Microsoft has used the ticker symbol MSFT on the Nasdaq since its initial public offering in 1986.
Microsoft’s IPO took place on March 13, 1986. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and became widely known for software such as MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. Its public listing allowed investors to buy shares in a business that was becoming central to personal computing.
Microsoft later expanded into productivity software, enterprise services, gaming, hardware, and cloud computing. Products and businesses associated with the company include Microsoft 365, Azure, Xbox, LinkedIn, and Windows.
A stock ticker is a short identifier used by an exchange and financial data services; it is not the same thing as a company’s legal name. Microsoft’s market capitalization reflects the value investors assign to its entire portfolio. The company’s position among the world’s largest businesses has been supported by recurring software revenue and the growth of its cloud-computing operations.