Operating Expenses
Sales & Marketing
Microsoft Sales & Marketing increased by 3.5% to $6.81B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 9.7%, from $6.21B to $6.81B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Sales & Marketing shows an upward trend with a 6.3% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ3 2026Apr 29, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase may signal aggressive growth strategies or higher customer acquisition costs, while a decrease could indicate cost-cutting or a shift toward organic growth.
Detailed definition
Represents the total costs incurred to acquire new customers and promote brand awareness through advertising, promotiona...
Peer comparison
Standard across financial services; peers often report this as 'Marketing and Business Development' or 'Advertising and Promotion'.
Metric ID:
selling_and_marketingHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | Q2 '26 | Q3 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $5.86B | $4.55B | $5.38B | $5.60B | $6.30B | $5.13B | $5.68B | $5.75B | $6.20B | $5.19B | $6.25B | $6.21B | $6.82B | $5.72B | $6.44B | $6.21B | $7.29B | $5.72B | $6.58B | $6.81B |
| QoQ Change | — | -22.4% | +18.3% | +4.0% | +12.7% | -18.7% | +10.8% | +1.3% | +7.9% | -16.4% | +20.4% | -0.6% | +9.8% | -16.1% | +12.6% | -3.5% | +17.3% | -21.5% | +15.2% | +3.5% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +7.6% | +12.7% | +5.6% | +2.8% | -1.6% | +1.2% | +10.0% | +7.9% | +9.9% | +10.2% | +3.1% | +0.1% | +6.9% | +0.0% | +2.2% | +9.7% |
Range$4.55B – $7.29B
CAGR+3.2%
Avg YoY Growth+5.5%
Median YoY Growth+6.2%
Current Streak2 quarters growth
Sales & Marketing at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Microsoft's sales & marketing?
- Microsoft (MSFT) reported sales & marketing of $6.81B in Q1 2026.
- How has Microsoft's sales & marketing changed year-over-year?
- Microsoft's sales & marketing increased by 9.7% year-over-year, from $6.21B to $6.81B.
- What is the long-term trend for Microsoft's sales & marketing?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Microsoft's sales & marketing has grown at a 6.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $20.12B to $25.65B.
- What does sales & marketing mean?
- The total amount spent on advertising, marketing, and sales activities to acquire and retain customers.