Microsoft’s Quarterly Profit Exceeded Wall Street Expectations

Added by Gary Dunn on October 29, 2010

Microsoft’s quarterly profit jumped by 51 per cent, exceeding Wall Street’s expectations, and proving that Apple’s iPad din not cause a decrease in sales of Windows and office software.

The company’s shares rose by 3 per cent in afterhours trading, although it experienced a decrease of 14 per cent during 2010.

Although Microsoft recorded 50 per cent more sales and profit during the last 8 years, company stocks remained at a constant level due to investor’s doubts about its adaptability to the new era of computing and to rein new markets.

It’s said that the increase in Microsoft’s profit is partially due to the videogame Halo, which was not long ago launched, since Windows seven also managed to sell an impressive number of 240,000,000 copies in only once year, but its latest Office package launched in the spring of 2010 isn’t doing that well yet.

Microsoft experienced online losses with the MSN portal and the search engine Bing. The company’s online unit reported losses amounting $560m, a loss wider by 17 per cent.

Microsoft’s online division has lost $6bn during the last 5 years, as it’s still trying to catch up with its competitors, Google and Yahoo.