Microsoft Corp. (NYSE: MSFT)
Microsoft Earnings
After the market closed, Microsoft Inc. (MSFT) reported earnings that beat analyst estimates and pushed shares higher in the post market session. MSFT released adjusted earnings per share of 78 cents on $25.69 billion in revenue while analysts were looking for 71 cents per share on $25.27 billion in revenue. A major leader in this beat was their cloud-based revenue that rose 5% and brought in $6.3 billion for the quarter. Microsoft has an average price target of $58.29 but recently received a price target raise from Wunderlich Securities to $55 up form $50. We’ll have to see if anymore come out of the next couple days. We should keep a close eye on how MSFT competes in the cloud-based arena, as this will become major drive of revenue growth for them.
CEO Comments
“Overall this quarter, we had solid performance and more importantly drove growth in areas that are key to our future. We delivered $25.7 billion in revenue with an operating income of $7.9 billion. We continue to advance towards our goals for fiscal year 2018. Our commercial cloud run rate surpassed $9.4 billion, up over 70% year over year and almost halfway to our goal of $20 billion. We nearly doubled our cloud customers over the last 12 months.” (SeekingAlpha)
MSFT Technicals
Shares of MSFT got a nice boost in the post market to highs of $56.37 after closing the day at $52.06, an 8% increase. Shares, like most stocks for 2016, have taken a beating but are looking to rebound after getting a nice bounce off the major pivot level $49. We should see further support at the $51 and $51.81 levels while resistance will be met at $56 and $56.85. This bounce will help lift shares above the major moving averages, which will now act as support, and possibly get shares back in the green for 2016. Looking back on the daily chart you can see that shares of MSFT have been slowly trending up with major consolidation taking place between $44 and $50 levels with longer term support coming in at $50. Shares are well above the 200-day moving average, which is currently sitting at $48.42 and will now be above the 50-day moving average sitting at $53.97. I would like to see this move get some strength on volume and make a move to new recent highs.
Company Profile
Microsoft Corp. develops and markets software, services and hardware that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience and enhanced value to people’s lives. The company’s products include operating systems for computing devices, servers, phones, and other intelligent devices; server applications for distributed computing environments; productivity applications; business solution applications; desktop and server management tools; software development tools; video games; and online advertising. It also designs and sells hardware devices including Surface RT and Surface Pro, the Xbox 360 Gaming and Entertainment Console, Kinect for Xbox 360, Xbox 360 accessories, and Microsoft PC accessories. The company operates its business through following segments: Devices and Consumer (D&C) Licensing, Computing and Gaming Hardware, D&C Other, Commercial Licensing, and Commercial Other. The D&C segments develop, manufacture, market, and support products and services designed to increase personal productivity, help people simplify tasks and make more informed decisions online, entertain and connect people, and help advertisers connect with audiences. D&C segments are made up of D&C Licensing, Computing and Gaming Hardware, Phone Hardware, and D&C Other. The D&C Licensing principal products and services provided by the D&C Licensing segment are: Windows, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licensing (Windows OEM) and other non-volume licensing and academic volume licensing of the Windows Operating System and related software; non-volume licensing of Microsoft Office, comprising the core Office product set, for consumers (Office consumer); Windows phone operating system, including related patent licensing; and certain other patent licensing revenue. The Computing and Gaming Hardware segment comprises Xbox Gaming and Entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video game royalties, and Xbox Live subscriptions (Xbox Platform); Surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. The Phone Hardware segment comprises Lumia smart phones and other non-Lumia phones, beginning with acquisition of NDS. The D&C Other segment comprising resale, including Windows store, Xbox live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Consumer, comprising Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; Studios, comprising first-party video games and retail stores; and certain other consumer products and services not included in the categories above. The D&C Other segment’s principal products and services provided by the D&C Other segment are: Resale, including the Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and the Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Consumer, comprising Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; Studios, comprising first-party video games and retail stores. The Commercial Licensing segment’s principal products and services provided by the Commercial Licensing segment are: server products, including Windows server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related client access licenses (CAL); Windows Embedded; volume licensing of the Windows Operating System, excluding Academic (Windows Commercial); Microsoft Office for Business, including Office, Exchange, Sharepoint, Lync, and related CAL (Office Commercial); Skype; and Microsoft Dynamics business solutions, excluding Dynamics CRM Online. The Commercial Other segment’s principal products and services provided by the Commercial Other segment are: enterprise services, including premier product support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud, comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure. Microsoft was founded by William Henry Gates III in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, WA. (MarketWatch)
