How to buy Microsoft (MSFT) stock

Use our step-by-step guide to learn how to buy MSFT stock and compare the best Microsoft trading platforms.
By:  & 
Updated: Jan 10, 2023
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A big part of learning how to buy Microsoft stocks is finding the best place to make your investment. Microsoft stocks are available to invest in through an online stock broker, and it usually takes just a few minutes to buy shares in Microsoft when following our step by step guide.

Where to buy Microsoft stock?

The best stock trading platform to use to buy Microsoft stock is eToro .

Based on our research, we’ve ranked the top three brokers where you can buy Microsoft shares, according to how easy they are to use, how low their fees are, their safety and security rating, and average customer reviews.

1
Min. Deposit
$ 10
Promotion
User Score
10
Up to $240 bonus!
Deposit with ACA, Wire, Pay with my bank
Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day
Start Trading
Payment Methods:
Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer
Full Regulations:
CySEC, FCA
Investoo Ltd is compensated if you access certain of the products or services offered by eToro USA LLC and/or eToro USA Securities Inc., as applicable. This compensation incentivizes Investoo Ltd to describe those products and services in favorable terms. Any testimonials contained in this communication may not be representative of the experience of other eToro customers and such testimonials are not guarantees of future performance or success.

Read more about how we test, rank & review platforms.

How to buy stock in Microsoft in 3 simple steps

Buying Microsoft stock is quick and easy, all you need is an internet connection and a copy of your photo ID. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1. Sign up to eToro

eToro is the best stock trading platform for beginners. Fill in your details to set up a brokerage account and attach a copy of your ID to verify it.

1
Min. Deposit
$ 10
Promotion
User Score
10
Up to $240 bonus!
Deposit with ACA, Wire, Pay with my bank
Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day
Start Trading
Payment Methods:
Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer
Full Regulations:
CySEC, FCA
Investoo Ltd is compensated if you access certain of the products or services offered by eToro USA LLC and/or eToro USA Securities Inc., as applicable. This compensation incentivizes Investoo Ltd to describe those products and services in favorable terms. Any testimonials contained in this communication may not be representative of the experience of other eToro customers and such testimonials are not guarantees of future performance or success.

Step 2. Make a deposit

Transfer money to your new account with your credit or debit card, a bank transfer, or an alternative payment method, like PayPal. The minimum deposit is £10.

Step 3. Buy Microsoft shares

Search for Microsoft using the ticker, MSFT. Click the ‘trade’ button and enter the details of your investment, such as how many shares you want to buy or how much you want to spend. Hit ‘trade now’ to invest in Microsoft and complete your purchase.

It’s as easy as that! You can buy Microsoft shares in just 10-15 minutes and now you’re a Microsoft shareholder.

Compare the best platforms to buy Microsoft stock

1. eToro. Best for beginners, copy-trading & demo-account

2900

No. assets

$10

Minimum deposit

Stocks

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Overview

Visit eToro Read Review

Fundamental analysis of Microsoft shares

What is Microsoft’s total worth?

Microsoft’s total net worth is $1.67 trillion. This is its total market capitalisation, calculated by multiplying the number of shares outstanding on a stock exchange by the current share price.

How has Microsoft’s share price performed in recent years?

The current Microsoft stock price today is, $224.93 which is 35.71% below its all time high of $349.67, which it reached on 22 November, 2021. 

Overall, MSFT is up 155% over the last five years. The MSFT share price is down 7.32% in 2023 with a 52 week high of $323.41 and a 52 week low of $213.43.

What is Microsoft’s EPS?

Microsoft’s EPS is $9.29. EPS stands for earnings per share and is calculated by dividing Microsoft’s net profit by the number of shares outstanding. It gives you an idea of how valuable a company is.

What is the Microsoft P/E ratio?

Microsoft’s P/E ratio is 24.21. The P/E, or price to earnings ratio, tells you how much you would have to pay per share for $1 of Microsoft’s earnings. 

It is calculated by dividing the share price by the earnings per share. You can use Microsoft’s earnings estimates to predict its future (or forward) P/E and set a target price you think the stock can reach.

What is Microsoft’s dividend yield?

Microsoft’s dividend yield is 1.22%. The dividend yield tells you how much of Microsoft’s share price it gives back to shareholders in dividend payments every year.

Is Microsoft stock a buy or sell?

The indicator below shows you live technical ratings for Microsoft stock on time frames from one minute to one month. 

It tracks a selection of key technical indicators on live market data, including moving averages, relative strength index (RSI), oscillators, and momentum.

This indicator should be used when you research Microsoft to help you decide whether to buy Microsoft shares. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. It is not investment advice or a recommendation from Invezz to buy this stock.

Is Microsoft a good investment for me? 

The right answer is different for each person, so here is some information to help you decide whether to buy stocks in Microsoft.

  • Microsoft dominates the PC operating system market. Microsoft’s dominance in the personal computer market is due mostly to the widespread use of its Windows operating system, which is estimated to be used on over 90% of the world’s personal computers.
  • Its business is diverse and offers more than just PC software. Its underlying strength has been helped in recent years by moving away from just operating systems and hardware by acquiring LinkedIn and Skype, along with investing in its gaming division and Azure cloud software offering. 
  • Microsoft is one of the world’s most valuable companies. Microsoft has a market capitalisation of approximately $1.5 trillion, although it did briefly top the $2 trillion market in 2022. This makes it one of the world’s most valuable companies and it’s often seen as a stable investment. 
  • Dividend payments can help you earn income from your investment. Many technology companies don’t tend to reward investors, rather they reinvest profits back into the company. Microsoft has been around for decades and has reached a position whereby it can pay dividends, making it a top option if you want to invest in the tech space while earning income. 
  • Azure, its cloud computing platform, has a 15% global market share. Its cloud computing platform is the second largest in the world, behind Amazon’s offering. Cloud computing has grown into a massive global industry and Microsoft is well-positioned to increase its market share.  
  • Gaming brings in billions of dollars in revenue. The Xbox is Microsoft’s flagship gaming console and has a loyal following globally. Gaming is a huge industry and Microsoft has cemented itself as an industry leader. It also recently completed a multi-billion dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard to strengthen further its hold on the gaming sector. 

It’s always a good idea to think about any potential risks there might be as well. Use this summary of Microsoft’s pros and cons before you make a final decision on whether to buy Microsoft stock.

Pros

  • Microsoft is one of the world’s most valuable companies
  • Gaming and cloud computing bring in billions of dollars in revenue 
  • Almost 90% of the world’s computers use Windows
  • Microsoft pays dividends

Cons

Are there other ways to buy shares in Microsoft?

Yes, you can invest in Microsoft stock in a few different ways. One option is to buy stock in Microsoft directly through an investment platform as laid out above, while another popular choice is to invest in a fund. 

Mutual funds provide instant diversification to your investment portfolio by investing in lots of companies at once. You can invest in a Nasdaq index fund to get exposure to Microsoft or choose a tech ETF.

Another option is to use a social copy trading platform, like eToro . Find a trader who you like and copy their Microsoft trades directly to your own account. 

This can be a good investment strategy for beginners and a way to learn how to buy Microsoft shares from someone with more experience.

What are the fees for investing in Microsoft stock?

It depends on the stock broker. Some platforms charge a flat fee per trade, others charge a commission as a percentage of the total trade value each time you buy Microsoft stocks.

Consider that there may be other costs to trading too. Other fees can include deposit and withdrawal fees, or inactivity fees if you don’t use your account for three months or more. 

These are the trading platforms that charge the lowest fees for buying stocks in Microsoft.

Trading platformTrading fees
eToro $0
Skilling $0
Capital.com $0
Degiro $0 (US) / £1.75 (UK)
AvaTrade 0.13% commission

How to sell Microsoft stock

When you decide the time is right to sell and lock in some profit (or cut your losses), log into your broker account and navigate to your portfolio. 

From there, find your Microsoft stock and you’ll see a ‘sell’ option next to it. Click that to set the details of the trade (you don’t have to sell all your stocks at once) and sell back to cash.

Should I buy Microsoft stock now?

It’s your investing goals and style that define whether now is a good time to buy. The current Microsoft stock price plays into it but ultimately it depends on your investment horizons.

  • If you’re a short term trader: the goal is to make money by buying and selling stocks regularly to secure a profit or avoid a loss. That can mean trading hourly, daily, or weekly but the focus is always on the near future. Traders learn how to buy stocks in Microsoft based on short term technical analysis and don’t hold shares for a long time, so any time can be a good time to buy MSFT.
  • If you’re a long term investor: you’re more interested in long term price appreciation than whether a stock is up or down on any given day. The important thing is finding a stock with a strong foundation where you think the share price will be up over a period of months or years. If you think Microsoft’s fundamentals are solid then the best time to invest in Microsoft stock is after a dip or a pullback in price.

Most new traders sit somewhere between these two positions. You don’t want to actively trade Microsoft stock all hours of the day but you don’t want to wait years for a return either.

Either way, following MSFT price news and analysis will help you decide when to dip your toe into the market.

Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI) ended more than 5.0% up on Friday after the Competition and Markets Authority of the United Kingdom eased its stance on the company’s pending merger with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT). Microsoft-Activision deal not a threat to console market Citing new evidence, the regulator…
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) just promised to bring its Xbox PC games to Nvidia Corporation’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) cloud gaming service. Shares ended more than 2.0% down on Tuesday. What’s in it for Microsoft? Effective immediately, the tech behemoth will make its Xbox games available on GeForce Now. The…

FAQs

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Sources & references
Risk disclaimer

Invezz is a place where people can find reliable, unbiased information about finance, trading, and investing – but we do not offer financial advice and users should always carry out their own research. The assets covered on this website, including stocks, cryptocurrencies, and commodities can be highly volatile and new investors often lose money. Success in the financial markets is not guaranteed, and users should never invest more than they can afford to lose. You should consider your own personal circumstances and take the time to explore all your options before making any investment. Read our risk disclaimer >

James Knight
Editor of Education
James is a lead content editor for Invezz. He's an avid trader and golfer, who spends an inordinate amount of time watching Leicester City and the… read more.
Prash Raval
Financial Writer
When not researching stocks or trading, Prash can be found either on the golf course, walking his dog or teaching his son how to kick a… read more.