Griffin Asset Management's Position in Microsoft Co.

Griffin Asset Management Inc. recently reduced its holdings in Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. According to their latest Form 13F submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the firm now owns 82,379 shares of the tech giant after selling 880 shares during this period. Microsoft represents 4.1% of Griffin Asset Management's entire portfolio, making it the firm's third-largest investment. As of the end of the last quarter, Griffin's stake in Microsoft was valued at approximately $34,723,000.

Changes in Institutional Holdings

Other institutional investors have also been adjusting their stakes in Microsoft recently. For instance, Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc. increased its position in the company by 35.7% during the third quarter and now owns 95 shares valued at $39,000 after acquiring 25 additional shares. Similarly, IFS Advisors LLC raised its holdings by 53.8% in the fourth quarter and currently owns 100 shares valued at $42,000 after purchasing 35 more shares. Additionally, Avondale Wealth Management boosted its stake by a significant 144.4% during the fourth quarter, owning 110 shares worth $46,000 following a 65-share acquisition. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. initiated a new investment in Microsoft worth around $62,000 in the third quarter, while Kieckhefer Group LLC also purchased a new stake valued at $141,000 during the fourth quarter. Currently, 71.13% of Microsoft stock is held by institutional investors.

Recent Analyst Ratings

Microsoft has been featured in numerous recent analyst reports. For example, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target for Microsoft shares from $515.00 to $475.00 and maintained a "buy" rating. Morgan Stanley also lowered their target from $540.00 to $530.00 while still giving it an "overweight" rating. On January 30, Mizuho reduced their price target to $500.00, designating an "outperform" rating, while DA Davidson upgraded Microsoft from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating, increasing the price target to $450.00 on March 13. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed their "outperform" rating on January 30, setting a target price of $500.00. Currently, three research analysts have given the stock a hold rating, while twenty-seven have assigned buy ratings, resulting in an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a price target of $510.43, according to MarketBeat.com.

Microsoft's Stock Performance

On Thursday, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) opened at $387.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.35, and a quick ratio of 1.34. Over the past year, Microsoft shares have seen a low of $376.91 and a high of $468.35. The company's market capitalization stands at $2.88 trillion, with a PE ratio of 31.23 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $410.13, while the 200-day simple moving average is $420.08.

Quarterly Earnings and Dividend Announcement

Microsoft last reported its quarterly earnings results on January 29, where it posted an earnings per share (EPS) of $3.23, surpassing the consensus estimate of $3.15 by $0.08. The company achieved a return on equity of 33.36% and had a net margin of 35.43%. Last year during the same quarter, it reported an EPS of $2.93. Analysts predict that Microsoft will post an EPS of 13.08 for the current fiscal year.

Furthermore, Microsoft announced a quarterly dividend which is set to be paid on June 12. Investors on record as of May 15 will receive a dividend of $0.83 per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $3.32 and yielding 0.86%. Currently, Microsoft's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.73%.

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a global leader in developing and supporting software, services, devices, and solutions. Its various segments include the Productivity and Business Processes, which offers popular products such as Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and services like Microsoft 365.

Microsoft, Investment, Stocks