Microsoft Posts Smaller Quarterly Net, Sales Rise 18 Percent

For its second fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31, Microsoft posted a net profit, including a charge of $660 million in expenses from consumer class action suits, of $2.28 billion, or 41 cents a share, compared with $2.62 billion, or 47 cents a share a year earlier.

Excluding the legal expenses, which amounted to 8 cents per share, Microsoft says its operating profit was $2.84 billion.

Revenues were $7.74 billion, up 18 percent from $6.5 billion a year earlier, and surpassing the company's official guidance of $7.1 billion to $7.3 billion.

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