Las ganancias netas de MSFT suben 30% a pesar de que las ventas de windows disminuyeron.
Las ventas subieron de $4.52 billones o 51 cents a $5.87 billones o 69 cents a share. Las ventas subieron 8% a $17.4 billones.
Microsoft Net Rises 30% Despite Windows Decline
By JOHN LETZING
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday posted a 30% gain in quarterly profit despite a decline in sales of its flagship Windows operating-system software, thanks to increased demand for the firms' business technology and videogame console.
Microsoft said its fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose to $5.87 billion, or 69 cents a share, from $4.52 billion or 51 cents a share in the same period last year. The Redmond, Wash.-based company said revenue for the period ended June 30 rose 8% to $17.4 billion.
Analysts polled by FactSet Research had expected Microsoft to report earnings of 59 cents a share and $17.2 billion in revenue for the quarter.
"We continue to see strong business demand across all of our products," Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner said in a statement.
Shares of Microsoft rose slightly in after-hours trading following the earnings announcement to $27.24.
Sales of the Windows operating system fell slightly to $4.78 billion from $4.74 billion, while contributing $2.9 billion in profits for the quarter, according to Microsoft. The company's business unit, which includes the Office software suite, saw revenue rise to $5.78 billion from $5.38 billion and contribute $3.6 billion in profits.
As for online services, the unit reported revenue rose 17% to $662 million, while posting a widened loss of $728 million. As Microsoft has invested heavily in its effort to take market share from Google Inc., its Internet business consistently has turned in financial losses.
Microsoft's search and advertising partner, Yahoo Inc., reported Tuesday that the companies have yet to see the sort of improvement in revenue gained per search that had been originally envisioned.
Revenue for the server and tools unit rose 12% to $4.64 billion, and registered a profit for the quarter of $1.8 billion. The server and tools unit includes versions of Windows used by businesses and organizations in powerful server computers, as well as consulting services.
The entertainment and devices unit, for its part, saw revenue increase 30% to $1.49 billion, while swinging to a profit of $32 million. Microsoft said the revenue gain came primarily thanks to higher sales for its Xbox console and related online services.
Write to John Letzing at
john.letzing@dowjones.com