From Nov 13, 2025 to the Nov 13, 2026 close, $1,000 in Microsoft (MSFT) became $1,049 and $1,000 in Alphabet (GOOGL) became $1,065, with dividends reinvested.

  • Deepest fall: Microsoft 30.4% (Nov 14, 2025 to Jun 25, 2026); Alphabet 30.6% (May 13, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026)
Microsoft (MSFT)
Total return5%
A year4.9%
Deepest fall30.4%
Volatility34.0%
Sharpe ratio−0.00
Beta to S&P 5001.01
Alphabet (GOOGL)
Total return6%
A year6.5%
Deepest fall30.6%
Volatility33.5%
Sharpe ratio0.04
Beta to S&P 5001.28

From Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft grew 4.9% a year and Alphabet grew 6.5%. The higher rate, Alphabet's, came with narrower daily swings. Volatility was 34.0% for Microsoft and 33.5% for Alphabet. The Sharpe ratio is the yearly return above a fixed 5% risk-free rate, per unit of volatility.

Sharpe ratios were 0.00 for Microsoft and 0.04 for Alphabet. A Sharpe ratio below zero means the yearly return was under 5%. Over the same dates, the price record shows deepest falls of 30.4% for Microsoft and 30.6% for Alphabet.

From Nov 14, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, betas to the S&P 500 were 1.01 for Microsoft and 1.28 for Alphabet.

Growth of $1,000 in Microsoft and Alphabet

The $1,000 in Microsoft and the $1,000 in Alphabet swapped places 2 times at month ends. The latest swap came at the end of Nov 2026. Since then, the $1,000 in Alphabet has been worth more at every month end. Across all 13 month ends, Microsoft's value was the higher one at 1 and Alphabet's at 12.

At the end of Jun 2026, $1,000 had become $746 in Microsoft and $1,285 in Alphabet. In relative terms, that was the widest gap between them at any month end. Neither the $1,000 in Microsoft nor the $1,000 in Alphabet reached $2,000 at a month end.

The highest month-end values were $1,049 for Microsoft (Nov 2026) and $1,383 for Alphabet (Apr 2026).

Microsoft (MSFT), circleAlphabet (GOOGL), square
$700$800$900$1k$1.1k$1.2k$1.3k$1.4k2026MSFT $1,049GOOGL $1,065
$700$800$900$1k$1.1k$1.2k$1.3k$1.4k2026MSFT $1,049GOOGL $1,065

Microsoft and Alphabet returns by period

Every row ends at the Nov 13, 2026 close. The "a year" columns give the yearly rate from each start date. The yearly rates were furthest apart over the full span since Aug 2004. Over that span, Microsoft grew 16.8% a year and Alphabet grew 24.0%.

The rates were closest over the last 20 years: 17.6% for Microsoft and 17.4% for Alphabet.

Both had a lower rate over the last year than their 10-year rate. For Microsoft it was 4.9% against 26.1%, and for Alphabet 6.5% against 23.0%. In every row, $1,000 in Microsoft and $1,000 in Alphabet both ended above $1,000.

Period$1,000 in Microsoft$1,000 in AlphabetMicrosoft a yearAlphabet a year
Since both startedfrom Aug 19, 2004$31,545$118,91016.8%24.0%
Last 20 yearsfrom Nov 13, 2006$25,480$24,80417.6%17.4%
Last 10 yearsfrom Nov 14, 2016$10,151$7,92826.1%23.0%
Last 5 yearsfrom Nov 12, 2021$1,621$2,00810.1%14.9%
Last yearfrom Nov 13, 2025$1,049$1,0654.9%6.5%

How far Microsoft and Alphabet fell below their highs

At the Nov 13, 2026 close, Microsoft was at its month-end high. At the same close, Alphabet was 23.0% below its Apr 2026 month-end high. On daily closes, the deepest falls of Microsoft and Alphabet came in the same stretch. Microsoft fell 30.4% from Nov 14, 2025 to Jun 25, 2026.

Alphabet fell 30.6% from May 13, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026. Microsoft closed back at its old high on Aug 28, 2026, 2 months after the low. Alphabet had not closed back at its old high by Nov 13, 2026, within a month after the low. Microsoft was 20% or more below its high at 2 of 13 month ends.

Alphabet was 20% or more below its high at 2.

This page tracks four S&P 500 falls: dot-com, 2008, COVID and 2022. All four lie outside the Microsoft and Alphabet dates, from Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026.

Microsoft (MSFT), circleAlphabet (GOOGL), square
−25%−20%−15%−10%−5%0%2026
−25%−20%−15%−10%−5%0%2026

Microsoft vs Alphabet by year

No full calendar year lies from Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, so there are no yearly bars yet for Microsoft and Alphabet.

Microsoft (MSFT), circleAlphabet (GOOGL), square

Microsoft and Alphabet monthly returns

These counts cover 11 full months, Dec 2025 to Oct 2026. Microsoft rose in 6 of them and Alphabet in 3. Both rose in 2, both fell in 4, and in 5 one rose while the other fell, more than one month in three. Microsoft's largest monthly fall was −17.2% in Jun 2026, and Alphabet's −18.7% in Oct 2026.

Microsoft's largest monthly rise was +24.6% in Jul 2026, and Alphabet's +33.8% in Apr 2026. Microsoft's longest run of falling months was 4, ending in Mar 2026. Alphabet's longest run of falling months was 4, ending in Aug 2026.

The latest cell is a part month, from the Oct 30, 2026 close to the Nov 13, 2026 close. Over those days, Microsoft changed +0.4% and Alphabet +5.7%.

Microsoft, % each month
JFMAMJJASOND
2026−11.0−8.5−5.7+10.2+10.7−17.2+24.6+9.4+1.1+1.8+0.4
2025−1.7
Alphabet, % each month
JFMAMJJASOND
2026+8.0−7.8−7.7+33.8−1.2−6.0−0.3−4.7+1.5−18.7+5.7
2025−2.2

Microsoft and Alphabet: rolling 1-year return and volatility

The rolling 1-year return is the change over the 12 months to each month end. From Nov 2026 to Nov 2026, Microsoft's rolling 1-year return ran from +7.2% (12 months to Nov 2026) to +7.2% (to Nov 2026). Over the same months, Alphabet's ran from −7.4% (12 months to Nov 2026) to −7.4% (to Nov 2026).

Alphabet's 12-month change was below zero at 1 of those 1 month ends; Microsoft's never was. Microsoft's 12-month change was the higher of the two at every one of those 1 month ends.

Microsoft (MSFT), circleAlphabet (GOOGL), square
24%26%28%30%32%34%2026
24%26%28%30%32%34%2026

Microsoft and Alphabet: volatility, risk-adjusted return, beta and correlation

These measures cover Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026. Over those dates, volatility was 34.0% for Microsoft and 33.5% for Alphabet. The Sortino ratio counts only falling days as risk. Against the same 5% rate, Sortino ratios were 0.00 for Microsoft and 0.06 for Alphabet. The Calmar ratio is the yearly return divided by the deepest fall.

Calmar ratios were 0.16 for Microsoft and 0.21 for Alphabet.

Beta shows how much Microsoft and Alphabet tended to move on the days the S&P 500 (SPY) moved. A beta of 1 means moving by the same amount as the index. From Nov 14, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft's beta was 1.01, so it tended to move about as much as the index.

Over the same dates, Alphabet's beta was 1.28, so it tended to move more than the index. The correlation of Microsoft's and Alphabet's daily moves was 0.17, little link. A correlation of 1 would mean they always moved together, 0 no link and −1 always opposite.

MeasureMicrosoftAlphabet
Volatility, a year34.0%33.5%
Sharpe ratio−0.000.04
Sortino ratio−0.000.06
Calmar ratio0.160.21
Deepest fall30.4%30.6%
Beta to the S&P 500from Nov 14, 20251.011.28
Upside capturemonths from Dec 2016131%140%
Downside capturemonths from Dec 201690%117%
Biggest one-day rise+15.51%Jul 30, 2026+9.96%Apr 30, 2026
Biggest one-day fall−9.99%Jan 29, 2026−12.64%Oct 29, 2026
Price against its 50-day average+0.9%−9.9%
Price against its 200-day average+18.9%−12.5%
Correlation of daily movesfrom Nov 14, 20250.17

About Microsoft and Alphabet

What Microsoft and Alphabet do, from each company's latest annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation, founded in 1975, develops and supports software, services, devices and solutions. It reports three segments. Productivity and Business Processes includes Microsoft 365 commercial and consumer products and cloud services, LinkedIn, and Dynamics business applications. Intelligent Cloud includes server products and cloud services, among them Azure and GitHub cloud services.

More Personal Computing includes Windows and Devices, with Surface; XBOX hardware, content and services; and search advertising through Bing, Copilot, Microsoft News and Microsoft Edge. The corporate headquarters is in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft's fiscal year ends on June 30, so the latest annual report covers the year ended June 30, 2026.

Source: 10-K (fiscal 2026, ended June 30, 2026), filed Jul 29, 2026 (SEC EDGAR)

Alphabet

Alphabet Inc. is the holding company of Google and of other businesses. It reports Google in two segments. Google Services includes ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Gemini, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search and YouTube. Google Cloud sells infrastructure and platform services, applications and other services to enterprise customers.

Businesses outside Google, such as the autonomous driving company Waymo, are reported together as Other Bets. Google was incorporated in California in September 1998 and reincorporated in Delaware in August 2003. A 2015 holding company reorganization made Alphabet the successor issuer to Google. The headquarters is in Mountain View, California. The fiscal year ends on December 31.

Source: 10-K (fiscal 2025, ended December 31, 2025), filed Feb 5, 2026 (SEC EDGAR)

About this calculation

What it calculates
For Microsoft and Alphabet over the same dates: the value of $1,000 in each, total and yearly return, the deepest fall and its recovery, every calendar year, monthly and rolling 12-month changes, and the risk measures below.
Prices
Daily closing prices adjusted for stock splits and dividends, so dividends count as reinvested.
Dates
Both start on the same trading day: the first day both price histories used here share, or the start of the period chosen, and both are valued at the Nov 13, 2026 close.
Yearly return
(final value ÷ $1,000)1 ÷ years − 1, with years counted as days ÷ 365.
Deepest fall
The largest drop from a closing high to a later closing low; recovery is the first close back at that high.
Volatility
How widely daily returns spread around their average over the dates shown: the square root of the average squared gap from that average (dividing by one less than the number of days), × √252, as a yearly figure.
Sharpe ratio
(yearly return − 5%) ÷ volatility, with a fixed risk-free rate of 5% a year.
Sortino ratio
(yearly return − 5%) ÷ downside deviation: the square root of the average squared daily fall (days above 0 count as 0), × √252.
Calmar ratio
Yearly return ÷ the deepest fall over the dates shown.
Beta and correlation
From daily returns on the days both stocks and SPY traded: beta is the covariance of a stock's daily returns with SPY's ÷ the variance of SPY's; correlation is that of the two stocks' daily returns.
Biggest one-day moves
The largest daily rise and fall in adjusted close over the dates shown.
Moving-average distance
The last close against the simple average of the last 50 and 200 closes. A fact about price, not a signal.
Capture
Over the last 10 years of month ends: a stock's average monthly change in the months SPY rose (fell), as a percentage of SPY's average change in those months.
Rounding
Calculated at full precision and rounded for display: whole dollars, one decimal for percentages, two for ratios.
Exclusions
Taxes, fees, currency conversion and companies no longer in the index.
Freshness
Recalculated after each trading day. Company profiles come from each company's latest annual report, with the filing date shown.
Reproduce
Open this comparison in Compare Two Stocks

Common questions

Which had the higher return, Microsoft or Alphabet stock?

It depends on the period. Microsoft had the higher total return over the last 20 and 10 years. Alphabet had the higher total return over the full span since Aug 2004, the last 5 years and the last year. From Aug 19, 2004 to the Nov 13, 2026 close, Microsoft returned +3,054% in total and Alphabet +11,791%.

Both include reinvested dividends, before taxes and fees. Over the last 10 years, Microsoft returned +915% and Alphabet +693%. Over the last 5 years, Microsoft returned +62.1% and Alphabet +101%. Over the last year, Microsoft returned +4.9% and Alphabet +6.5%. None of these Microsoft and Alphabet figures is a forecast.

Is Microsoft or Alphabet the better stock to buy?

SmartFin does not say which to buy. This page reports what Microsoft and Alphabet prices did. From Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft grew 4.9% a year and Alphabet grew 6.5%. The record shows deepest falls of 30.4% for Microsoft and 30.6% for Alphabet. Past returns for Microsoft and Alphabet do not show what either will do next.

Do the Microsoft and Alphabet returns include dividends?

Yes. Every MSFT and GOOGL figure here uses closing prices adjusted for stock splits and dividends, so dividends count as reinvested. Taxes, fees and trading costs are left out of the Microsoft and Alphabet figures.

Has Microsoft or Alphabet stock dropped from its high?

At the Nov 13, 2026 close, Microsoft was at its highest month-end value. At the same close, Alphabet was 23.0% below its highest month-end value, set in Apr 2026. Microsoft's deepest fall on daily closes was 30.4%, from Nov 2025 to Jun 2026. Alphabet's deepest fall was 30.6%, from May 2026 to Nov 2026.

Compare Microsoft and Alphabet with your own amount and dates in Compare Two Stocks

Daily closing prices adjusted for stock splits, with dividends reinvested, before taxes and fees. Both amounts are invested at the same close and valued at the Nov 13, 2026 close. See also: What if you invested in Microsoft · What if you invested in Alphabet.

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This page presents historical market data and calculated results for a defined period. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold the security, fund, or index shown. Past performance is not indicative of future results.