What if you invested $1000 in Microsoft on Jan 1, 2020?
Explore hypothetical investment results for stocks, ETFs, and more. See real historical data and share your discoveries.
Historical Annual Returns
Over the past 20 years, Microsoft Corporation has delivered an average annual return of 20.7%. The stock peaked in 2023 with a massive +58.3% gain, while investors faced a downturn in 2008 (-43.8%). Overall, the stock finished in the green 16 times out of 20 years.
Avg Return
+20.7%
Win Rate
80%
16W - 4L
Best
+58.3%
2023
Worst
-43.8%
2008
Performance Consistency
About Microsoft Corporation
Visit Website ↗Microsoft Corporation is a global technology powerhouse that develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and devices. As of 2026, the company has successfully transitioned into an 'AI-first' organization, leveraging its strategic partnership with OpenAI to integrate generative AI across its entire tech stack. Microsoft is the dominant provider in enterprise computing through its Windows operating system and Office productivity suite, and it is a leading player in the global cloud market with Azure. Its business model centers on digital transformation, cloud infrastructure, and the emerging economy of autonomous AI agents.
Key Business Segments
Intelligent Cloud
The company's primary growth engine, consisting of public, private, and hybrid server products and cloud services. Key offerings include Azure—a comprehensive cloud platform for computing, networking, and AI—as well as SQL Server, Windows Server, GitHub, and Nuance Healthcare. In 2026, this segment is heavily focused on scaling AI 'superfactories' and providing the infrastructure for large-scale generative AI workloads.
Productivity and Business Processes
Focuses on productivity, communication, and information services. It includes Microsoft 365 (formerly Office), which has evolved into a Copilot-integrated subscription service for both commercial and consumer users. This segment also encompasses LinkedIn (talent and marketing solutions), Dynamics 365 (cloud-based ERP and CRM), and the Microsoft Power Platform for low-code development and hyperautomation.
More Personal Computing
Encompasses products and services geared toward end-users and developers across devices. This includes Windows OEM and commercial licensing, Surface devices, Search and news advertising (Bing and Copilot), and Gaming. Following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the Gaming division includes Xbox hardware, content, and services like Game Pass, making Microsoft one of the largest video game publishers globally.
Key Innovations
- ✓Azure AI Services & Copilot Ecosystem
- ✓Windows 11 and Next-Gen 'Copilot+' AI PC architecture
- ✓Microsoft 365 Copilot (Generative AI for productivity)
- ✓HoloLens and Mixed Reality (Industrial Metaverse)
- ✓Custom Silicon: Azure Maia AI Accelerator and Azure Cobalt CPU
- ✓Topological Quantum Computing (Majorana 1 chip)
- ✓Agentic AI: Autonomous digital coworkers built on Copilot Studio
Historical Milestones
Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Released Windows 1.0, a graphical extension for MS-DOS.
Initial Public Offering (IPO) on NASDAQ.
Launched Windows 95, selling seven million copies in the first five weeks.
Entered the gaming market with the release of the original Xbox.
Acquired Skype for $8.5 billion to enhance communication services.
Satya Nadella succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO, shifting the focus to 'Mobile-first, Cloud-first'.
Acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, its largest acquisition at the time.
Announced a multi-year, multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI to accelerate AI breakthroughs.
Launched Copilot+ PCs, introducing an all-new system architecture with high-performance Neural Processing Units (NPUs).
Surpassed 900 million monthly active users across its AI-enabled feature set.