19:03 ET Microsoft (MSFT) 69.86 +1.99: -- Update -- The Final Answer? We hope so. With its many charges/gains and differing analysts' treatment of same, the MSFT report and guidance has been a statistical morass. Here's the bottom line: Microsoft beat revenue and EPS estimates for the Dec qtr. It guided higher for the Mar qtr, but this is misleading as many analysts had assumed a Jun qtr closing of the EXPE sale (which analysts are including...stay with us) whereas MSFT is assuming a Mar qtr closing, so it's important to focus on the Mar/Jun qtrs combined to get the true picture. For those qtrs combined, MSFT guided to EPS of $0.93-0.96 vs the Multex consensus of $0.97 and revenues of $14.9-15.2 bln vs the consensus of $15.2 bln. The company also guided its PC shipment forecast lower to a mid-single digit decline from a previous expectation of a modest increase. So MSFT beat in Dec, but guided lower for Mar/Jun, and the stock traded down to $67.20 as a result.
18:32 ET Microsoft (MSFT) 69.86 +1.99: -- Update -- Thinks it will see slightly lower IT spending in second half of fiscal year than it expected in October.. MSFT -2.81 at 67.05
18:22 ET Microsoft (MSFT) 69.86 +1.99: -- Update -- On call, says it doesn't see a booming recovery anytime soon; thinks it's premature to presume a strong recovery... sounded to Briefing.com that MSFT was suggesting to analysts that current forecasts for FY03 are looking a bit too bold at this juncture given MSFT's current outlook for the economy... MSFT, however, didn't give any specific guidance on FY03... MSFT -2.85 at 67.01
18:16 ET Microsoft (MSFT) 69.86 +1.99: -- Update -- on call, says that despite its better than expected results for the first half of its fiscal year, it is maintaining full-year operating income guidance as it is lowering its operating income expectations for second half of fiscal year due to continued economic weakness in Japan, a modest reduction in its previous expectations for enterprise, and its reduced PC shipment expectations for second half of year... MSFT -2.65 at 67.21 |
