{
  "id": 16975904,
  "title": "Microsoft posts $92.3bn quarterly revenue after offering buyouts to 60,000 employees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/microsoft-posts-92-3bn-quarterly-revenue-after-offering-buyouts-to-60",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-28T22:44:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/28/microsoft-earnings"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft, the software giant, reported $92.3 billion in quarterly revenue following its decision to offer buyouts to 60,000 employees, surpassing Wall Street's expectations. The company's profit stood at $36.6 billion, exceeding analysts' predictions of $35.1 billion. The growth was primarily driven by its Azure cloud computing division, which increased by 48% in the September quarter. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the company's enhanced capabilities, choice, control, and cost-efficiency for customers across its entire range of products.\n\nThe earnings report was released just days after Microsoft announced the voluntary buyout offer for around 60,000 employees, approximately a quarter of its global workforce of 223,000. This follows a similar offer in April, where the company allowed seven percent of its US workforce to retire early. The buyout initiative is part of Microsoft's significant investment in artificial intelligence technologies.\n\nMicrosoft's stock market value saw a substantial boost after the revenue and profit figures were disclosed on Wednesday afternoon. The technology company's revenue and profit surpassed expectations, with analysts anticipating around $90.6 billion in revenue and $35.1 billion in profit. Microsoft's quarterly earnings report follows closely on the heels of its voluntary buyout offer, marking the second such initiative the company has implemented this year.",
  "summary": "Software giant reports $36.6bn in profit, beating Wall Street expectations, as Azure cloud computing division grows 48% Microsoft gained billions of dollars in stock market value Wednesday afternoon after it reported better than expected revenue and profit, just days after it offered voluntary buyouts to some 60,000 employees. The office software giant’s growth was fueled by its Azure cloud…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}