Microsoft (MSFT) / Bill Gates

[winston]

Cloud business boosts Microsoft's quarterly revenue, shares rise

BY DEBORAH M. TODD

The new and growing cloud business - essentially selling computing services and storage in its data centers to corporate customers - is one of the priorities for Chief Executive Satya Nadella

Microsoft's revenue in what it calls its "intelligent cloud" businesses, which includes the Azure cloud platform and server software, rose 7 percent to $6.7 billion

Despite the surge in revenue, Microsoft is still struggling to increase profit in the capital-intensive cloud business. It said operating profit in its intelligent cloud businesses fell 17 percent to $2.19 billion in the quarter.

Overall, Microsoft posted revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter ended June 30, adjusted for some one-time items, of $22.6 billion, up 2 percent from a year ago.

Source: Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-micro ... y%20Report

[winston]

not vested

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Stock: This Old Dog Can Still Hunt

MSFT reports a strong end to fiscal 2016

By Charles Payne

Source: Smart Investing

http://investorplace.com/2016/07/msft-m ... 5M9kLh96M8

[winston]

not vested

Tech Earnings Star No. 4: Microsoft

Cloud sales are also a big – and growing – business for the world leader in personal computer operating systems.

Yes, the Azure cloud unit from Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) still ranks a distant second to AWS. But Mr. Softy is coming on strong here with a business that is adding sales and profit gains.

That’s great news for tech investors, because Azure more than makes up for weakness in Microsoft’s mobile and PC units. Azure is the chief reason why the company beat Wall Street forecasts for quarterly sales and profits.

To be sure, Microsoft posted an 8.8% decline in sales for its full fiscal year to $85.3 billion, the first time it’s done that since 2009. But I believe the strong results for the year’s final quarter show that the company is turning around nicely.

The company’s Intelligent Cloud segment, which includes its Azure on-demand computing services, rose 6.6% to $6.71 billion. But when you break out Azure on its own, you see that sales there grew 102% from the year-ago quarter.

And I see more synergies and growth ahead. For starters, Microsoft recently picked up business-networking site LinkedIn Corp. (NYSE: LNKD) for $26.2 billion.

LinkedIn is by definition a cloud-based business, so the move plays to a Microsoft core strength while putting in a new category. LinkedIn boasts some 400 million users around the world and will give Microsoft high-margin ad sales to round out its operations.

Microsoft’s comeback started around the time Satya Nadella took over as chief executive officer – and made the cloud and mobile his prime “targets.”

I first told you about Nadella and his plan back in May 2015. Since then, Microsoft is up 35.6%, while the S&P 500 has puttered along at a 9.8% growth rate.

Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Larry Page, and Jeff Bezos. As these CEOs’ records show, investors can often follow great leaders to riches beyond their wildest dreams.

Source: Money Morning

[winston]

Technology Stocks That Will Outperform: Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

A quiet leader in the technology sector has been Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). The company has been performing fundamentally, which has resulted in price performance, returning more than three times the S&P 500 performance over the last three months.

From a seasonality perspective, Microsoft stock performs better than the S&P 500 almost every month in the second half of the year, with August and September providing the best returns against the market.

From a technical perspective, Microsoft is trading in a long-term bullish patter with a number of trendlines and chart levels to provide support in the case of a market pullback. Currently, the most notable level is at the $55, which would be a great level to purchase shares on a pullback.

From there, our model, which ranks Microsoft a buy, targets a potential move to $65 by year-end.

Source: Investor Place

[winston]

$1 Billion Says This Stock Has Run Its Course

By Joseph Hogue

Source: Profitable Trading

http://www.thetradingreport.com/2016/08 ... ts-course/

[winston]

$1 Billion Says This Stock Has Run Its Course

By Joseph Hogue

Source: Profitable Trading

http://www.thetradingreport.com/2016/08 ... ts-course/

[winston]

Blue-chip software giant Microsoft hits a new 14-year high.

[winston]

not vested

Must-Own Tech Stocks With Real Dividend Growth: Microsoft (MSFT)

by Mike Mozart

MSFT Dividend Yield: 2.5%
5-Year Dividend Growth Rate: 12.45%

It’s easy to write off Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) as a tech-era dinosaur. But Bill Gates hasn’t remained one of the world’s richest people by owning 4% of a plodding dinosaur.

Mr. Softy is as spry as ever.

Sure, Microsoft still dominates with the PC’s core operating system and software. But it’s also back to innovating under CEO Satya Nadella.

Nadella has cut the fat from MSFT and plowed back into its core Office business. From offering cloud-based solutions to revamping its office software unit, Nadella understands that Microsoft equals business.

Meanwhile, Nadella has bet big on data with its buyout of LinkedIn Corporation (NYSE:LNKD). LinkedIn doesn’t just give Microsoft and entry into social — it gives the company a huge amount of insight into the business world, as it data-mines that huge user base. That gives MSFT a huge amount of insight into the business world as it data mines that huge 450 million user base.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is a cash juggernaut with a reasonable payout ratio of about 65%. MSFT has grown its dividend by 350% since it started paying out a regular dividend in 2004, and while that growth might not be as robust as it once was, it’ll still be better than you get from many staples and utility companies.

Source: Investor Place

[winston]

not vested

Microsoft raises dividend, plans $40 billion share buyback

Source: Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-micro ... y%20Report

[winston]

not vested

Here's why Microsoft is the 'new' cool kid on the block

by Daniel Howley

“mobile-first, cloud-first”

He wants the company’s software to work across mobile platforms and devices. That, naturally, leads to the second half of Nadella’s rallying cry: making the company cloud first.

The cloud, in its broadest sense, is a series of computers attached to each other that allow you to run high-end software and store your files online.

One of the most important steps Nadella took after becoming CEO was to drag Microsoft into the age of open source.

That included working with the popular open-source Linux operating system, which many companies have used to build their web servers.

85% of Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft’s cloud services and it adds 120,000 new Azure subscriptions per month.

Source: Yahoo Finance

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-why ... 00125.html