Ackman Confirms $2.4B Microsoft Stake Funded by Alphabet Exit

On May 16, Bill Ackman clarified that Pershing Square sold nearly all of its Alphabet shares to fund a new $2.4 billion Microsoft position, adding over 5.6 million shares. The disclosure follows the May 15 announcement that the firm built the stake in Q1 and designated Microsoft a core holding in its new Pershing Square USA closed-end fund. Microsoft shares rose as much as 4% intraday to $426, outperforming a weaker broader market, as investors welcomed the high-profile endorsement of the company’s AI and cloud growth at a 21x forward P/E.