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Microsoft is a Washington-based multinational technology company producing computer software, consumer electronics, PCs and other related services. Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen as Traf-O-Data in 1975, Microsoft is best known for its Windows operating software as well as numerous other corporate acquisitions, including LinkedIn and Skype. As of 2021, Microsoft is the world's third-largest listed company after Apple Inc and Saudi Aramco.
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| Open | US$331.99 |
|---|---|
| High | US$332.7 |
| Low | US$318.03 |
| Close | US$323.01 |
| Previous close | US$329.49 |
| Change | US$-6.48 |
| Change % | -1.9667% |
| Volume | 40,852,342 |
| 52-week range | US$207.3717 - US$349.67 |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | US$317.0644 |
| 200-day moving average | US$277.9139 |
| Target price | US$363.88 |
| PE ratio | 36.1349 |
| Dividend yield | US$2.3 (0.7%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | US$8.939 |
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
Use the fields above to explore the returns from a historical investment. Please refer to the charts further up this page to see performance over 5 years, or other periods. Past performance doesn't indicate future results. Capital is at risk.
Historical closes compared with the last close of $323.01
| 1 week (2021-11-26) | -2.02% |
|---|---|
| 3 months (2021-09-03) | 7.26% |
| 6 months (2021-06-02) | 30.61% |
| 1 year (2020-12-04) | 50.69% |
|---|---|
| 2 years (2019-12-06) | 112.86% |
| 3 years (2018-12-06) | 195.82% |
| 5 years (2016-12-06) | 438.80% |
Valuing Microsoft stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Microsoft's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
Microsoft's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 36x. In other words, Microsoft shares trade at around 36x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
Microsoft's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 2.8004. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Microsoft's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
Microsoft's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is US$85.7 billion (£64.6 billion).
The EBITDA is a measure of a Microsoft's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
| Revenue TTM | US$176.3 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 42.14% |
| Gross profit TTM | US$115.9 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | 14.59% |
| Return on equity TTM | 49.3% |
| Profit margin | 38.52% |
| Book value | 20.242 |
| Market capitalisation | US$2.5 trillion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Microsoft.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
Total ESG risk: 18.94
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Microsoft's overall score of 18.94 (as at 12/31/2018) is excellent – landing it in it in the 11st percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Microsoft is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
Environmental score: 2.97/100
Microsoft's environmental score of 2.97 puts it squarely in the 6th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Microsoft is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Social score: 11.87/100
Microsoft's social score of 11.87 puts it squarely in the 6th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Microsoft is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
Governance score: 6.59/100
Microsoft's governance score puts it squarely in the 6th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Microsoft is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Controversy score: 3/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. Microsoft scored a 3 out of 5 for controversy – a middle-of-the-table result reflecting that Microsoft hasn't always managed to keep its nose clean.
Microsoft Corporation was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 18.94 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 11.18 |
| Environmental score | 2.97 |
| Environmental score percentile | 6 |
| Social score | 11.87 |
| Social score percentile | 6 |
| Governance score | 6.59 |
| Governance score percentile | 6 |
| Level of controversy | 3 |
Dividend payout ratio: 27.32% of net profits
Recently Microsoft has paid out, on average, around 27.32% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 0.75% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Microsoft shareholders could enjoy a 0.75% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Microsoft's case, that would currently equate to about $2.3 per share.
While Microsoft's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that Microsoft may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.
Microsoft's most recent dividend payout was on 8 December 2021. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 16 November 2021 (the "ex-dividend date").
Microsoft's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 17 February 2003. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Microsoft shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Microsoft shares which in turn could have impacted Microsoft's share price.
Over the last 12 months, Microsoft's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$207.3717 up to US$349.67. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while Microsoft's is 0.8623. This would suggest that Microsoft's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses, and supports software, services, devices, and solutions worldwide. Its Productivity and Business Processes segment offers Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Office 365 Security and Compliance, and Skype for Business, as well as related Client Access Licenses (CAL); Skype, Outlook.com, OneDrive, and LinkedIn; and Dynamics 365, a set of cloud-based and on-premises business solutions for organizations and enterprise divisions. Its Intelligent Cloud segment licenses SQL, Windows Servers, Visual Studio, System Center, and related CALs; GitHub that provides a collaboration platform and code hosting service for developers; and Azure, a cloud platform. It also offers support services and Microsoft consulting services to assist customers in developing, deploying, and managing Microsoft server and desktop solutions; and training and certification on Microsoft products. Its More Personal Computing segment provides Windows original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licensing and other non-volume licensing of the Windows operating system; Windows Commercial, such as volume licensing of the Windows operating system, Windows cloud services, and other Windows commercial offerings; patent licensing; Windows Internet of Things; and MSN advertising. It also offers Surface, PC accessories, PCs, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, and other devices; Gaming, including Xbox hardware, and Xbox content and services; video games and third-party video game royalties; and Search, including Bing and Microsoft advertising. It sells its products through OEMs, distributors, and resellers; and directly through digital marketplaces, online stores, and retail stores. It has collaborations with Dynatrace, Inc., Morgan Stanley, Micro Focus, WPP plc, ACI Worldwide, Inc., and iCIMS, Inc., as well as strategic relationships with Avaya Holdings Corp. and wejo Limited. Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 and is based in Redmond, Washington.
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