Apollon Financial LLC increased its stake in Microsoft by 4.3% during the third quarter, acquiring an additional 1,533 shares to reach a total holding of 37,068 shares valued at $19.2 million. In contrast, Alterna Wealth Management Inc. trimmed its position by 36.7%, selling 1,134 shares and ending the period with 1,952 shares valued at approximately $1.01 million. Among other major holders, Vanguard Group holds 705 million shares (3.2% of its portfolio), State Street owns 299 million shares, Geode Capital Management 179 million shares, Norges Bank initiated a new position worth $50.5 billion, and Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC holds 90.5 million shares. Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own roughly 71% of Microsoft’s outstanding shares.

Chief Revenue Officer Judson Althoff sold 12,750 shares in early December, realizing proceeds of $6.27 million, which reduced his holdings by nearly 9%. Executive Vice President Takeshi Numoto sold 2,850 shares for $1.36 million, a 4.9% decrease in his position. Together, insiders have divested 54,100 shares valued at $27.6 million over the last three months, while retaining just 0.03% of total outstanding shares.

In its latest quarter, Microsoft delivered earnings per share of $4.13, surpassing analyst estimates by 13%, and generated $77.7 billion in revenue, up 18.4% year-over-year. The company reported a net margin of 35.7% and a return on equity of 32.5%. Analysts project full-year earnings of $13.08 per share. Microsoft’s balance sheet remains robust, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share, representing a payout ratio of 25.9% and an annual yield of 0.8%.