Convergence Investment Partners LLC Reduces Holdings in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Convergence Investment Partners LLC lessened its stake in shares of Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 21.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,389 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 3,740 shares during the period. Microsoft accounts for 1.3% of Convergence Investment Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Convergence Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $5,644,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. IFS Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Microsoft by 53.8% during 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 last quarter. Avondale Wealth Management lifted its stake in Microsoft by 144.4% in the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 110 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Microsoft in the 3rd quarter valued at $62,000. Finally, Kieckhefer Group LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at about $141,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT traded up $3.13 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $390.43. The company's stock had a trading volume of 10,038,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,247,445. Microsoft Co. has a 12-month low of $344.79 and a 12-month high of $468.35. The company has a market cap of $2.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 31.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.35. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $385.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $411.53.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The software giant reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.15 by $0.08. Microsoft had a net margin of 35.43% and a return on equity of 33.36%. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.93 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Microsoft Co. will post 13.08 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSFT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group decreased their price target on Microsoft from $510.00 to $480.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective 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. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $490.00 to $470.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Westpark Capital initiated coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on Microsoft from $510.00 to $480.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $493.13.

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.