocks

MGB Wealth Management LLC Reduces Microsoft Stake

Published December 4, 2024

MGB Wealth Management LLC has reduced its position in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 6.5% during the third quarter, as revealed in the company's latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After selling 1,833 shares, the fund now owns 26,348 shares of this renowned software company. Microsoft represents 4.1% of MGB Wealth Management LLC's overall investment portfolio, making it the fund's third-largest holding. At the end of the reporting period, the value of MGB's Microsoft holdings stood at approximately $11,331,000.

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Other significant investors have also made changes to their stakes in Microsoft. For example, Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc increased its shares by an astounding 169.2% in the second quarter, now holding 70 shares valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 44 shares recently. Quarry LP entered the Microsoft investment space with a new stake worth around $45,000 during the second quarter. Similarly, MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. obtained a new stake valued at approximately $62,000 in the third quarter, and Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake worth about $75,000 in the second quarter. Bellevue Group AG also increased its holdings by 47.5% in the first quarter, now owning 180 shares worth $76,000 after acquiring an extra 58 shares in the last quarter. Currently, institutional investors account for 71.13% of Microsoft's stock ownership.

Performance of Microsoft Stock

On Wednesday, Microsoft stock opened at $431.20. The company has a substantial market capitalization of $3.21 trillion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.58, with a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.90. It has a fifty-day moving average of $420.83 and a 200-day moving average of $426.70. Financial ratios show a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.30, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has experienced a 52-week low of $362.90 and a high of $468.35.

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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) recently disclosed its quarterly earnings on October 30th. The company reported earnings of $3.30 per share, beating the expected $3.10 by $0.20. Microsoft's net margin was 35.61%, and it achieved a return on equity of 34.56%. For the quarter, revenue reached $65.59 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $64.57 billion, marking a year-over-year revenue growth of 16.0% compared to $2.99 EPS from the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast an EPS of 12.93 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement from Microsoft

Recently, Microsoft also announced a quarterly dividend to be paid on March 13th. Stockholders registered as of February 20th will receive a dividend of $0.83 per share. This translates to an annualized dividend of $3.32, offering a dividend yield of 0.77%. The company's dividend payout ratio currently stands at 27.39%.

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Additionally, Microsoft's board authorized a stock repurchase plan on September 16th, allowing the firm to repurchase up to $60 billion in shares, equivalent to about 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Such repurchase plans are often perceived as indicators that the board believes the company's stock is undervalued.

Outlook from Wall Street Analysts

Microsoft has been a frequent subject of various research reports recently. JPMorgan Chase & Co. revised its price target on Microsoft's shares from $470.00 to $465.00, maintaining an "overweight" rating in a note dated October 31st. BMO Capital Markets lowered its price target from $500.00 to $495.00 while maintaining an "outperform" rating on the stock. Piper Sandler also reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and adjusted its price target to $470.00 on the same day. Moreover, DA Davidson recently changed its rating on Microsoft from "buy" to "neutral" with a price target of $475.00. StockNews.com upgraded Microsoft from a "hold" to a "buy" rating. According to MarketBeat.com, a total of two analysts have rated Microsoft's stock with a hold rating, while twenty-eight have recommended a buy. Presently, Microsoft has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $503.03.

Insider Transactions involving Microsoft

In related news, EVP Christopher David Young sold 7,200 shares of Microsoft on November 12th at an average price of $423.66, totaling a transaction value of $3,050,352. Following this sale, he now holds 103,366 shares valued at approximately $43,792,039.56, representing a 6.51% reduction in his ownership. This transaction was officially recorded with the SEC. Similarly, CMO Takeshi Numoto sold 2,500 shares on December 2nd for an average price of $430.87, bringing in $1,077,175. Following this sale, he owns 53,852 shares valued at about $23,203,211.24, showing a 4.44% decrease in ownership. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold a total of 134,578 shares valued at $55,279,956. Presently, insider ownership of Microsoft stock is just 0.03%.

Overview of Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation develops software, services, devices, and solutions globally. Its Productivity and Business Processes segment offers various products such as Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Security, and Compliance, as well as other office service offerings.

Final Thoughts

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If you are interested in exploring what other hedge funds are holding shares of MSFT, there are resources available to view the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report).

This news summary has been generated using narrative science technology combined with financial data to deliver swift and accurate reporting.

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Microsoft, Investment, Stocks