Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares are trending on Friday. The company is anticipated to release 2024 fiscal year fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the market closes.

The Details: For the fourth quarter, analysts estimate EPS of $2.93 and revenue of $64.35 billion.

Microsoft stock currently is trading at $421.30, above its 50-day moving average of $428.90. The stock is trading towards the middle of its 52 week range which is from $309.45 to $468.35.

The stock's average session volume is 19.063 million and its currently trading below that at 5.68 million. Separately, on Tuesday, Piper Sandler analyst Brent Bracelin reiterated Microsoft with a Overweight and raised the price target from $465 to $485.

How To Buy Microsoft Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy 'fractional shares,' which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share. However, if you only want to invest a fraction of that, brokerages will allow you to do so.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to 'go short' a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

MSFT Price Action: Microsoft shares are trading 1.54% higher at $424.85 per data from Benzinga Pro.

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