Should I buy or sell Microsoft stock right now?

39 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Microsoft in the last year. There are currently 3 hold ratings and 36 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" MSFT shares. View MSFT analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks .

What is Microsoft's stock price target for 2024?

39 brokerages have issued 1-year price targets for Microsoft's stock. Their MSFT share price targets range from $232.00 to $475.00. On average, they expect the company's share price to reach $411.06 in the next year. This suggests that the stock has a possible downside of 2.3%. View analysts price targets for MSFT or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts .

How have MSFT shares performed in 2024?

Microsoft's stock was trading at $376.04 on January 1st, 2024. Since then, MSFT shares have increased by 11.8% and is now trading at $420.55. View the best growth stocks for 2024 here .

When is Microsoft's next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Tuesday, April 23rd 2024. View our MSFT earnings forecast .

How were Microsoft's earnings last quarter?

Microsoft Co. (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January, 30th. The software giant reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.17. The software giant had revenue of $62.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $61.14 billion. Microsoft had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 38.40% and a net margin of 36.27%. The business's revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. Read the conference call transcript .

How often does Microsoft pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Microsoft?

Microsoft declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.75 per share on Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 14th. Read our dividend analysis for MSFT .

Is Microsoft a good dividend stock?

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) pays an annual dividend of $3.00 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.71%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 22 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 27.12%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, MSFT will have a dividend payout ratio of 22.87% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for MSFT .

What ETFs hold Microsoft's stock?

ETFs with the largest weight of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) stock in their portfolio include Natixis Loomis Sayles Focused Growth ETF (LSGR) , Direxion Daily MSFT Bull 1.5X Shares (MSFU) , Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) , Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) , iShares Global Tech ETF (IXN) , Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF (FTEC) , Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares (TECL) and iShares U.S. Technology ETF (IYW) .

What guidance has Microsoft issued on next quarter's earnings?

Microsoft issued an update on its third quarter 2024 earnings guidance on Tuesday, January, 30th. The company provided EPS guidance of for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of $60.0 billion-$61.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $56.2 billion.

What is Satya Nadella's approval rating as Microsoft's CEO?

11,127 employees have rated Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella on Glassdoor.com . Satya Nadella has an approval rating of 98% among the company's employees. This puts Satya Nadella in the top 20% of approval ratings compared to other CEOs of publicly-traded companies.

What other stocks do shareholders of Microsoft own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other Microsoft investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA) , Alibaba Group (BABA) , Micron Technology (MU) , General Electric (GE) , Tesla (TSLA) , Walt Disney (DIS) , Intel (INTC) , Netflix (NFLX) , Visa (V) .

Who are Microsoft's major shareholders?

Microsoft's stock is owned by a number of retail and institutional investors. Top institutional shareholders include Norges Bank (1.29%), Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. (0.60%), Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA (0.50%), International Assets Investment Management LLC (0.34%), Jennison Associates LLC (0.34%) and Fisher Asset Management LLC (0.34%). Insiders that own company stock include Amy Hood , Bradford L Smith , Christopher C Capossela , Christopher C Capossela , Emma N Walmsley , Judson Althoff , Kathleen T Hogan , Satya Nadella and Teri List . View institutional ownership trends .

How do I buy shares of Microsoft?

Shares of MSFT stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services. Compare Top Brokerages Here .

Does Microsoft have any subsidiaries?

The following companies are subsidiares of Microsoft: 5th Finger, 90 Degree Software, ADRM Software, AVIcode, Acompli, ActiveViews, Activision Blizzard, AdECN, Adallom, Adxstudio, Affirmed Networks, Alacris, Ally.io, Altamira Software, AltspaceVR, Aorato, Apiphany, Apptimum, Aspect Software Inc, AssetMetrix Corporation, Avere Systems, Azyxxi, BigPark, Bit Stadium GmbH, Blue Ribbon SoundWorks, BlueStripe, BlueTalon, Bonsai, Bruce Artwick Organization, Bungie, Caligari Corporation, Calista Technologies, Canesta, Capptain, Chalkup, Ciao, Citus Data, Clear Software, Clickstream Technologies, Clipchamp, CloudKnox Security, Cloudyn, Code Connect, Colloquis, Colusa Software, CompareNet, Compulsion Games, Connectix, Consumers Software, Cooper & Peters, Credentica, CyberX, Cycle Computing, DATAllegro, Danger, DataSense, Datazen Software, DeepMetrix, Deis.com, DesktopStandard, Digital Anvil, Dimension X, Donya Labs, Double Labs, EXOS, Echo Locker, Electric Gravity, Engyro, Entropic, Entropic Research Laboratories, Equivio, Event Zero, Express Logic, FASA Interactive, FSLogix, FantasySalesTeam, Farecast, Fast Search & Transfer, FieldOne Systems, Firefly Network, Flipgrid, FolderShare, Forethought, Fox Software, Frontbridge Technologies, GIANT Company Software, Genee, Github, Global Care Solutions, Great Plains Software, GreenButton, Greenfield Online, Groove (dba Zikera), Groove Networks, Gteko, Havok, Hexadite, HockeyApp, HotMail, InMage Systems, InRelease, Intentional Software, Interactive Supercomputing, Interse, Intrinsa, Jump Networks, Kidaro, Kinvolk, Komoku, LinkAge Software, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Corporation, LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Lionhead Studios, LiveLoop, Lobe, Lookout Software, MESA Group, MIXER, Maluuba, MarketingPilot, Massive, Media-Streams.com, Medstory, Merchant Planet, MessageCast, Metanautix, Metaswitch Networks, MetricsHub, Miburo, Microsoft Global Finance, Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, Microsoft Ireland Research, Microsoft Online Inc., MinecraftEdu, Minit, MobiComp, Mobile Data Labs, Mojang Studios, MongoMusic, Motion Bridge, Mover, Movere, MultiMap, Musiwave, N-trig, NCompass Labs, Navic Networks, Navic Systems, Navision, NetCarta, NetGames, Netbreeze, Netwise, Network Managers, NextBase, Ninja Theory, Nokia - Devices & Services Business, Nuance Communications, Nuance Communications Inc., Numinous Technologies, Obsidian Entertainment, OmniBrowse, One Tree Software Ltd, Onfolio, Opalis Software, Open Build Service, Orions Systems, Pacific Microsonics, Pando Networks, Parature, Parlano, Peach Networks, Peer5, Pelican Security, Perceptive Pixel, PhoneFactor, PlaceWare, PlayFab, Playground Games, Powerset, ProClarity, Prodiance Corporation, PromoteIQ, R2 Studios, RAV Antivirus, Rapt, Rare, ReFirm Labs, RenderMorphics, Revolution Analytics, RiskIQ, Rosetta Biosoftware, STNC, Screen Tonic, SeaDragon Software, Secure Islands Technologies, Semantic Machines, Sendit, Sentillion, ShadowFactor Software, Skype, Smash.gg, SoftImage, Softomotive, Softricity, Softway Systems, Solair, StorSimple, Stratature, Sunrise, Suplari, SwiftKey, Swing Technologies, Sybari, SyntaxTree, TakeLessons, Talko, Teleo, Tellme, Tellme, The Marsden Group, Twisted Pixel Games, Two Hat Security, Undead Labs, Unveil Technologies, VXtreme, Valence Research, Valence Technology, Vermeer Technologies, Vexcel, Vicinity Corporation, VideoSurf, Visio Corporation, VoloMetrix, Wand Labs, WebFives, WebTV Networks, Whale Communications, Windows Live Hotmail, Winternals, Wunderlist, XDegrees, XOXCO, Xamarin, Xandr, YaData, Yammer, ZeniMax, Zoomit, Zoomix, aQuantive, devBiz Business Solutions, eShop, iView Multimedia, id8 Group R2 Studios, inXile Entertainment, jClarity, and linkexchange. Read More

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NASDAQ:MSFT

Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Price, News & Analysis

$420.55

+6.44 (+1.56%)

(As of 02/9/2024 08:56 PM ET)

Compare

Today's Range: $415.09
▼
$420.82
50-Day Range: $365.93
▼
$420.55
52-Week Range: $245.61
▼
$420.82

Volume: 22.03 million shs
Average Volume: 24.88 million shs
Market Capitalization: $3.12 trillion

P/E Ratio: 38.02
Dividend Yield: 0.71%
Price Target: $411.06

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Microsoft MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy
2.92 Rating Score
Upside/Downside: 2.3% Downside
$411.06 Price Target
Short Interest: Healthy
0.71% of Float Sold Short
Dividend Strength: Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability: -0.75
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment: 0.66
Based on 79 Articles This Week
Insider Trading: Selling Shares
$28.98 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth: 13.10%
From $11.60 to $13.12 Per Share

Overall MarketRank^™

New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank^™ is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.

4.76 out of 5 stars

Computer And Technology Sector

38th out of 586 stocks

Prepackaged Software Industry

7th out of 194 stocks

2.5

Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
Microsoft has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.92, and is based on 36 buy ratings, 3 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Price Target Upside/Downside
According to analysts' consensus price target of $411.06, Microsoft has a forecasted downside of 2.3% from its current price of $420.55.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
Microsoft has been the subject of 15 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

3.0

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted
0.71% of the float of Microsoft has been sold short.
Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover
Microsoft has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.
Change versus previous month
Short interest in Microsoft has recently increased by 0.99%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing.

3.3

Dividend Strength

Dividend Yield
Microsoft has a dividend yield of 0.71%, which is in the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.
Dividend Growth
Microsoft has been increasing its dividend for 22 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of Microsoft is 27.12%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.
Dividend Sustainability
Based on earnings estimates, Microsoft will have a dividend payout ratio of 22.87% next year. This indicates that Microsoft will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

2.9

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score
Microsoft has received a 26.30% net impact score from Upright. Microsoft seems to create the most significant positive value in categories "Taxes", "Jobs", and "Knowledge infrastructure". The positive contribution in the "Knowledge infrastructure" impact category is mostly driven by its "Operating systems", "Cloud infrastructure services", and "Content management software" products. See details.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Impact score for Microsoft is -0.75.

3.1

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment
Microsoft has a news sentiment score of 0.66. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This news sentiment score is similar to the average news sentiment of Computer and Technology companies.
News Coverage This Week
MarketBeat has tracked 79 news articles for Microsoft this week, compared to 64 articles on an average week.
Search Interest
841 people have searched for MSFT on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 70% compared to the previous 30 days.
MarketBeat Follows
933 people have added Microsoft to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 16% compared to the previous 30 days.

2.5

Company Ownership

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling
In the past three months, Microsoft insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $28,978,803.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 0.03% of the stock of Microsoft is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
69.20% of the stock of Microsoft is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

2.5

Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for Microsoft are expected to grow by 13.10% in the coming year, from $11.60 to $13.12 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of Microsoft is 38.02, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 126.07.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of Microsoft is 38.02, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Computer and Technology sector average P/E ratio of about 238.32.
Price to Earnings Growth Ratio
Microsoft has a PEG Ratio of 2.24. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.
Price to Book Value per Share Ratio
Microsoft has a P/B Ratio of 13.11. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

About Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. The two quit their respective Harvard schooling and programming jobs to start a software company focused on the then-popular Altair 8800. Originally named Micro-Soft, Microsoft is a portmanteau of the words microprocessor and software. The company quickly took off and was relocated to Washington State where it is headquartered today.

Microsoft launched a game called Flight Simulator in 1982 that has since become the longest-running video game franchise. The company’s first major breakthrough came in the early 80s when it licensed MS-DOS to IBM for their personal computer and then another came in 1985 the company altered the way computers were used when it launched Windows. Windows used a graphical interface to display information that included drop-down menus, scroll bars, and other features commonly found in operating systems today.

Microsoft went public in 1986 making founder Bill Gates the world’s youngest billionaire. Other innovations that helped make the company’s name include Windows 95 which included many upgrades to the original and, when the Internet took off, Internet Explorer. Bill Gates gave up his role as CEO in 2000 and the company is now run by Satya Nadella. Mr. Nadella took over the role of CEO in 2014 and then the role of chairman in 2021.

Today the company develops, licenses, and supports software, services, devices, and solutions worldwide. The company operates in three segments that include Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. As of 2022, Microsoft’s Azure powered more than 20% of the Cloud putting it in second place globally.

The Productivity and Business Processes segment offers several software solutions including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Office 365 Security and Compliance, Microsoft Viva, and Skype for Business. Microsoft also operates Skype, Outlook.com, OneDrive, and LinkedIn for business professionals as well as Dynamics 365. Dynamics 365 is a set of cloud-based and on-premises business solutions for organizations and enterprises of all sizes.

The Intelligent Cloud segment licenses SQL, Windows Servers, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses. Microsoft Intelligent Cloud also operates GitHub which is a collaboration platform and code hosting service for developers. Intelligent Cloud also hosts Nuance healthcare and enterprise AI solutions, and Azure, a cloud platform, as well as associated services.

The More Personal Computing segment provides Windows original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licensing and other licensing of the Windows family of operating systems. This includes Windows Commercial, Windows cloud services, and Windows Internet of Things.

The More Personal Computing segment also offers Surface, PC accessories, PCs, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, Xbox hardware, and Xbox content and services including video games and third-party video game royalties. The company sells its products through OEMs, distributors, and resellers; and directly through digital marketplaces, online stores, and retail stores.

MSFT Stock Price History

30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart

MSFT Stock News Headlines

February 9, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Will the dominance of the Magnificent 7 persist in 2024? (MSFT)

With 2024 underway, it's time to peel back the curtain and examine how the Magnificent Seven have performed and whether or not the 2023 theme remains intact.

February 9, 2024 | marketbeat.com

S&P 500 rockets to new highs as earnings beat estimates (MSFT)

The S&P 500 hits new highs as 10 of the 11 S&P sectors report positive Q4 earnings surprises. The tech and energy sectors are among the earnings leaders.

February 12, 2024 | The Freeport Society (Ad)

Biden Out, _______ In?

A new poll shows that two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. The truth will shock you.

February 8, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Microsoft's Nadella woos Indian developers to the company's AI tools

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has urged more than a thousand Indian computer code developers to use the company’s artificial intelligence tools being deployed across its products

February 7, 2024 | marketbeat.com

AMD, Broadcom, Marvell, Nvidia: Big gainers from new AI spending (MSFT)

Chipmakers including AMD, Broadcom, Marvell and Nvidia are set to benefit from a surge in data center AI investment by tech titans such as Google and Microsoft

February 6, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Alphabet triggers a sell-the-news reaction: Time to buy the dip? (MSFT)

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is a holding company that owns and operates a portfolio of enterprises, with Google being the main subsidiary.

February 3, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella caps a decade of change and tremendous growth

Satya Nadella marks his tenth year as Microsoft CEO on Sunday, capping a decade of stunning growth as he pivoted the slow-moving software giant into a laser focus on cloud computing and artificial intelligence

February 2, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Magnificent Meta Platforms stock will double in value (MSFT)

Meta Platforms matured from a tech start-up growth company to a mature, dividend-paying tech leader with a robust outlook.

February 12, 2024 | The Freeport Society (Ad)

Biden Out, _______ In?

A new poll shows that two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. The truth will shock you.

January 31, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Microsoft stock to $450? Here’s How

Microsoft stock is on track to move up into the $450 to $490 region soon and that may be a cautious target given the rise of AI and outlook for growth.

January 31, 2024 | marketbeat.com

2 upgraded food stocks with super-sized gain potential (MSFT)

Food-related businesses have been the subject of several recent analyst upgrades, including these two stocks which have some of the best total return potential.

January 31, 2024 | marketbeat.com

IBM, Verizon, Merck stocks lead Dow to new highs (MSFT)

The Dow hits record highs with IBM, Verizon, Merck, and insurer Travelers leading the way; those strong stocks don't make much of a dent in S&P performance

February 12, 2024 | seekingalpha.com

Microsoft: Updating The Fair Value Price

February 11, 2024 | techcrunch.com

Google's and Microsoft's chatbots are making up Super Bowl stats

February 11, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

Tesla Shareholders Also Are Frustrated With Delaware’s CEO Pay Decision

February 11, 2024 | benzinga.com

'Puzzling,' Says Analyst As Microsoft's Valuation Double That Of Energy Companies Despite Generating Half Their Cash Flow

February 10, 2024 | 247wallst.com

Cisco To Fire Thousands

February 9, 2024 | msn.com

Microsoft Claps Back At FTC, Insists Activision Was 'Already Planning Significant' Layoffs

February 9, 2024 | msn.com

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Backed OpenAI Hits $2B Revenue