And Microsoft blows past earnings expectations
First eBay now Microsoft. A Wall Street Journal story (subscription required) on Microsoft's quarterly results blowing past all expectations thanks to revenue boosted by long-term licensing agreements:
In after-hours trading, shares of Microsoft were at $53.03, according to Island ECN. They had risen 36 cents to $50.77 in regular 4 p.m. Nasdaq Stock Market trading.
Late Thursday, the software giant posted fiscal first-quarter net income of $2.73 billion, or 50 cents a share, which included an after-tax charge for investment impairments of $291 million, or five cents a share. A year earlier, the company had a profit of $1.28 billion, or 23 cents a share, which included an after-tax charge for investment impairments of $1.22 billion.
Revenue rose 26% to $7.75 billion from $6.13 billion a year earlier.