Would you be willing to let a crowd of complete strangers pick a stock for your portfolio? There was a time when most people's answer would have been a resounding "no." Times and circumstances have changed, however. It's now clear that most investors actually do apply sound judgment when it comes to their serious investment dollars. They're wisely favoring blue chip stocks. In the meantime, stock-picking itself has become a public exercise.

Several online brokerages and market information platforms now regularly update the public with lists outlining the most widely held tickers from their trading platforms, helping other investors discover potential holdings. One of the better-known lists out there comes from Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) and it shows the top 100 equities held by the online brokerage's users at any given moment. High on that list right now is a very familiar name: (NASDAQ: MSFT).

You may want to follow these investors' lead if you're looking to outperform the market over the long run. There are three big-picture attributes that make Microsoft a superior investment prospect, even if some of its shareholders don't even realize they're seeing them.

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Source Fool.com