Office, Vista launches boost Microsoft sales
C|Net | at | by Mike
In the first quarter to include consumer sales of Windows Vista and Office 2007, Microsoft reported earnings that topped Wall Street estimates.
Microsoft said Thursday that it earned $4.93 billion, or 50 cents per share, on revenue of $14.40 billion for the three months ended March 31. That compares to net income of $2.98 billion, or 29 cents per share, on revenue of $10.9 billion for the same quarter a year earlier.
The quarter's earnings were boosted by a 2 cent per share tax benefit and legal charges that dented per-share earnings by a penny. Excluding those items, the company would have posted earnings of 49 cents per share, ahead of the 46 cents that analysts were projecting, according to First Call.