Microsoft reported a rise in quarterly profit on Thursday, boosted by strong sales of its Windows operating system, and the company raised its full-year profit outlook, sending its shares up 4 percent,” Daisuke Wakabayashi reports for Reuters.
“Net profit in its fiscal second quarter rose to $4.7 billion, or 50 cents per diluted share, from $2.6 billion, or 26 cents per diluted share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 30 percent to $16.37 billion,” Wakabayashi reports. “Analysts, on average, had forecast Microsoft to earn 46 cents per share on revenue of $15.94 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.”
“The second-quarter revenue and profit growth rates are exaggerated by results in the year-ago period when Microsoft deferred more than $1 billion in net income due to delays in releasing Windows Vista and Office 2007, which hit stores in early 2007,” Wakabayashi reports.
“For the fiscal year ending in June, Microsoft lifted its outlook. It now expects earnings per share to range between $1.85 and $1.88 per share, up from its previous estimate of $1.78 to $1.81,” Wakabayashi reports.
“Microsoft’s results and raised forecasts come on the heels of disappointing outlooks from technology bellwethers Intel Corp. and Apple Inc., which sent shivers through an already jittery stock market,” Wakabayashi reports.
“For the current quarter, Microsoft said earnings per share would range between 43 cents and 45 cents per share on revenue ranging from $14.3 billion to $14.6 billion,” Wakabayashi reports. “Wall Street analysts, on average, are predicting Microsoft will earn 44 cents a share in the March quarter on revenue of $14.4 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.”
“In after-hours trade, Microsoft shares rose to $34.60, after closing up 4 percent in regular Nasdaq trade at $33.25, ” Wakabayashi reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: 5:30pm EST: In After-hours trading, Apple (AAPL) is up $1.98, or 1.46% to $137.58.
When you are in bed with PC manufacturers dumping crap Vista in these machines, no wonder they can make a statement like that.
Then again, I really don’t believe this forecast anyway.
As far as the street is concerned right now, whats good for msft is good for aapl
Apple make nice products, so do Microsoft. As a company Microsoft runs that much deeper and has an understanding of the whole market, not just the kids, so in economic times like these they are bound to come to the fore.
If the boost in 2nd Qtr profits is largely exaggerated due to deferred revenue from last year, how is that such great news?
Greybeard = Moron
indeed
STEVE-O really dropped the ball on lowering Apple’s guidance for the quarter. The stock needed a hand and he let it flop. He really needed a boost after a lackluster Macworld. I just try to imagine what future iphones will look like after seeing the macbook Air….those suckers should really be slim :0)
Apparently the only reason this was posted about Microsoft was so that MDN would have an excuse to tell us that Apple is up 1.98 in AH. lol
@msr – your retort was so perceptive it’s made me completely realign my thinking and I’m also considering relinquishing my Cambridge doctorate, you Cretin.
Indeed.
You Mac Lemons are all going down. Sell the company and give the profits back to shareholders…
Our Gain. Your Pain™
greybeard = moron with a degree
ZT = <3
mw = money
LOL.. in other news water is wet. How can a company not profit when they have a government approve monopoly? OH wait, they must have a positive outlook/forecast with all the new updated super cool feature rich cutting edge Zunes and soon the Zphone. Yep the iPhone KILLER!
Wow, Microsoft’s stock moved? Isn’t been stuck in the $30 range for a loooong time…
I wonder who MS payed to get that into the press?
ericdano it only appeared to move because it is flatulent …
@Greybeard, so you think Microsoft make nice products do you? Mmm…..well then, it’s a shame your degree wasn’t from the same University of Life as S Jobs, it may have carried more weight!
And by the way, since when did anyone with a Doctorate feel the need to announce it like that? Makes me wonder…
On topic, we know Mickysoft is a cash machine, so no surprises there. For the last five years that has been entirely the result of an historical quirk and it’s vicious monopolistic actions in the previous decade. It has done little or nothing in this century to warrant the income it earns. In fact, if Vista were the measure, it ought rightly to be bust.