Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lessened its holdings in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT - Free Report) by 4.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,418,487 shares of the software giant's stock after selling 153,120 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 2.3% of Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC's holdings in Microsoft were worth $1,431,308,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. IFS Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Microsoft by 53.8% in the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 144.4% in the fourth 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 period. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Microsoft during the 3rd quarter worth $62,000. Finally, Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft during the 4th quarter worth 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 down $0.64 during trading on Monday, reaching $387.81. The company had a trading volume of 19,232,192 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,242,474. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. Microsoft Co. has a twelve month low of $344.79 and a twelve month high of $468.35. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $391.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $414.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.00.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The software giant reported $3.23 earnings per share 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 in the prior year, the business posted $2.93 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Microsoft Co. will post 13.08 earnings per share for the current year.
Microsoft Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.73%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms recently weighed in on MSFT. 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. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Wedbush dropped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $550.00 to $475.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Scotiabank began coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. They issued a "sector outperform" rating and a $470.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Microsoft from $510.00 to $500.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Microsoft has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $503.86.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Microsoft
About Microsoft
(
Free Report)
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.
See Also
Before you consider Microsoft, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Microsoft wasn't on the list.
While Microsoft currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Market downturns give many investors pause, and for good reason. Wondering how to offset this risk? Enter your email address to learn more about using beta to protect your portfolio.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.
