Stock Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Assessing Asset Bubbles: Microsoft in 2001 vs. Today (MSFT)

[at Investopedia] – Understand the inner working of high-multiple stocks such as Microsoft, especially how earnings may play a role in the change of a stock’s multiple. Read more on this. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) , valued at $391.33B, opened at $49.82. Looking at the stock, its one day range is $49.75 to $50.94 and has traded between $39.72 and $56.85 over the past 12 months. Microsoft (MSFT) shares are currently priced at 19.44x this year’s forecasted earnings, which makes them relatively expensive compared to the industry’s 2.21x earnings multiple for the same period. And for dividend hunters, the company pays shareholders $1.44 per share annually in dividends, yielding 2.88%. Consensus earnings for the current quarter by the 29 sell-side analysts covering the stock is an estimate of $0.58 per share, which would be $0.02 worse than the year-ago quarter and a $0.09 sequential decrease. The full-year EPS estimate is $2.67 which would be a $0.21 improvement than last year’s full-year earnings. The quarterly earnings estimate is predicated on a consensus revenue forecast of $22.17 Billion. If reported, that would be a 0.05% decrease over the year-ago quarter. In terms of ratings, Macquarie Initiated MSFT at Neutral (Mar 4, 2016). Previously, Morgan Stanley upgraded MSFT from Equal-Weight to Overweight. With the above information in mind, readers should note that the average price target is $57.76, which is 15.94% above where the stock opened this morning. See more in (NASDAQ:MSFT) Similar Articles: Market Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Here’s Why Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Is Advancing Today Stock Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft Sues DoJ Over Data Request Order (MSFT) Stock Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Rallies on Bullish Coverage, Making its Own SIM Card