D. E. Shaw Stock Portfolio: Top 5 Stocks to Buy

2. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

D. E. Shaw’s Stake: $3.3 Billion

D. E. Shaw has held a bullish view on Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) since the fourth quarter of 2010. Back then, the fund owned a stake in the tech giant comprising close to 10 million shares. Apart from a few minor exceptions, this stock has consistently featured in the 13F portfolio of the fund. Filings for the fourth quarter of 2025 show that D. E. Shaw held over 6.8 million shares in the company, down close to 8% compared to filings for the previous quarter. The Microsoft holding represents nearly 1.82% of the 13F portfolio of the elite hedge fund and is the third largest stock position of the fund.

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One of the metrics most cited by institutional analysts for their bullish views on Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) stock is the Commercial Remaining Performance Obligation. Microsoft entered 2026 with $625 billion in commercial backlog. This represents a safety net of future revenue. For long-term funds, the visibility provides a low-risk profile even if the broader economy slows down. Another long-term catalyst for the shares is AI agents. While 2025 was the year of chatbots, 2026 is the year of AI Agents. Following an internal reorganization in March 2026, Microsoft has integrated AI Agents deeper into Word, Excel, and Power Automate. These autonomous agents, which can perform complex tasks without human intervention, will allow Microsoft to raise its Average Revenue Per User beyond the standard $30 Copilot fee.