Why do so many investors want to buy Microsoft stock? For one thing, Microsoft is a cash-rich company. Cash on hand is a sign of security for investors and Microsoft typically sits on billions. Moody’s puts Microsoft’s corporate credit rating at AAa and they are an AAA company for Standard & Poor’s. Buying shares in Microsoft also gives investors a small piece of their robust asset portfolio.
How to Buy Microsoft Stock
You may be wondering how to buy Microsoft stock. The easiest way may be to contact an escrow company and place a bid. But it’s worth your time to explore a private trading platform, such as those listed on our Online Trading page. Although daunting at first glance, most platforms offer free training when you open an account.
Gaining popularity in the early 2000’s, electronic trading platforms have managed to effectively change the way the average person invests. The key question to ask yourself is: How much time are you willing to dedicate to trading?
An online broker from one of these companies can help you to buy Microsoft stock. They can give you the latest Microsoft stock price and place your trade in minutes.
How Much to Buy Microsoft Stock?
There is no magic number when it comes buying Microsoft stock. However, you’ll want to consider your current budget and your ultimate goal for the asset. For instance, are you looking to buy shares in Microsoft and hold them for a future event such as a retirement or college tuition?
Next, you may want to consider how buying shares in Microsoft compares to buying shares of other cash-rich companies and tech stock like Apple: AAPL or Cisco: CSCO. Cisco has more than doubled in price in the last five years and typically has fewer shares out than Microsoft. Cisco has also seen a nice increase in dividend yield for the same time period. Apple, a company that’s turned brand loyalty into an art form, also has generous cash dividends with fewer shares in circulation.
MSFT News / MSFT History
In 1975 an edition of Popular Electronics featured the first commercially available “microcomputer” the “Altair 8800”. It caught the eye of twenty-something classmates Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Later that year the men pitched a successful campaign to design its code. This was the first of many strategic moves applied by Gates and Allen and the resulting technology of that deal became the basis for one of the biggest tech giants in the world.
On March 13th, 1986, after a lengthy debate between its founders, Microsoft was launched on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MFST. News of the stock’s popularity spread quickly in the hours following its IPO and the $21 asset soon ballooned to $29.25, before closing the day at $27.75. With that, MSFT history was etched into the books.
Microsoft was founded in 1974 with a spirit of philanthropy. Gate’s own mother, Mary Maxwell Gates was the first female president of King County’s United Way chapter and went on to become the first woman to chair the United Way’s executive committee. This spark of goodwill carried over into Microsoft’s early business model. After Microsoft’s IPO, Gates and Allen not only became billionaires, their generous profit sharing policy created more than twelve thousand new millionaires as investors rushed to buy MSFT stock.
Microsoft Share News: The Years of Dominance
The 1990’s were a decade ruled by the excitement of new technology, and Microsoft was at the forefront. With a mission statement dedicated to the ease and accessibility of information, the company quickly became the ruler of the largely untapped Information Technology market. As the decade neared its close populations became obsessed with the “Y2K Crisis” and some have argued that this fear of the unknown was partially to blame for the early 2000 “Dot-com Bubble”. In reality excitement over the new industry, had led eager investors to over-value many asset prices. Some companies like Amazon.com, eBay, and DrKoop.com saw their asset price fall more than 50% in mere days.
Microsoft was among the small percentage of tech businesses that ultimately survived the bubble, but recovery was difficult. A series of unsuccessful projects and a major lawsuit in the early 2000’s did some damage to the Microsoft brand that has been slow to heal.
Microsoft Share News: The Competition
As the first decade of the 2000s neared its end tech enthusiasts began to hear the buzz about cloud storage. The concept seemed simple enough, a move away from individual hard data storage facilities and into smaller, more reactive platforms. But in reality, it has become a heated battle for virtual real estate, and as seems to be the case in most tech battles, Microsoft, Apple and Google are squaring off.
If you’re a PC user you may remember waking up one morning to Microsoft’s new OS, embedded in that OS is Azure, Microsoft’s cloud storage system. Within it users are encouraged to upload their data for ease of use on all of their devices. To give you an idea of its importance, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s newest CEO headed Azure just before his appointment. So if you are looking to buy shares of MSFT keep your eye on Azure’s market acceptance.
How Much is Microsoft Worth?
While it may be simple to figure out the Microsoft stock price, the actual value of MSFT stock is a volatile debate. When MSFT debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 1986 with an IPO price of $21.00 few buyers understood the potential of the Microsoft name. If you had asked those buyers at the time, “How much is Microsoft worth?” They probably would have told you it was valued at around $61M, the amount raised by that initial IPO.
Few people would have predicted that the company name would become synonymous with the coming home computer boom or that its 30-year old CEO would later become one of the world’s most influential billionaires. Such is the nature of stock value. It is, in many ways, in the eye of the beholder. However with its current cash stockpiles and its uncanny ability to capitalize on trends MSFT is often one of the first tickers added to today’s portfolios.
Current Microsoft Stock Price / Microsoft Stock Price
Like most Bluechip companies, the MSFT stock price typically follows the rhythm of its indices and a consolidation within the Software Systems Industry can bring about a rash of MSFT buying and selling. If you enjoy trading as well as investing it won’t hurt to keep track of its price range.
You can find info on the current price for MSFT (and much more) stock on our Microsoft Stock News page.
What Does Microsoft Own?
When you are buying MSFT stock it’s important to remember that they are more than their bestselling Windows Operating System and 365 Product Suite, they are also an acquisition machine. Notable brands include Visio, acquired in 1999 and Skype, purchased in 2011 for $8.5 billion.
So what does Microsoft own? Between 2014 and 2016 alone Microsoft has acquired or placed a substantial investment into more than thirty smaller companies. On the list of highlights were Intel’s top designer of 3D physics, Havok and LinkedIn, a social networking company occasionally called the” Facebook for professionals.” When it comes to diversification current CEO Satya Nadella has proven to be even more aggressive than his predecessors. Considering Microsoft’s cash position you can all but bank on new and interesting assets to come.
Microsoft Stock Price History?
Historically Microsoft has made an effort to keep its stock at a price that attracts the average investor. During its boom years in the late 1990’s MFST split a total of eight times. An enviable record that includes one split just a year after its IPO. So when you’re analyzing Microsoft’s stock price history consider that 100 shares of MSFT in 1986 would translate to more than 28,000 shares today. This is a Dream profit from just a single investment.
Still in the early 2000’s the rampant enthusiasm for those looking to buy Microsoft stock was muted by competition and poor PR while the company was entrenched in a battle over monopoly laws. Apple’s amazing success launching the iPhone along with the poorly received Microsoft Zune also signaled a series of difficult years for its stock price.
Best Microsoft Stock Price
Many investors believe the best Microsoft stock price can occur just after a dividend payout has been made. Investors also look for buy spots in the days surrounding its quarterly earnings reports. The best stock price for Microsoft can also come during a normal consolidation period in the software industry. While you are searching for the best price to buy Microsoft stock, watch for market trends. You should also keep an eye on product roll out dates and the latest MSFT share news.