Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Veritone, Inc. (VERI) vs Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | MSFT | 14.9% revenue growth vs VERI's -7.3% |
| Quality / Margins | MSFT | 39.0% net margin vs VERI's -42.6% |
| Stability / Safety | MSFT | Beta 0.88 vs VERI's 1.91, lower leverage |
| Dividends | MSFT | 0.8% yield; 19-year raise streak; VERI pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | VERI | +2.2% vs MSFT's -0.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MSFT | 17.9% ROA vs VERI's -20.9%, ROIC 27.9% vs -52.8% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Veritone is an artificial intelligence company that provides an AI operating system platform called aiWARE, which processes and analyzes unstructured data like audio, video, and text to extract insights. It generates revenue primarily through its AI software platform subscriptions and services, with additional income from media advertising agency services—helping clients plan and place ad campaigns. The company's key advantage is its comprehensive aiWARE platform that integrates multiple AI models into a single operating system, creating a unified ecosystem for AI-powered data analysis.
Microsoft is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, and hardware products. It generates revenue primarily through cloud services like Azure (~40% of revenue), productivity software including Office 365 and Dynamics, and personal computing through Windows licensing and Surface devices. Its key competitive advantage is the deeply entrenched enterprise ecosystem—Windows and Office dominance creates a powerful network effect that drives adoption of its cloud and productivity suites.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MSFT leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). VERI leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MSFT is the larger business by revenue, generating $305.5B annually — 3116.0x VERI's $98M. MSFT is the more profitable business, keeping 39.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to VERI's -42.6%. On growth, VERI holds the edge at +32.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | VERIVeritone, Inc. | MSFTMicrosoft Corpora… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $98M | $305.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$44M | $184.8B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$42M | $119.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$46M | $77.4B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +61.3% | +68.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -78.0% | +46.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -42.6% | +39.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -47.1% | +25.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +32.4% | +16.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +36.8% | +59.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | VERIVeritone, Inc. | MSFTMicrosoft Corpora… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $200M | $2.92T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $303M | $2.95T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.88x | 28.79x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 23.84x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.53x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 18.12x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.16x | 10.36x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 7.97x | 8.54x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 40.74x |
Profitability & Efficiency
MSFT delivers a 30.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $31 in annual profit, vs $-3 for VERI. MSFT carries lower financial leverage with a 0.18x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to VERI's 8.91x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MSFT scores 6/9 vs VERI's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | VERIVeritone, Inc. | MSFTMicrosoft Corpora… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.6% | +30.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -20.9% | +17.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -52.8% | +27.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -54.4% | +29.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 8.91x | 0.18x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $103M | $30.3B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $17M | $30.2B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $120M | $60.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -7.03x | 56.44x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MSFT five years ago would be worth $17,186 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $733 for VERI. Over the past 12 months, VERI leads with a +2.2% total return vs MSFT's -0.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MSFT at 17.3% vs VERI's -26.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | VERIVeritone, Inc. | MSFTMicrosoft Corpora… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -41.1% | -16.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +2.2% | -0.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -60.2% | +61.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.7% | +71.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -78.4% | +718.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -26.5% | +17.3% |
Risk & Volatility
MSFT is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than VERI's 1.91 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MSFT currently trades 70.7% from its 52-week high vs VERI's 29.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | VERIVeritone, Inc. | MSFTMicrosoft Corpora… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.91x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $9.42 | $555.45 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1.22 | $344.79 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +29.9% | +70.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 36.1 | 39.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.9M | 28.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates VERI as "Buy" and MSFT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 236.9% upside for VERI (target: $10) vs 48.6% for MSFT (target: $584). MSFT is the only dividend payer here at 0.82% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | VERIVeritone, Inc. | MSFTMicrosoft Corpora… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $9.50 | $583.67 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 13 | 78 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 19 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $3.23 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritone, Inc. (VERI) | 100 | 122.74 | +22.7% |
| Microsoft Corporati… (MSFT) | 100 | 257.35 | +157.4% |
Microsoft Corporati… (MSFT) returned +72% over 5 years vs Veritone, Inc. (VERI)'s -93%. A $10,000 investment in MSFT 5 years ago would be worth $17,186 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritone, Inc. (VERI) | $9M | $93M | +939.6% |
| Microsoft Corporati… (MSFT) | $91.2B | $281.7B | +209.1% |
Microsoft Corporation's revenue grew from $91.2B (2016) to $281.7B (2025) — a 13.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritone, Inc. (VERI) | -3.0% | -40.4% | -1232.9% |
| Microsoft Corporati… (MSFT) | 22.5% | 36.1% | +60.4% |
Microsoft Corporation's net margin went from 23% (2016) to 36% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporati… (MSFT) | 26.3 | 35.5 | +35.0% |
Microsoft Corporation has traded in a 25x–48x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~29x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritone, Inc. (VERI) | -3.98 | -0.98 | +75.4% |
| Microsoft Corporati… (MSFT) | 2.1 | 13.64 | +549.5% |
Microsoft Corporation's EPS grew from $2.10 (2016) to $13.64 (2025) — a 23% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Veritone, Inc. generated $-31M FCF in 2024 (-596% vs 2021). Microsoft Corporation generated $72B FCF in 2025 (+28% vs 2021).
VERI vs MSFT: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is VERI or MSFT a better buy right now?
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) offers the better valuation at 28.8x trailing P/E (23.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Veritone, Inc. (VERI) a "Buy" — based on 13 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — VERI or MSFT?
Over the past 5 years, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) delivered a total return of +71.9%, compared to -92.7% for Veritone, Inc. (VERI). A $10,000 investment in MSFT five years ago would be worth approximately $17K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MSFT returned +718.2% versus VERI's -78.4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — VERI or MSFT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Veritone, Inc.'s 1.91β — meaning VERI is approximately 116% more volatile than MSFT relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 18% versus 9% for Veritone, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — VERI or MSFT?
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is the more profitable company, earning 36.1% net margin versus -40.4% for Veritone, Inc. — meaning it keeps 36.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MSFT leads at 45.6% versus -95.2% for VERI. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — VERI leads at 70.6%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is VERI or MSFT more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for VERI: 236.9% to $9.50.
06Which pays a better dividend — VERI or MSFT?
In this comparison, MSFT (0.8% yield) pays a dividend. VERI does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is VERI or MSFT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.88), 0.8% yield, +718.2% 10Y return). Veritone, Inc. (VERI) carries a higher beta of 1.91 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (MSFT: +718.2%, VERI: -78.4%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between VERI and MSFT?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. MSFT pays a dividend while VERI does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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