Among the world's largest companies by market cap, Microsoft is the software company that uses the stock-market ticker MSFT.
Microsoft adopted MSFT as its Nasdaq ticker when it went public in 1986. The abbreviation comes from the company's name and remains one of the most recognizable technology tickers in the United States.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Its early success came from software for personal computers, especially MS-DOS and Windows. The company later expanded into business software, cloud computing, gaming, search, and hardware.
MSFT is not the same as Microsoft's product names. Windows, Azure, Office, and Xbox are businesses or brands operated by Microsoft, while MSFT identifies the publicly traded company. Market capitalization changes with the share price, but the ticker has remained stable.