Microsoft vs Palantir Technologies (MSFT vs PLTR)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
Microsoft is the larger company by revenue ($331.8B vs $4.5B) and market value ($3.9T vs $447.0B). Palantir Technologies has grown revenue faster over the last 4 fiscal years (+190.3% cumulative vs +67.4%). Microsoft runs the higher operating margin (46.8% vs 31.6%). Microsoft trades at the lower trailing P/E (29.5x vs 160.4x).
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and devices. Its main offerings include operating systems like Windows, cloud-based services, artificial intelligence solutions, and platform-based ecosystems for developers and users. Microsoft serves both business and consumer markets globally, competing in areas such as personal computing, cloud infrastructure, and AI technologies.
About Palantir Technologies
Palantir Technologies Inc. develops software platforms that help organizations integrate their data, decisions, and operations at scale. Its main products include Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and the Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), which serve government agencies and commercial enterprises across various industries. The company’s software supports data management, analytics, AI integration, and continuous software delivery in diverse environments worldwide.
Head to head (MSFT FY2026 vs PLTR FY2025)
| Metric | MSFTFY2026 | PLTRFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $331.84B | $4.48B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 17.8% | 56.2% |
| Gross margin | 67.9% | 82.4% |
| Operating margin | 46.8% | 31.6% |
| Net margin | 40.3% | 36.3% |
| Net income | $133.75B | $1.63B |
| Diluted EPS | $17.95 | $0.63 |
| FCF margin | 20.2% | 46.9% |
| ROE | 30.2% | 21.7% |
| Long-term debt / equity | 0.07× | — |
| Market cap | $3.93T | $447.04B |
| P/E | 29.5× | 160.4× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (MSFT FY2026, PLTR FY2025). ROE is net income over fiscal-year-end equity; long-term debt / equity counts non-current term debt only. P/E and market cap are derived from stored market prices, last retrieved on a rolling basis and typically within the past week.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| MSFT by fiscal year | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $198.27B | $211.91B | $245.12B | $281.72B | $331.84B |
| Net income | $72.74B | $72.36B | $88.14B | $101.83B | $133.75B |
| Operating margin | 42.1% | 41.8% | 44.6% | 45.6% | 46.8% |
| PLTR by fiscal year | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.54B | $1.91B | $2.23B | $2.87B | $4.48B |
| Net income | $-520.4M | $-373.7M | $209.8M | $462.2M | $1.63B |
| Operating margin | -26.7% | -8.5% | 5.4% | 10.8% | 31.6% |
Microsoft and Palantir Technologies use different fiscal calendars (MSFT's FY2026 ended 2026-06-30, PLTR's FY2025 ended 2025-12-31), so their fiscal years are shown separately rather than forced into one timeline.
Peer standing
Where each company ranks among the 332 software companies, on the same scale. Each figure is ranked only against peers that report it. Percentiles describe position in the distribution, not a rating.
| Metric | MSFT | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 67.9%52nd percentile of 265 | 82.4%89th percentile of 265 |
| Operating margin | 46.8%99th percentile of 303 | 31.6%94th percentile of 303 |
| Net margin | 40.3%96th percentile of 307 | 36.3%94th percentile of 307 |
| FCF margin | 20.2%63rd percentile of 285 | 46.9%99th percentile of 285 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +17.8%68th percentile of 325 | +56.2%92nd percentile of 325 |
| ROE | 30.2%87th percentile of 286 | 21.7%81st percentile of 286 |
| P/E | 29.5×56th percentile of 163 | 160.4×98th percentile of 163 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 2.55d34th percentile of 330 | 2.43d32nd percentile of 330 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | MSFT | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 61.1M | 55.6M |
| Change vs prior settlement | -9.2% | -7.6% |
| Days to cover | 2.55 | 2.43 |
| As of settlement | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-30 |
Source: FINRA Consolidated Short Interest. FINRA is the owner and source of the FINRA-supplied data; republishing or redistributing it is not permitted. Not presented as a percentage of float. No FINRA endorsement of this product is implied.
Insider activity (last 90 days)
| Form 4 activity (codes P/S) | MSFT | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | 0 | 0 |
| Sells | 19 ($75.4M) | 38 ($103.5M) |
Non-derivative purchases (code P) and sales (code S) reported on SEC Form 4, which may be open-market or private (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 15% of covered companies saw any reported insider purchase (code P) in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
9 tracked 13F managers hold both Microsoft and Palantir Technologies as of their latest quarterly filings: AQR Capital Management, ARK Investment Management, Citadel Advisors, D. E. Shaw, Gotham Asset Management, Millennium Management, Renaissance Technologies, Sands Capital Management, Two Sigma Investments. See which superinvestors hold your own portfolio with the smart money checker.
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. Figures are as-reported and may be unaudited or restated; verify against the source filings before relying on them. Comparisons are descriptive (higher or lower on a reported figure), not a rating or a recommendation. Informational only. Not investment advice.