AAPL vs MSFT – Comparing 10-Year Total Returns & Dividend Growth of Apple vs. Microsoft

Compare the 10-year performance and dividend income and total return of two best performing stocks in the TECH field (as well as broader market): Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT).

10 years returns for AAPL & MSFT - dividends, price growth and total returns:

Stats below compares the performance of a $10,000 investment into each company 10 years ago, with dividends being automatically reinvested (DRIP) on the payout day, with no additional investments.

Here is a chart comparing the 10-year total returns of AAPL and MSFT, shown side-by-side. These total return figures take into account dividend reinvestment and represent the value of all shares owned at each respective point in time.

Estimate Dividend Snowball and total future returns for AAPL and MSFT with our dividend (DRIP) calculator.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is a Consumer Electronics company listed on NASDAQ, while Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is a Software - Infrastructure company on NASDAQ. AAPL is roughly 1.3x MSFT's size — a $5.2T market cap against $3.9T. Over the trailing twelve months, AAPL booked $478.8B in revenue against MSFT's $346.4B. On price, AAPL has been the faster grower — a 29.75%/yr CAGR over the last 10 years versus 24.69%/yr for MSFT. The numbers on this page — total returns of a $10,000 dividend-reinvested (DRIP) position, price history, dividend growth, valuation and growth — come straight from our market data.

AAPL vs MSFT at a glance

Over the past 10 years, AAPL delivered the stronger run: a $10,000 position with dividends reinvested grew to $147,039, a 1,370.4% total return — far ahead of the same $10,000 in MSFT, which reached $102,002 (920.0%). That is a 450.4-point spread, measured, not projected.

On the dividend side, AAPL pays $0.27 quarterly — a 0.3% yield at today's $357.38 price — while MSFT pays $0.91 quarterly for a 0.69% yield at $527.91. Over the window, the $10,000 position collected $3,377 in AAPL dividends against $4,390 from MSFT. MSFT has raised its payout faster, compounding 9.07%/yr against 6.76%/yr for AAPL.

Every figure in this comparison is computed from DRIPCalc's own price and dividend history for AAPL and MSFT — the same data behind every chart and calculator on this page.

Compare Earnings, Free Cash Flow, Dividend Payout Ratios and other metrics for AAPL vs MSFT — or open each ticker's full history: AAPL, MSFT.

Here are 5 year price charts for AAPL & MSFT:

In the span of 10 years, the price of AAPL climbed 1,252%, from $26.43 to $357.38 — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.75%.

In the span of 10 years, the price of MSFT climbed 808%, from $58.12 to $527.91 — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.69%.

Dividend payments and yield graphs for AAPL & MSFT:

The 10-year window opened with AAPL paying $0.24 per share; the latest payment is $0.27 — a dividend CAGR of 6.76%. MSFT went from $0.75 to $0.91 over the same stretch, a 9.07% CAGR.

Charts above show historic dividend payments for each company, with the Dividend Yield curve overlaying the payments and the Dividend CAGR for the last 1, 2, 5 and 10 years. A rising yield curve means the price was cheap relative to the dividend at those payment dates; a sloping-down curve means the stock was getting more expensive relative to its dividends.

Based on AAPL's 10-year CAGR, it would take 10.65 years to double your dividend yield-on-cost.
Based on MSFT's 10-year CAGR, it would take 7.94 years to double your dividend yield-on-cost.

Rule of 72: divide 72 by a growth rate to approximate the years it takes to double — the doubling times above come straight from each dividend CAGR on this page. One caution: extreme double-digit yields have historically often preceded dividend cuts.

Investing $10,000 in AAPL & MSFT today: Estimated Future Return & Dividends:

Looking across up to ten years of history, AAPL achieved a share price compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.75%, accompanied by a dividend CAGR of 6.76%.

By the same measure, MSFT recorded a share price CAGR of 24.69%, along with a dividend CAGR of 9.07%.

How a $10,000 investment could perform based on these historic CAGR numbers:

If you invest $10000 today into one of these companies, applying these CAGR figures forecasts the 10-year path of your initial investment, assuming dividends are continuously reinvested (DRIP), as detailed below:

And here is how your $10,000 investment into Apple Inc. or Microsoft Corporation could perform based on the CAGR figures above, represented on a graph - a Dividend DRIP Snowball:

Try our dividend DRIP calculator: AAPL or MSFT - estimate your returns and dividend income!

Using our dividend calculator, you can customize initial investment, projected Dividend & Price growth rate, additional investment amount and frequency, to fit your investing style and goals.

The figures above are projections built on each stock's historical Dividend and Price CAGR under a DRIP assumption — estimations only, and actual returns will vary.

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Latest price & dividend safety check: AAPL vs MSFT

Longer-term price trends: AAPL vs MSFT

AAPL last closed at $357.38, within 0% of its 52-week high of $357.38. The share price has gone up 30.7% over the last year, a 19%/yr pace over five years, compounded 29.4%/yr over the decade.

MSFT last closed at $527.91, 5% below its 52-week high of $555.80. The share price has gone up 3.3% over the last year, a 9.4%/yr pace over five years, compounded 24.5%/yr over the decade.

Price CAGRs are computed from closing prices over each window — descriptive history, not a projection.

Earnings power: what AAPL and MSFT actually earn

Over the trailing twelve months, AAPL earned $8.97 per share on $478.83B of revenue, while MSFT earned $19.16 per share on $346.45B — AAPL's revenue base is 38% more than MSFT's.

AAPL compounded reported EPS at 13.6%/yr over 3 years (9.8%/yr over 5). Meanwhile MSFT compounded reported EPS at 22.9%/yr over 3 years (16.5%/yr over 5). Both rates compare reported results with reported results — the forward view further down uses estimates against estimates.

Against expectations: AAPL beat GAAP-based street numbers in 8 of the last 8 quarters; MSFT beat GAAP-based street numbers in 8 of the last 8 quarters.

Head-to-head: AAPL vs MSFT across four metric families

Each family scores its own game — cheaper wins valuation, faster wins growth, higher wins profitability, cleaner wins cash quality. A cell is highlighted when the gap tops 3%; anything tighter is scored even.

* forward figures use street estimates for quarters past the last reported one (45-day window). Forward EPS growth = the next 4 quarters' street estimates over the last 4 quarters' street estimates (estimate over estimate, never estimates over reported actuals) — the same figure as each stock page's Company Overview. PEG = forward PE ÷ that growth (N/M under 2% growth). Forward PE is price over estimated earnings — the market convention.

The margin story: who keeps more of each sale

AAPL's net margin averaged 27.5% over the last four quarters vs 26.7% the year before — expanding. MSFT's net margin averaged 41.3% over the last four quarters vs 35.7% the year before — expanding.

If the trends hold: a 5-year back-of-the-envelope for AAPL & MSFT

If AAPL delivers the street's next-four-quarter EPS and compounds it at the estimate-over-estimate 13.3%/yr, still fetching 38.4x forward earnings in five years, the stock would trade near $588.51. A buyer demanding 15%/yr returns could pay up to $292.59 today (current price: $357.38).

If MSFT delivers the street's next-four-quarter EPS and compounds it at the estimate-over-estimate 21.4%/yr, still fetching 25.4x forward earnings in five years, the stock would trade near $1,144.81. A buyer demanding 15%/yr returns could pay up to $569.17 today (current price: $527.91).

Caveat, prominently: these paths extrapolate street estimates and today's forward multiples five years into the future. Estimates get revised, multiples compress, trends bend, cycles turn — treat this as arithmetic, not prophecy.

Yield-on-cost, five years out

At today's 0.3% yield, five more years of AAPL's 6.76%/yr dividend growth would put the yield-on-cost at 0.42% of today's price. Meanwhile, at today's 0.69% yield, five more years of MSFT's 9.07%/yr dividend growth would put the yield-on-cost at 1.07% of today's price.

AAPL vs MSFT: quick answers