Operating
Stock-Based Comp
Microsoft Stock-Based Comp increased by 7.9% to $3.22B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 4.2%, from $3.09B to $3.22B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Stock-Based Comp shows an upward trend with a 18.3% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementCash Flow Statement
SectionOperating
CategoryCapital Allocation
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ4 2013
Last reportedQ4 2025
How to read this metric
An increase may signal a strategy to preserve cash or align employee interests with shareholders, but it also results in share dilution.
Detailed definition
Stock-based compensation is a non-cash expense where employees and executives are rewarded with equity or stock options...
Peer comparison
High-growth technology firms often have higher stock-based compensation as a percentage of revenue compared to mature industrial firms.
Metric ID:
cf_stock_based_compensationHistorical Data
19 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $1.57B | $1.70B | $1.90B | $1.91B | $2.00B | $2.19B | $2.54B | $2.47B | $2.42B | $2.51B | $2.83B | $2.70B | $2.70B | $2.83B | $3.09B | $2.98B | $3.07B | $2.98B | $3.22B |
| QoQ Change | — | +8.3% | +11.5% | +0.5% | +4.8% | +9.8% | +15.8% | -2.9% | -2.0% | +3.8% | +12.8% | -4.4% | -0.3% | +5.0% | +9.1% | -3.5% | +3.1% | -2.9% | +7.9% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +27.1% | +28.8% | +33.8% | +29.3% | +21.0% | +14.4% | +11.4% | +9.7% | +11.6% | +13.0% | +9.2% | +10.2% | +14.0% | +5.3% | +4.2% |
Range$1.57B – $3.22B
CAGR+17.3%
Avg YoY Growth+16.2%
Median YoY Growth+13.0%
Stock-Based Comp at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Microsoft's stock-based comp?
- Microsoft (MSFT) reported stock-based comp of $3.22B in Q4 2025.
- How has Microsoft's stock-based comp changed year-over-year?
- Microsoft's stock-based comp increased by 4.2% year-over-year, from $3.09B to $3.22B.
- What is the long-term trend for Microsoft's stock-based comp?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Microsoft's stock-based comp has grown at a 18.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $6.12B to $11.97B.
- What does stock-based comp mean?
- The value of company shares given to employees as part of their pay.