Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is one of the stocks you probably wish you had scooped up at its initial public offering (IPO). The tech giant debuted as a public company on the at $21 per share on March 13, 1986, and now the price is 19x higher, closing at $399.61 on Aug. 6.

Even if you didn't catch Microsoft at its two-figure price tag, its stock has had some enviable price appreciation over the last 10 years. The company's remarkable growth streak has pushed it into the elite $3 trillion dollar market capitalization club, and it most likely won't stop there.

What makes Microsoft's growth story even more compelling is its history of stock splits. Although stock splits don't fundamentally change the value of a company, they'll increase the number of shares you own. This share increase, combined with the rise in stock price over the years, would have made the current value of your initial Microsoft stock purchase significantly higher.

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Source Fool.com