Why isn’t Microsoft counted in the FAANG? Isn’t Microsoft and Apple neck and nec... (2024)

FAQs

Why isn’t Microsoft counted in the FAANG? Isn’t Microsoft and Apple neck and nec...? ›

because FAANG is originally a stock market term for (at the time) hot tech stocks, and Microsoft was already old and boring. And it's easy to see why. They're dominating nearly everything besides streaming, mobile and social media.

While FAANG pursued explosive growth, Microsoft prioritized the development of reliable products and services for consumers and businesses. This disjunction highlights the divergent paths and strategic focuses of these tech giants, with FAANG embodying innovation and Microsoft embodying steadfast reliability.

Microsoft has been left out of discussions of the Internet's Big Four because it dominates in the enterprise, not the home. Consumers don't have the same deep engagement with Microsoft's products as they do with their Facebook page or their iPhone. But Microsoft is finally, belatedly, trying to claw its way in.

FAANG is an acronym for five of the best-performing tech-centric stocks of the past decade: Facebook (now Meta Platforms), Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google (now Alphabet).

FANG — Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google — are perceived as the best paying public companies for software engineers (among people actively employed as software engineers). The reason Microsoft and Apple aren't in that group is because they have a track record of paying below market relative to the ot…

Microsoft Base Salary

Microsoft is often only slightly lower on base salary relative to FAANG companies. It is possible to negotiate this component, but the increase will typically be smaller than equity and signing bonus increases. Base salary at Microsoft is paid bi-weekly in the United States.

Compared to other software engineering positions, why does Microsoft seem to pay significantly less than other Faang companies? They don't really. There is also a rather large geographic difference … Redmond/Seattle is quite a bit cheaper than say the Bay Area.

The legal and technical restrictions that Microsoft had imposed on its operating system had helped to support Microsoft's monopoly position in the PC market. Such restrictions made it significantly more difficult for users to uninstall Internet Explorer and use other software applications, including Netscape and Java.

Microsoft ($3.00T) – Redmond, Washington

Kicking off our list is Microsoft. Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded this software giant in 1975, and it's been shaping the tech landscape ever since. With a staggering 2,21,000 employees, Microsoft eclipses even Apple's workforce.

Summary. In the 1990s, the U.S. government sued Microsoft for trying to monopolize the personal computer market. The charges brought against the company involved sections of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which included laws designed by governments in order to ensure fair competition in the market.

What replaced FAANG? ›

After Facebook's rebrand to Meta in 2021, Cramer proposed replacing FAANG with MAMAA — an acronym for Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet.

FAANG stocks refer to a group of big tech stocks traditionally made up of Facebook (Meta Platforms), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (Alphabet). These tech stocks were named as a group because they have long records of outperformance and dominate their respective markets.

Remember the FAANG stocks? Well, they've morphed into a grouping now known as the “Magnificent Seven.” Netflix has gotten the boot and been replaced by another “N” company, Nvidia. Microsoft and Tesla have also joined the crew.

The US Department of Justice has filed a case against Apple for violating antitrust laws. More specifically, the case revolves around how Apple has used its locked-down iPhone ecosystem to build a monopoly.

Apple had raised funding multiple times. And it had done so enough number of times that Steve Jobs was no longer a majority shareholder in Apple. He owned less than 50% of the company.

For several years, the largest US technology and new media companies were widely seen as a cluster of similar stocks. Not anymore. The recent divergence of the so-called FAANGs reminds us why fundamentals should always trump fads for long-term equity investors.

Microsoft is for you if you want complete desktop support, to keep everything in one digital ecosystem, and to have more control over security and data management. If you want an easily accessible, collaborative system and have no heavy security requirements, Google is a better choice for your business.

If you don't find Microsoft Store in a search: Make sure you signed in to your Microsoft account on your device. The Store app may not be available if you're signed in to a local account. Check with your administrator if you're using a work device.

Google's parent company, Alphabet, has been reducing its workforce since early last year due to challenges in the online advertising market. Despite recent improvements in digital advertising, Alphabet continued downsizing, with layoffs across various departments this year.

But FAANG has since been replaced by the Magnificent Seven, a group that includes the four largest FAANGs, as well as Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla...and excludes Netflix.