SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft Corp. on Thursday reported quarterly profits ahead of most expectations, as revenues got a boost from its Xbox consoles and Internet "cloud" services for enterprises.
Net profit in the quarter dipped to $4.5 billion from $5.2 billion in the same period a year ago, but topped most analyst forecasts.
Revenue rose above $23 billion, its best ever for the fiscal first quarter.
The better-than-expected results pushed shares of the U.S. technology titan up more than 3% in after-market trades.
"We are innovating faster, engaging more deeply across the industry, and putting our customers at the center of everything we do, all of which positions Microsoft for future growth," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a release.
Microsoft (IW 500/16) (MSFT) said revenue hit a record high for its first fiscal quarter, aided by the popularity of its Xbox One video game consoles and Surface tablet computers along with businesses turning to software offered as services in the Internet "cloud."
"Customers are embracing our latest technologies from Surface Pro 3 and Office 365 to Azure and SQL Server," Microsoft COO Kevin Turner said.
Revenue in Microsoft's Devices and Consumer unit grew 47% to $10.96 billion, with the company bringing in nearly a billion dollars from sales of its Surface Pro 3 tablet computer.
Xbox sales more than doubled to 2.4 million in the quarter, which saw the console released in 28 new markets.
Revenue was up 10% when it came to Commercial offerings, with cloud services Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics CRM growing 128%, according to Microsoft.
The results include the newly acquired handset division of Finland's Nokia, whose Windows-based smartphones are struggling in a market dominated by Google Android devices and Apple's iPhones.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014
