Microsoft, GDP on deck
InternetNews | at | by Mike
Microsoft's quarterly earnings, congressional testimony from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and first-quarter GDP could make for an eventful couple of days for investors.
Bernanke will appear before the Joint Economic Committee Thursday morning to deliver his views on the economy. The expectation is that Bernanke will stick with the Fed's recent statements that interest rates are close to neutral, meaning the Fed's two-year rate hike campaign may be nearing an end.
After the close on Thursday, Microsoft will release its quarterly results. Analysts expect Microsoft to report fiscal third-quarter earnings of 33 cents a share, up a nickel from the year-ago quarter. Sales are expected to rise 14.7% to $11.04 billion. Analysts aren't anticipating much in the way of upside surprises from the software giant until long-awaited products like Windows Vista are released next year.