Should you buy Microsoft stock? Here are the key numbers to look at now

Should you buy Microsoft stock? Here are the key numbers to look at now

If you are thinking about buying shares of Microsoft Corp., or already own them, you need to understand key metrics and issues related to the company.

The numbers, below, show how Microsoft

MSFT, +0.58%

stacks up against competitors, and where its strengths and weaknesses lie. Keep in mind that no two companies are alike “” even rivals don't compete in every space. Investors need to do their own research to make informed long-term decisions.

Key dynamics

Since Satya Nadella took over as CEO in February 2014 and dramatically changed the direction of this software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, Microsoft has become a key player in cloud computing. That move has paid off handsomely for investors. The stock is up 680% since then, including dividends, more than four times that of the S&P 500 Index

SPX, +0.52%.

There may be more outperformance ahead for the stock because growth remains so robust, despite the size of this company. Microsoft has a $1.9 trillion market capitalization. Often companies of this size have a hard time posting fast growth simply because they are so large. Yet