CALDEIRÃO DE BOLSA

TECNOLOGIAS Publicado 27 Janeiro 2005 21:53
E eleva previsões de vendas para próximo trimestre
Resultados da Microsoft batem estimativas de analistas
A Microsoft anunciou hoje os lucros do segundo trimestre mais do que duplicaram para um valor acima do esperado. As vendas recuaram 6,5%, mas superaram as estimativas. A maior fabricante mundial de «software» elevou também as perspectivas de vendas para o próximo trimestre.

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Ricardo Domingos
rd@mediafin.pt



A Microsoft anunciou hoje os lucros do segundo trimestre mais do que duplicaram para um valor acima do esperado. As vendas recuaram 6,5%, mas superaram as estimativas. A maior fabricante mundial de «software» elevou também as perspectivas de vendas para o próximo trimestre.

Os lucros aumentaram dos 1,55 mil milhões de dólares no trimestre homólogo para os 3,46 mil milhões de dólares no segundo trimestre fiscal findo em Dezembro. Por acção os lucros atingiram os 32 cêntimos, acima dos 28 cêntimos previstos pela empresa.

A companhia que fabrica o Windows e a consola X-Box justificou o crescimento nos resultados pelo facto de ter tido menos custos na manutenção de produtos em «stock», uma vez que o equipamento inventariado se manteve abaixo do normal.

As vendas registaram uma quebra de 6,5% para os 10,8 mil milhões de dólares, mas ficaram acima dos 10,6 mil milhões de dólares aguardados, em média, pelos analistas. A quebra foi ditada pela estratégia do presidente executivo, Steve Balmer, de adiar a colocação no mercado de uma nova versão do Windows

A empresa fundada por Bill Gates elevou as estimativas de vendas para o trimestre que decorre entre Janeiro e Março deste ano, o terceiro fiscal, devendo as receitas fixarem-se entre os 9,7 e os 9,8 mil milhões de dólares.

As acções da Microsoft, que apresentou os resultados após o fecho do mercado, fecharam a subir 0,38%.

Microsoft Reports Record Revenue and Earnings

Server and Tools and Home and Entertainment Drive Record Results

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced record revenue of $10.82 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2004, a 7% increase over the results in the same period of the prior year. Operating income for the second quarter was $4.75 billion, which was an increase of $3.27 billion over the same period in the prior year. The results of the second quarter of the prior year included $2.21 billion in compensation expense incurred in connection with the Employee Stock Option Transfer Program. Net income for the second quarter was $3.46 billion. Diluted earnings per share exceeded the company's guidance by $0.04 and were $0.32 including stock-based compensation expense.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )

"Our record revenue came from across-the-board strength in both our business and consumer segments," said John Connors, chief financial officer at Microsoft. "And our long-term approach to growing new businesses is paying off. Home and Entertainment delivered its first profitable quarter and all three of the company's emerging businesses combined generated a nearly $700 million improvement in operating results compared to the second quarter of last fiscal year."

The Server and Tools business grew 18% versus the prior year's comparable quarter. Customer adoption of SQL Server(TM) remains particularly robust with over 25% year over year revenue growth. During the quarter, Exchange 2003 marked its one-year product launch anniversary and has had the fastest adoption of Exchange licenses ever. Customers who acquired Microsoft server products during the quarter included Eastman Chemical Company, Hewlett-Packard Company, Morgan Stanley and Premera Blue Cross.

The Home and Entertainment segment delivered record revenue during the quarter and achieved positive operating income. "Our Xbox(R) business fired on all cylinders and provided a strong ending to what was a great year for the platform and our partners," said Robbie Bach, senior vice president of the Home and Entertainment group. "Not only did we achieve record software sales with our strongest games lineup to date, but we also sold more consoles than our competitors during the critical holiday sales season in the United States, and increased Xbox Live(TM) membership to over 1.4 million members." During the quarter, 6.3 million units of "Halo(R) 2" were sold, resulting in a game attach rate of over 30% to the Xbox installed base of almost 20 million consoles.

Business Outlook

Management offers the following guidance for the quarter ending March 31, 2005:

-- Revenue is expected to be in the range of $9.7 billion and $9.8
billion.
-- Operating income is expected to be in the range of $4.1 billion and
$4.2 billion, including stock-based compensation expense.
-- Diluted earnings per share are expected to be $0.27 or $0.28, including
stock-based compensation expense.

Management offers the following guidance for the full fiscal year ending June 30, 2005:

-- Revenue is expected to be in the range of $39.8 billion and $40.0
billion.
-- Operating income is expected to be in the range of $16.5 billion and
$16.7 billion, including stock-based compensation expense.
-- Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $1.09 and
$1.11, including stock-based compensation expense.

Webcast Details and 10-Q filing

Microsoft will hold an audio webcast at 2:30 p.m. PST (5:30 p.m. EST) today with John Connors, chief financial officer, and Scott Di Valerio, corporate controller, to discuss details regarding the company's performance for the quarter and other forward-looking information. The session may be accessed at http://www.microsoft.com/msft. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on Jan. 27, 2006.

Microsoft filed its 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission today and it is also available at the company's investor relations website (www.microsoft.com/msft).