what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation

This article answers what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation (MSFT), explains exchange and identifier details, where to find quotes, how investors use the ticker, related securities, and...

2025-08-23 03:33:00

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Microsoft Corporation — Stock symbol (MSFT)

What is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation? The stock symbol is MSFT, listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and commonly shown as NASDAQ:MSFT across financial platforms. This one-line identifier is the primary public-market code used to find quotes, historical prices, filings, and tradable instruments tied to Microsoft Corporation.

Overview

A stock symbol (also called a ticker) is a short alphanumeric code assigned to a publicly traded security so that exchanges, data providers, brokerages, and investors can quickly identify and reference the company in market data and trading systems. For clarity and searchability, ask yourself: what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation? The short answer: MSFT. On most financial platforms you will see it presented with the exchange prefix, for example NASDAQ:MSFT, indicating Microsoft’s primary U.S. listing on the Nasdaq exchange.

Why tickers exist:

They provide a standardized shorthand for referencing a company in price feeds and trading systems.
They reduce ambiguity when company names are similar or when names change over time.
They appear on charts, order tickets, filings, and derivative listings where a concise identifier is essential.

Across news services, brokerage platforms, market data terminals, and investor relations pages, asking what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation will return MSFT as the canonical, primary listing ticker.

Official listing details

Exchange and market

Microsoft Corporation’s primary U.S. listing is on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Data providers and brokers commonly show Microsoft as NASDAQ:MSFT or simply MSFT when the exchange context is already known. When searching for quotes or placing orders in a U.S. market context, use MSFT and confirm the exchange prefix if you operate across international venues.

As of 2025-12-30, according to Microsoft Investor Relations and Nasdaq market documentation, MSFT remains listed on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol MSFT and continues to be traded as the same primary equity ticker since its initial public listing.

Identifiers (ISIN, CUSIP)

Beyond the ticker, global and domestic systems use persistent numeric/alphanumeric identifiers to uniquely identify securities:

ISIN (International Securities Identification Number): The ISIN is a 12-character code used globally to identify a security across markets and settlement systems. For Microsoft’s U.S. common stock, the ISIN is the internationally recognized identifier tied to the MSFT listing.
CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number): The CUSIP is a 9-character identifier primarily used in the U.S. and Canada for clearing and settlement. The CUSIP uniquely identifies Microsoft’s U.S. common shares for brokerage and custody purposes.

These codes are complementary to the ticker: a human-friendly ticker (MSFT) for displays and interaction, and machine-friendly identifiers (ISIN, CUSIP) for settlement, clearing, and cross-border processing. For precise ISIN and CUSIP values, verify with Microsoft Investor Relations, the company’s transfer agent, or official filings.

History of the ticker and listing

Microsoft completed its initial public offering (IPO) in 1986 and has traded under the ticker MSFT since its primary listing. Over the decades the company has undertaken corporate actions such as stock splits and dividends that affected share count and per-share price, but the ticker MSFT has remained the continuous market identifier for Microsoft Corporation.

Key historical notes relevant to the ticker’s continuity:

IPO and early listing: Microsoft’s IPO established the company’s public-market identity under an assigned ticker—MSFT—and this identifier has been used consistently in U.S. markets since listing.
Stock splits: Microsoft has executed multiple stock splits over its history. Stock splits change the number of outstanding shares and per-share price but do not change the ticker itself unless the company undertakes a reorganization that explicitly alters listing status.
Ticker continuity: Despite corporate actions, MSFT has continued to serve as Microsoft’s primary trading symbol on the Nasdaq. When reading historical data, confirm whether price series are adjusted for splits and corporate actions.

If you want to know what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation across time, MSFT is the answer and its history is traceable through IPO records, company filings, and historical price providers.

Where to find MSFT quotes and market information

Investors and researchers use a range of sources to obtain real-time or delayed quotes, historical prices, news, and filings for MSFT. Common categories include:

Exchange feeds and market centers: Official exchange pages and market data feeds show primary listings and trading statistics for MSFT.
Financial news and data platforms: Market data platforms provide quotes, charts, and analytics for NASDAQ:MSFT.
Brokerage and trading platforms: User accounts display MSFT in watchlists, order entry forms, and account holdings (note: when using external brokerage services, ensure you verify quote delays and real-time permissions).
Company investor relations: Microsoft’s investor relations site lists stock lookup tools, shareholder information, and official filings.

As of 2025-12-30, according to publicly available exchange and company information, real-time quotes for MSFT are available through major market-data providers and brokerage platforms. Be aware that some publicly accessible quote displays may be delayed by 15–20 minutes depending on the provider.

When you need to answer what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation and immediately pull a price, search for MSFT on your preferred platform and confirm whether quotes are real-time or delayed.

How investors use the symbol

The ticker MSFT serves many practical investor workflows:

Placing trades: Traders enter MSFT as the symbol when sending buy or sell orders for Microsoft’s common stock on supported platforms.
Watchlists and alerts: Investors add MSFT to watchlists and configure price alerts to monitor movement and news.
Historical research: Analysts and individual investors query MSFT historical price series to calculate returns, volatility, and other performance metrics.
Financial statements and filings: Filings referencing Microsoft’s public shares use MSFT as the shorthand in many data interfaces, while formal SEC filings identify the issuer by name and CIK.
Derivatives and options: Options chains and other derivatives reference the underlying ticker MSFT, with strike dates, expiration, and option symbols built around the underlying equity’s identifier.

Knowing what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation is the first step to using any market feature related to Microsoft’s publicly traded shares. For options and futures, double-check the product’s notation and settlement conventions in your platform’s documentation.

Related securities and listings

Microsoft’s stock is a constituent of major U.S. indices, which affects how institutional products reference the company:

Index inclusion: Microsoft is included in large-cap indices such as the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100; index providers list the security using MSFT or their own internal identifier.
ETFs and funds: Many exchange-traded funds and mutual funds hold shares of MSFT. Those funds reference Microsoft by its ticker when reporting holdings.
Options and other derivatives: Options chains are built on MSFT as the underlying. When trading options, traders rely on the underlying ticker plus the specific option symbol, expiration, and strike.
International notations: On some international platforms the same U.S.-listed stock may be annotated with a suffix or a market code to indicate currency or market (for example, data systems might use XNAS:MSFT or NASDAQ:MSFT). For a U.S.-listed company like Microsoft, there is typically no separate ADR listing since ADRs are used to represent foreign companies on U.S. exchanges.

If you are cross-listing or checking local exchanges outside the U.S., always confirm the exchange prefix or local market code to avoid confusion. Still, the central question—what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation—returns the global reference MSFT for the company’s U.S. equity.

Common confusions and disambiguation

Several common points of confusion arise when identifying a company by name or ticker:

Company name vs ticker: Microsoft Corporation is the legal company name; MSFT is the ticker symbol. Use the company name for filings and the ticker for market data and trading.
Multiple share classes: Some companies issue multiple classes of stock (for example, Class A and Class B) with different tickers. Microsoft’s common trading shares are represented by MSFT; there are no separate publicly traded classes for the U.S. common shares under a different ticker.
Exchange prefixes and suffixes: When searching globally, verify the exchange prefix (e.g., NASDAQ:MSFT) to ensure you’re viewing the U.S. listing and not a similarly named instrument elsewhere.
Non-equity uses of the name: Product names or trademarks (for example software names, services, or project names) can resemble company names. When in doubt about tradability or market references, check that the entry is MSFT on an exchange feed or confirm via investor relations.

Answering what is the stock symbol for microsoft corporation requires the simplest clarification: MSFT is the unique ticker you should use for the company’s primary U.S. equity.

Practical examples

Here are common notations and how you might use them across different tools and contexts:

MSFT — Common shorthand used in watchlists, chats, and many trading platforms where the exchange context is known.
NASDAQ:MSFT — Explicitly states the exchange and is commonly used on market data websites and financial news articles.
Searching in a brokerage app: Enter MSFT in the search box, then confirm the issuer name shows Microsoft Corporation and the market is listed as Nasdaq.
Viewing options: Look up MSFT options chains by entering the underlying symbol MSFT and selecting expiration and strike.

Practical search tip: If a platform supports it, use the ticker first (MSFT) and then select any displayed exchange prefix to ensure you are referencing the U.S. listing.

References and external links

Primary sources and authoritative pages for verifying ticker and listing details (no external hyperlinks included here):

Microsoft Investor Relations — Stock Lookup
Nasdaq — Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) market activity and listing information
Yahoo Finance — MSFT quote and historical data
TradingView — NASDAQ:MSFT symbol pages and charts
Morningstar — MSFT quote and fundamental data
Seeking Alpha — MSFT news and analysis
Robinhood — MSFT stock page and quote (for retail-oriented display examples)
Macrotrends — MSFT historical price data

As of 2025-12-30, according to Microsoft Investor Relations and Nasdaq reporting, MSFT remains the primary ticker for Microsoft Corporation on Nasdaq — check these sources for time-sensitive metrics and official filings.

Notes for editors and contributors

Market metrics such as current price, market capitalization, and daily trading volume are time-sensitive and should be updated using the cited sources.
ISIN and CUSIP values should be verified against the company transfer agent or official filings before publishing.
Maintain neutral tone: this article provides identification and factual information only; it does not offer investment advice.