Microsoft vs. Meta: Which Stock Has Performed Better Since Trump Took Office?
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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Like the stock markets in general, Microsoft (MSFT) and Meta Platforms (META) have both overcome early volatility to post strong returns since President Donald Trump took office back in January.
Trump’s sweeping tariff threats contributed to sharp downturns for both tech giants in April. But the president’s habit of later backing off many of those tariffs has calmed the markets down, leading to a series of rallies that have pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to new all-time highs in recent weeks.
Microsoft and Meta have also set record highs this year. So which stock has performed better since Trump took office? It’s been a close race. Read on for a closer look.
Also see five popular stocks still worth buying.
Microsoft’s Performance
Because Trump was inaugurated on a federal holiday — Jan. 20, 2025, also Martin Luther King Jr. Day — the stock markets were closed. So for our purposes, we’ll look at stock performances since the close of trading on Jan. 21, 2025.
Here’s a look at how Microsoft’s stock has performed since Trump took office.
- Closing price on Jan. 21, 2025: $428.50
- Closing price Aug. 26, 2025: $502.04
- Percentage gain/loss: +17%
- Closing high since Jan. 21: $535.64 (Aug. 4)
- Closing low since Jan. 21: $354.56 (April 8)
Meta’s Performance
Here’s how Meta’s stock has performed since Trump took office.
- Closing price on Jan. 21, 2025: $616.46
- Closing price Aug. 26, 2025: $754.10
- Percentage gain/loss: +22%
- Closing high since Jan. 21: $790.00 (Aug. 12)
- Closing low since Jan. 21: $484.66 (April 21)
Behind the Numbers
As the above numbers show, Meta’s stock has outperformed Microsoft’s by 5 percentage points since Trump took office. That’s a pretty small difference considering the wild swings both stocks have experienced since Jan. 21.
One thing both Meta and Microsoft have done is far outperform the stock markets in general. For example, while their gains have hovered around 20%, the S&P 500 is up “only” about 7% since Trump took office.
Early on, it looked like Meta had the edge under the new Trump administration. This could’ve been partly due to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg more closely aligning himself with the president. As BBC reported, Meta rolled back its DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) program due to a “shifting legal and policy landscape.” Zuckerberg also made “regular pilgrimages” to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Computerworld reported.
Microsoft has kept its DEI program in place (so far). And Microsoft did hold at least one edge over some of its fellow tech giants: Since it doesn’t sell a lot of physical or consumer products, it isn’t as directly exposed to tariffs, according to analysts interviewed by Fortune.
One thing both companies have benefited from is the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. “AI initiatives are directly boosting Meta’s advertising efficiency, user engagement and financial results,” Seeking Alpha reported.
Meanwhile, Truist recently raised its price target on Microsoft due to its ability to “sustain strong momentum associated with cloud and AI secular growth drivers,” Investing.com noted.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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