Dow Today: Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Higher

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is trading up 110 points (+0.9%) at 12,946 as of Friday, Nov 23, 2012, 10:35 a.m. ET. During this time, 103.9 million shares of the 30 Dow components have changed hands vs. an average daily trading volume of 617.4 million. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 2,254 issues advancing vs. 516 declining with 115 unchanged.

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The Dow component leading the way higher looks to be Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq:MSFT), which is sporting a 70-cent gain (+2.6%) bringing the stock to $27.65. This single gain is lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 5.3 points or roughly accounting for 4.8% of the Dow's overall gain. Volume for Microsoft Corporation currently sits at 14.4 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 51 million shares.

Microsoft Corporation has a market cap of $226.82 billion and is part of the technology sector and computer software & services industry. Shares are up 3.8% year to date as of Wednesday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 3.4%.

Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses, and supports software products and services; and designs and sells hardware worldwide. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.6, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates Microsoft Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, attractive valuation levels, expanding profit margins and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

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For more information on Microsoft Corporation click any of the following:

• Microsoft Corporation Stock Price

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• Microsoft Corporation Balance Sheet

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• Microsoft Corporation Income Statement