-- Microsoft posts higher qtrly profit, splits stock --
REDMOND, Wash., Jan 16 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. <MSFT.O>
on Thursday posted quarterly sales and earnings that
outstripped its own forecast and Wall Street expectations as a
new software licensing plan lifted revenues, and announced a
two-for-one stock split.
It also announced its first-ever dividend of 16 cents per
share, before the split, since going public in 1986.
Microsoft reported a net profit of $2.55 billion, or 47
cents per share for its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31, up
from $2.28 billion, or 41 cents per share a year earlier.
The Redmond, Washington-based software giant had forecast a
profit of 45 or 46 cents, while analysts polled by Thomson
First Call had been expecting 46 cents per share on average.
Revenue was $8.54 billion, a record high, in the middle of
Microsoft's own forecast range of revenue between $8.5 billion
and $8.6 billion and higher than the $7.74 billion reported a
year earlier.
((Reporting by Reed Stevenson; editing by Brian Perry;
Reuters Messaging: reed.stevenson.reuters.com@reuters.net;
206-652-2326))
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Symbols:
XE;MSFT GB;MSF US;MSFT DE;MSFF DE;MSFX
16-Jan-2003 21:48:24 GMT
Source RTRS - Reuters News |
