Microsoft is identified by the stock ticker MSFT and became one of the world’s most valuable firms.
Microsoft trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol MSFT. Investors use a ticker symbol as a short identifier for a listed company, while market capitalization is calculated from the company’s share price and shares outstanding. Microsoft’s large software, cloud-computing, and enterprise businesses have made it a recurring member of the global market-cap leaders.
The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Its major businesses include Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, Xbox, LinkedIn, and GitHub. Azure has been especially important to Microsoft’s valuation because cloud infrastructure generates recurring revenue from businesses and public organizations.
Microsoft’s market value can move above or below that of other mega-cap companies as share prices change. A ranking by market capitalization is therefore different from a ranking by annual revenue, employees, or total assets.