Tech heavyweights compared

Microsoft is looking to take on Apple and Google’s domination of the mobile market, but how does the world’s largest software company compare?

In its latest earnings report, Microsoft reported third-quarter profit of $5.11 billion (R39.88 billion), or 60 US cents (R4.68) per share, compared with $5.23 billion (R40.82 billion), or 61 US cents (R4.76) per share, reported last year.

Profit beat analysts’ average forecast of 57 cents per share, according to a Reuters report.

The results created a sense of optimism around the company, which is lining up Windows 8 for later this year – and is looking to make a dent into Apple Inc and Google Inc’s domination of the mobile market.

But how does Microsoft compare to the companies it wants to take on?

Stock snapshot

BusinessTech compiled this snapshot of the biggest global tech companies’ share prices and market capital, to scope out how they compare.

Included in the comparison, are big social media and Internet companies – a space which social network giant, Facebook, will be entering into with its imminent IPO.

Share prices taken from trade on the NASDAQ (12:15 CAT).

Facebook’s debut

Facebook’s entry into the stock market is rumoured to kick off with its initial public offering (IPO) as early as mid-May.

The social networking company, founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerburg in a Harvard University dorm room, is expected to be valued at around $100 billion (R780 billion).

This would make it the biggest-ever intial offering by an Internet company.

By comparison, the largest IPO to date for an Internet company was Google’s (GOOG) IPO, where the search giant raised $1.9 billion (R14.83 billion) in August 2004. The company offered 19,605,052 shares at a price of $85 (today, R663.42) per share, according to their annual report.

Conversions made at US$1 = R7.80.