Actually, you have everything upside down.
Microsoft is actually a lot more profitable than Google, and Google has had to go back to the drawing board to figure out where it has gone wrong. When it comes to market cap, MS is currently at about 401 billion, while Google is around 366 billion. That’s a huge gap, if you ask me.
But market cap is not how a company should be judged. Irrational exuberance can be very misleading and there are companies out there that aren’t worth the money that investors have put down on them. Google isn’t really worth more than, perhaps, $150 billion, and perhaps a lot less. Productivity is a better indication, and Google is not so productive lately. Google is stagnant, and there might not be much more growth for the company in search, which is really their only profit center.
Apple is much more profitable than Microsoft, but, when it comes to products and services, Apple is way behind. Apple is only relevant in the smartphone arena, while Microsoft is very relevant in all sectors of technology. Apple is a one trick pony, and when that pony tires, it’s going to be a dead horse. On the other hand, Microsoft is much more diversified than Apple, and has built a huge portfolio of products and services, where, if any one of them fails to produce, the others will take up the slack. That’s something that Apple can’t count on.
When it comes to Google, their R&D consists of throwing up anything at the wall, to see what sticks. Microsoft has a much bigger set of products and services, and continues to conduct a lot more R&D than Google and Apple combined.
Microsoft is still the biggest software company around, by far. It’s also bigger than Apple and Google when it comes to business applications and services. And lately, they’re becoming a lot more relevant with their hardware, especially with their Surface devices which are business-grade equipment.
Microsoft might not be as profitable as Apple, but, for long-term investments, I’d bet on Microsoft over Google or Apple.
Microsoft is stagnant? What is Microsoft introducing this Christmas holidays? Only the promise that Windows 10 will be here next year. Wow that's a winner.... (sarcasm off).
Again Apple and Google have innovation and Microsoft only has Windows..... which will not be out for another year. By then Apple and Google will be way ahead of them financially speaking.