MSFT – From Growth to Income

July 22, 2004

Microsoft is a classic example of a company that has gone through the stages of its business life perfectly, and it has done that in a super-accelerated pace.

Think about it. Microsoft started its life as a tiny company, a glimmer in its founders’ eyes. As it gathered momentum, it turned into a speculative public company, then it became an aggressive growth company, followed by a plain growth one. And now it has finally reached maturity.

The announcement of the $75 billion cash reward to the investors is all the reason to believe that Microsoft has transformed itself from growth to an income company. With the stock yield just above 1%, a commanding dominance in the markets it operates, and a clear vision for the future, Microsoft is firmly planted in the list of the elite companies that includes admired institutions like GE and Wal-Mart.

The company may not experience the break-neck growth it has experienced in its short life, but its future looks bright.