News

Microsoft Falls Short in Q4 Earnings; Surface RT Takes a Hit

Microsoft reported $19.90 billion in revenue for its fourth-quarter 2013 earnings report on Thursday, falling short of the $20.72 billion expected by analysts.

The Q4 revenue for the quarter ended June 30 represented a 10% year-over-year increase. However, when non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) analysis was included to account for the effects of Microsoft's Windows Upgrade Offer and Office Upgrade Offer deferrals, then there was just a 3% revenue increase for the quarter.

Microsoft reported operating income of $6.07 billion, net income of $4.97 billion and earnings per share of $0.59. Analysts had expected $0.75 earnings per share, but when Microsoft's upgrade offers were included, earning per share dropped to $0.52 (non-GAAP estimate).

Microsoft explained that it had taken a charge of $900 million in the quarter for "Surface RT inventory adjustments," which decreased its earnings-per-share figure by $0.07.

Revenue across the five divisions of the company were either up or flat year over year (see chart). However, Microsoft had operating income losses of $372 million in its Online Services Division and $110 million in its Entertainment and Devices Division during the quarter.

[Click on image for larger view.] Microsoft Q4 2013 earnings across divisions.

Non-GAAP estimates markedly changed this revenue picture, however. While the Windows Division had a revenue increase of $259 million (6%) under GAAP accounting, it was a revenue decrease of $281 million (6% decrease) under non-GAAP accounting for the quarter.

Server and Tools revenue brought in $452 million, up 9%, pushed by SQL Server. Online Services revenue was $69 million, up 9%.

The Microsoft Business Division revenue was $889 million, up 14%, but it was just an increase of 2% under non-GAAP accounting. Microsoft reported a 10% revenue growth from Office subscriptions and a 13% revenue growth from Dynamics. The company was hit by a 27% revenue decrease due to the Office Upgrade Offer, it reported.

The Entertainment and Devices Division revenue increased $134 million (8%), mostly due to Windows Phone. Microsoft indicated that Windows Phone revenue increased $222 million in the quarter, although it didn't provide the total figure. Xbox shipments decreased to 1.0 million units.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

  • Nebula

    Ahead of AGI, Microsoft and OpenAI Redefine Their Partnership

    In a recapitalization announced Tuesday, OpenAI has launched a new public benefit corporation (PBC) called OpenAI Group, giving Microsoft a 27 percent ownership stake valued at approximately $135 billion.

  • Veeam Acquires Securiti AI To Unify Data Resilience and AI Security

    Veeam Software is making a strategic move into AI and data security by acquiring Securiti AI for $1.7 billion.

  • Microsoft Adds 'Mico' Virtual Assistant to Copilot in Major Fall Update

    In a significant feature update, Microsoft on Thursday said it is reshaping its Copilot AI platform with features that deepen user personalization and enable real-time group collaboration, among other perks.

  • Nutanix Partner Central Rolls Out To Boost Channel Engagement

    Nutanix on Wednesday launched a new platform, Partner Central, to give its channel partners a unified digital workspace for managing sales, tracking incentives and collaborating more effectively.

Most   Popular