Microsoft - 2003 dated Stock Certificate - Very Rare Issued
Inv# GS6894
Stock
Stock printed by Security-Columbian United States Banknote Corporation.
Microsoft Corporation is a prominent American multinational technology conglomerate based in Redmond, Washington. Established in 1975, the company played a pivotal role in the proliferation of personal computers, primarily through its software products such as Windows. Over the years, Microsoft has diversified its operations to include internet services, cloud computing, video gaming, and various other sectors. It stands as the largest software producer, ranks among the most valuable publicly traded companies in the United States, and is recognized as one of the most valuable brands worldwide. The company was co-founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen with the initial aim of developing and selling BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. By the mid-1980s, Microsoft had established a dominant position in the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS, followed by the introduction of Windows. Between 1980 and 2021, Microsoft released nine versions of MS-DOS, averaging a release every two years, and thirteen versions of Windows, with an average release interval of three years.
The company's initial public offering (IPO) in 1986 and the subsequent surge in its stock price resulted in the creation of three billionaires and approximately 12,000 millionaires among its employees. Since the 1990s, Microsoft has increasingly broadened its focus beyond operating systems. Steve Ballmer succeeded Gates as CEO in 2000 and oversaw significant corporate acquisitions, including Skype Technologies in 2011, as well as a heightened emphasis on hardware, culminating in the launch of its first in-house PC line, the Surface, in 2012, and the establishment of Microsoft Mobile through its acquisition of Nokia. Under the leadership of Satya Nadella, who became CEO in 2014, the company has shifted its focus towards cloud computing and made a substantial acquisition of LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in 2016. Additionally, Nadella has guided the expansion of Microsoft's video gaming sector, leading to the formation of the Microsoft Gaming division in 2022, which is now the third-largest gaming company globally by revenue, following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in 2023.
A stock certificate is issued by businesses, usually companies. A stock is part of the permanent finance of a business. Normally, they are never repaid, and the investor can recover his/her money only by selling to another investor. Most stocks, or also called shares, earn dividends, at the business's discretion, depending on how well it has traded. A stockholder or shareholder is a part-owner of the business that issued the stock certificates.
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