Microsoft is the company whose shares trade under the ticker MSFT.
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, initially to develop software for the Altair 8800 personal computer. Its name combines “microcomputer” and “software,” reflecting its original focus on programming languages and operating systems.
The company became globally influential through MS-DOS and Windows, then expanded into productivity software, enterprise services, gaming, search, and cloud computing. Microsoft 365, Azure, Xbox, LinkedIn, and GitHub are among its best-known businesses. Azure is especially important to the company’s modern market valuation because cloud infrastructure has become a major growth industry.
MSFT is a stock-market ticker, not Microsoft’s legal name or a product abbreviation. Microsoft is incorporated as Microsoft Corporation and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Its shares are listed on the Nasdaq, alongside many other major technology companies, and its market capitalization changes continuously with the share price.