Asset Planning Inc Acquires Shares of 4,754 Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 4,754 shares of the software giant's stock, valued at approximately $2,004,000. Microsoft makes up approximately 1.5% of Asset Planning Inc's holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. IFS Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 53.8% in the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the software giant's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Avondale Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Microsoft by 144.4% in the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 110 shares of the software giant's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the third quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $141,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Microsoft Stock Performance

Shares of MSFT traded down $3.83 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $367.78. 20,940,221 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,246,383. Microsoft Co. has a 1-year low of $344.79 and a 1-year high of $468.35. The stock has a market cap of $2.73 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.00. The stock's fifty day moving average is $388.25 and its 200 day moving average is $412.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The software giant reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.08. Microsoft had a return on equity of 33.36% and a net margin of 35.43%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.93 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Microsoft Co. will post 13.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSFT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $500.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $500.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $475.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Westpark Capital started coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Microsoft from $530.00 to $472.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $499.97.

About Microsoft

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.