Stock Update (NASDAQ:MSFT): Read A Year’s Worth Of Microsoft Spinning Xbox One NPD Sales

[at Forbes] – It’s that time of the month again, where NPD numbers come out and console manufacturers try to spin them to their benefit. One party who consistently partakes in the ritual is Microsoft, which on cue every month, sends out a carefully crafted statement from VP of Xbox Marketing, Mike Nichols. Read more on this. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) , with a current market cap of $406.62B, began trading this morning at $51.14. Today, shares have traded between $50.87 and $51.97 per share and has traded between $39.72 and $56.85 over the past 12 months. Microsoft (MSFT) shares are currently priced at 19.24x this year’s forecasted earnings, which makes them relatively expensive compared to the industry’s 13.42x earnings multiple for the same period. And for dividend hunters, the company pays shareholders $1.44 per share annually in dividends, yielding 2.73%. According to a consensus of 28 analysts, the earnings estimate of $0.71 per share would be $0.00 worse than the year-ago quarter and a $0.01 sequential decrease. Investors should also note that the full-year EPS estimate of $2.76 is a $0.30 improvement when compared to the previous year’s annual results. The quarterly earnings estimate is based on a consensus revenue forecast of the current quarter of $25.24 Billion. If realized, that would be a 4.65% decrease over the year-ago quarter. In terms of ratings, Morgan Stanley upgraded MSFT from Equal-Weight to Overweight (Jan 13, 2016). Previously, BMO Capital Markets Initiated MSFT at to Outperform. The average price target for MSFT shares by the analysts covering it is $58.00, which is 13.41% above where the stock opened. See more in (NASDAQ:MSFT) Similar Articles: Market Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – RBC Likes Microsoft, Says Stock Now Worth $65 Stock Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft: Why You Should Be Buying An Xbox One This Holiday Season Company Update: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft’s Former Xbox Head: Xbox One Launch Problems Were Predictable And Preventable