Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT) Stock Holdings Lowered by Evernest Financial Advisors LLC

Evernest Financial Advisors LLC reduced its position in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 0.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,706 shares of the software giant’s stock after selling 64 shares during the period. Microsoft comprises approximately 5.9% of Evernest Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Evernest Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $22,637,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc grew its position in Microsoft by 35.7% in the 3rd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 95 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. IFS Advisors LLC raised its stake in Microsoft by 53.8% during the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Avondale Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 144.4% during the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 110 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 3rd quarter worth $62,000. 71.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Microsoft Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of MSFT stock opened at $393.08 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $408.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $419.63. Microsoft Co. has a 52 week low of $376.91 and a 52 week high of $468.35. The stock has a market cap of $2.92 trillion, a P/E ratio of 31.65, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) last posted its earnings results 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 earned $2.93 EPS. Analysts predict that Microsoft Co. will post 13.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $500.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Microsoft from $525.00 to $510.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, DA Davidson upgraded Microsoft from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $425.00 to $450.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $510.59.

Microsoft 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.