Apple vs Microsoft: what $10,000 became
Between 2016-05-03 and 2026-05-01, Apple (AAPL) returned +1200%. A $10,000 position became $129,957. Microsoft (MSFT) returned +846% over the same window, turning $10,000 into $94,619. Price returns from Yahoo Finance daily closing prices; dividends not included.
The animation above is rendered live by the chartrace engine from the same dataset the numbers come from.
| Apple | Microsoft | |
|---|---|---|
| Ticker | AAPL | MSFT |
| Return | +1200% | +846% |
| $10,000 became | $129,957 | $94,619 |
The two most valuable companies on earth, trading places for a decade. Neither line humiliates the other, and that is the point. This is the rare mega-cap comparison where the interesting part is how close it stays, and how each era (iPhone cycles, cloud, AI) hands the lead back and forth.
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Daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance (AAPL, MSFT), snapshot ending 2026-05-01. Returns are price returns; dividends and fees are excluded. Past performance is not a guide to future results. This page is general information, not investment advice.