Microsoft Corp. said revenue increased 10 percent in its second fiscal quarter to US$8.54 billion, a fraction less than analysts had been expecting. It also announced a two-for-one stock split and an annual dividend for its shareholders.
Net income came in at $2.55 billion for the period ending Dec. 31, including a $282 million charge for investment impairments and a $126 million tax benefit relating to a favorable tax court ruling, the company said. That was up from net income of $2.28 billion in the prior year’s second quarter, Microsoft said in a statement Thursday.
The company characterized its results as “solid” in every business despite the challenging economic environment, but it also sounded a note of caution: Microsoft doesn’t expect a significant upturn in global IT spending in the short term, Chief Financial Officer John Connors said in the statement.
Revenue from server software grew 12 percent from a year earlier, including 40 percent growth for Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000 database, the company said. MSN also had a strong quarter, with online advertising up 40 percent, Microsoft said.
Operating income came in at $3.26 billion including a charge of $210 million, which is what Microsoft estimates it will cost to cover state antitrust and unfair competition lawsuits.
Diluted earnings per share increased to $0.47, including a $0.03 charge related to Microsoft’s estimate of the cost of class action lawsuits, a $0.05 charge for investment impairments, and a one-time benefit of $0.02 for the tax court ruling noted above. That compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.41 a year earlier, which included an $0.08 charge related to estimated class action lawsuit costs, Microsoft said.
The revenue figure of $8.54 billion compares with $7.74 billion in the same quarter a year earlier, the company said. Analysts had been expecting revenue of $8.59 billion, according to a poll by First Call/ Thomson Financial.
Microsoft also announced an annual dividend for shareholders and said its board has approved a two-for-one stock split. The dividend of $0.16 per share (pre-split) is payable March 7 to shareholders of record on Feb. 21. As a result of the split, shareholders will receive an additional share for each share they hold on Jan. 27, the company said.
Declaring a dividend shows the board’s confidence in Microsoft’s long-term growth opportunities and financial strength, Connors said in the statement.
Ahead of the earnings release, Microsoft’s (MSFT) shares on the Nasdaq closed at $55.46, down $0.81 on the day, or 1.44 percent.