Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report)'s share price was down 0.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $363.99 and last traded at $369.95. Approximately 14,260,830 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 31% from the average daily volume of 20,627,217 shares. The stock had previously closed at $373.11.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $475.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 7th. StockNews.com lowered Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $509.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $500.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on shares of Microsoft from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Microsoft has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $508.86.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Microsoft
Microsoft Stock Performance
The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.71 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.39, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $400.77 and a 200-day moving average of $417.80.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The software giant reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm posted $2.93 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Microsoft Co. will post 13.08 EPS for the current year.
Microsoft Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.73%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Microsoft
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Sage Capital Advisors llc grew its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 4.3% during the first quarter. Sage Capital Advisors llc now owns 43,940 shares of the software giant's stock worth $16,494,000 after buying an additional 1,802 shares in the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its position in Microsoft by 0.3% during the first quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 84,096 shares of the software giant's stock worth $31,569,000 after acquiring an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Agate Pass Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Microsoft by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Agate Pass Investment Management LLC now owns 24,317 shares of the software giant's stock worth $9,128,000 after acquiring an additional 511 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Microsoft by 27.4% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 44,839 shares of the software giant's stock valued at $16,832,000 after acquiring an additional 9,634 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Common Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Microsoft by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. Boston Common Asset Management LLC now owns 155,868 shares of the software giant's stock worth $58,511,000 after purchasing an additional 13,182 shares during the period. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Microsoft Company Profile
(
Get 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.
Further Reading
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
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
Options trading isn’t just for the Wall Street elite; it’s an accessible strategy for anyone armed with the proper knowledge. Think of options as a strategic toolkit, with each tool designed for a specific financial task. Get this report to learn how options trading can help you use the market’s volatility to your advantage.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.
