Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maxwell Fashola who wrote (9363)	7/16/1998 6:51:00 PM
From: hadley	Respond to of 74651

that is wrong and inconsistent with all other 'whisper' information

To: Maxwell Fashola who wrote (9363)	7/16/1998 6:51:00 PM
From: STRTYZ	Respond to of 74651

Microsoft post profit of 1.35 billion dollars for quarter REDMOND, Washington, July 16 (AFP) - Software giant Microsoft Corporation said Thursday its profit jumped 25 percent to 1.36 billion dollars in the quarter ended June 30. The earnings amounted to 50 cents a share, beating market expectations by two cents and up from 40 cents a share in the same period of 1997. Revenue in the fourth quarter surged 26 percent over the year-earlier period, according to the company, to four billion dollars. For the 12 months to June 30, Microsoft earned 4.49 billion dollars on sales of 14.48 billion dollars. Earnings per share for the full year were 1.67 dollars. Excluding the one-time write-off of 296 million dollars for the acquisition of WebTV, earnings per share of 1.78 dollars represented a 35 percent increase compared to 1.32 dollars in fiscal 1997, according to a company statement. A company official, interviewed by analysts in a conference call, said that while results were strong in most parts of the world, they lagged in Japan and Southeast Asia. "A great year for all of our major products was capped by strong initial results from Microsoft Windows 98," said Greg Maffei, chief financial officer in the written statement. Added Brad Chase, vice president for Windows marketing: "We are pleased to announce today that more than one million retail licenses of Windows 98 Upgrades have already been purchased in North America since the product's June 25th release." Windows 98, an upgrade of the Windows 95 operating system, is at the heart of a sweeping antitrust lawsuit filed in May against Microsoft by the US Justice Department. The government has accused the company of exploiting its dominance of the operating systems market in a bid to stake out similar positions in other Internet sectors. The Justice Department action, which will go to trial in federal court here in September, seeks to compel Microsoft to make Windows 98 more accessible to software products offered by competitors. In a conference call with analysts, a Microsoft official noted that "certain areas were very strong, including Australia, the Middle East, South America, China and India. "However, fourth-quarter finished goods revenues in Japan decreased 26 percent from a year ago to the lowest level in a year and a half. Results were poor due to both volume increases and the impact of the weak yen." Revenue in most Southeast Asian countries was relatively flat compared with the previous quarter. "Economic woes and weak currencies in many of the countries in the area have hurt results and not likely to improve in the near term," he added. bur-nh/rl