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.
Our top pick for
US stocks
Our top pick for
Best for beginner
Our top pick for
Dividend investing
Microsoft's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 17 February 2003. So if you had owned 1 share the day before the split, the next day you would own 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.
| Open | US$412.17 |
|---|---|
| High | US$413 |
| Low | US$405.7601 |
| Close | US$406.32 |
| Previous close | US$399.04 |
| Change | US$7.28 |
| Change % | 1.8244% |
| Volume | 29,510,253 |
| 52-week range | US$300.841 - US$430.82 |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | US$414.5324 |
| 200-day moving average | US$368.334 |
| Target price | US$433.88 |
| PE ratio | 36.8842 |
| Dividend yield | US$2.86 (0.74%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | US$11.05 |
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 $406.32
| 1 week (2024-04-22) | 1.34% |
|---|---|
| 1 month (2024-03-28) | -3.42% |
| 3 months (2024-01-29) | -0.83% |
| 6 months (2023-10-27) | 23.20% |
| 1 year (2023-04-28) | 32.24% |
|---|---|
| 2 years (2022-04-28) | 40.29% |
| 3 years (2021-04-29) | 60.91% |
| 5 years (2019-04-29) | 213.11% |
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. However, this is not a recommendation. 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.
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 37x. In other words, Microsoft shares trade at around 37x 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 2.0242. 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$118.4 billion (£94.4 billion).
The EBITDA is a measure of a Microsoft's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure stock profitability.
Over the last 12 months, Microsoft's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$300.841 up to US$430.82. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta measures a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while Microsoft's is 0.877. This would suggest that Microsoft's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
| Revenue TTM | US$227.6 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 43.59% |
| Gross profit TTM | US$135.6 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | 15.19% |
| Return on equity TTM | 39.17% |
| Profit margin | 36.27% |
| Book value | 32.06 |
| Market capitalisation | US$3 trillion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
Dividend payout ratio: 26.49% of net profits
Recently Microsoft has paid out, on average, around 26.49% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 0.74% 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 0.74% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Microsoft's case, that would currently equate to about $2.86 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 12 June 2024. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 14 May 2024 (the "ex-dividend date").
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 |
Microsoft Corporation develops and supports software, services, devices and solutions worldwide. The Productivity and Business Processes segment offers office, exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, office 365 Security and Compliance, Microsoft viva, and Microsoft 365 copilot; and office consumer services, such as Microsoft 365 consumer subscriptions, Office licensed on-premises, and other office services. This segment also provides LinkedIn; and dynamics business solutions, including Dynamics 365, a set of intelligent, cloud-based applications across ERP, CRM, power apps, and power automate; and on-premises ERP and CRM applications. The Intelligent Cloud segment offers server products and cloud services, such as azure and other cloud services; SQL and windows server, visual studio, system center, and related client access licenses, as well as nuance and GitHub; and enterprise services including enterprise support services, industry solutions, and nuance professional services. The More Personal Computing segment offers Windows, including windows OEM licensing and other non-volume licensing of the Windows operating system; Windows commercial comprising volume licensing of the Windows operating system, windows cloud services, and other Windows commercial offerings; patent licensing; and windows Internet of Things; and devices, such as surface, HoloLens, and PC accessories. Additionally, this segment provides gaming, which includes Xbox hardware and content, and first- and third-party content; Xbox game pass and other subscriptions, cloud gaming, advertising, third-party disc royalties, and other cloud services; and search and news advertising, which includes Bing, Microsoft News and Edge, and third-party affiliates. The company sells its products through OEMs, distributors, and resellers; and directly through digital marketplaces, online, and retail stores. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.
Everything we know about the Sun Silver IPO, plus information on how to buy in.
Everything we know about the Tasmea Limited IPO, plus information on how to buy in.
Steps to owning and managing Far Northern Resources shares.
Commodity ETFs can be used to hedge against inflation. Here's what they do, why they should be on your watchlist and how they can help your portfolio.
Looking for the best performing stocks in Australia? We update this list weekly.
Steps to owning and managing Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes SA shares from Australia.
Trade ASX stocks and ETFs with a $2 brokerage fee and a low minimum investment of just $10.
These ETFs have the lowest fees on the market, but does that make them the best?
You've heard of CommSec but how does it stack up to the likes of IG, CMC Invest and other players in the market?
Westpac Share Trading allows you to take control of your investments. Find out if its right for you.
