Microsoft knaller til

Microsoft's first-quarter financial report exceeded market expectations, with better results in earnings, operating income, and earnings per share, according to company CFO Amy Hood. The company delivered stronger growth in its cloud business Azure than expected and had lower operating expenses than anticipated. Net income reached $36.6 billion, up 32% from the previous year.

The report surpassed expectations for both revenue and operating income in the current quarter, which covered the period from July 1 to September 30. Microsoft's stock rose 4.6% in after-hours trading following the report, which ended around a 0.3% decline in regular trading. Key figures from Bloomberg's analysts included better-than-expected growth in Azure's cloud services, with revenue of $33.17 billion, a 48% increase for the quarter.

Microsoft Cloud generated $63.9 billion, a 30% increase. The company also spent $45.2 billion on capital expenditures and financial lease agreements, a 30% increase. Analysts estimate the company's investments could reach nearly $197 billion by the end of the fiscal year 2027. Operating cash flow fell 27% to $18.63 billion in the first quarter, compared to Alphabet's negative cash flow and Meta's negative free cash flow reported in previous periods.

Microsoft paid $10.2 billion in dividends and share buybacks during the quarter. The company held a conference call with investors and analysts at 10:30 AM Norwegian time. The story was written with the help of an AI tool.