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Booker agrees to record $145 mn extension with Suns: reports
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Sabalenka criticises Anisimova behaviour after shock Wimbledon exit
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Russia and US hold 'frank' talks on Ukraine war
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Swiatek swats Bencic aside to reach Wimbledon final against Anisimova
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Root's 99 not out keeps India at bay in third Test
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Delta offers upbeat outlook on travel demand, lifting shares
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Sara Netanyahu: the ever-present wife of Israel's prime minister
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Italy can hurt rampant Spain, says coach Soncin
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Djokovic faces Sinner in Wimbledon blockbuster as Alcaraz meets Fritz
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Rebooted and 'vulnerable': Superman is back on screens
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Sri Lanka steamroll Bangladesh to win first T20
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Swiatek routs Bencic to reach first Wimbledon final
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Anisimova shocks Sabalenka to reach Wimbledon final, Swiatek in action
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Europe court says S.African Semenya's gender eligibility trial wasn't fair
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Ten rescued after deadly Huthi ship sinking off Yemen
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Scrutiny over Texas flood response mounts as death toll hits 120
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Rami Al Ali becomes first Syrian in Paris fashion programme
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London stocks hit record high on tariff optimism
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Ireland's Healy pulls off solo win at Tour de France
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French appeals court clears two over first lady gender rumours
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French appeals court court clears two over first lady gender rumours
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Barry Callebaut cuts outlook as chocolate sales volumes melt away
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The $10 mn bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction
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Anisimova stuns Sabalenka to reach Wimbledon final
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Root leads England revival after Reddy's double strike for India
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Snap, crackle and pay: Ferrero to buy WK Kellogg for $3.1 bn
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Shein faces 150-mn-euro fine in France
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Rubio says Asia might get 'better' tariffs than others
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India wicketkeeper Pant leaves field injured in third Test
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Russia says holds 'frank exchange' with US on Ukraine war
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Tendulkar says 'life has come full circle' with Lord's portrait
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Wall Street stocks stall, London hits record high
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Duplantis unfazed by late world champs in Tokyo
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Europe court says S.African athlete's gender eligibility trial wasn't fair
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Dzeko, 39, returns to Serie A with Fiorentina
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Scrutiny over Texas flood response mounts as death toll tops 120
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Iran threats in UK 'significantly increased': Intel watchdog
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Volkswagen halts electric minivan exports to the United States
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EU chief von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote
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India's Reddy strikes twice to rock England
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EU opens new probe into TikTok data transfer to China
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Italy probes UK online bank Revolut for 'misleading' clients
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Arsenal sign midfielder Norgaard from Brentford
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Explosions, fires rock Kyiv in deadly Russian barrage
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Fatigued Afghan taxi drivers take novel approach to AC
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Rubio meets Russia's Lavrov at ASEAN talks
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Stocks rise on tariff optimism, London hits record high
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Hamas says Israeli troops sticking point in truce talks as Gaza pounded
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EU chief von der Leyen survives confidence vote by large margin
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Europe court says S.African athlete's trial wasn't fair in gender testing case

Microsoft beats expectations, but AI concerns force shares down
Microsoft delivered solid quarterly results on Wednesday, beating analyst expectations with revenue jumping 16 percent to $65.6 billion, but questions were raised about the company's big spending on the AI boom.
The tech giant reported net income of $24.7 billion for the quarter ending September 30, marking an 11-percent increase from the same period last year. Earnings per share rose 10 percent to $3.30.
The company attributed the solid performance to robust growth in its cloud computing and artificial intelligence businesses.
"AI-driven transformation is changing work... and workflow across every role, function, and business process," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, adding that the company was winning new customers through its AI platforms and tools.
The Redmond-based company has been at the forefront of the generative AI revolution, largely thanks to its partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
The company has rolled out AI features at a furious pace, mainly under its Copilot brand, leaving investors hopeful for a return on investment from the expensive technology.
But the tech giant warned that its gross margin outlook for its crucial cloud division, or how much money it expects to make, was going to be lower just as its investment in AI infrastructure was set to grow.
The news sent Microsoft's share price down by nearly four percent in after-hours trading.
"Microsoft's latest earnings came in a bit above expectations, but the results may leave some investors wanting more clarity," said Emarketer senior director Jeremy Goldman.
"The true wildcard this quarter has been Microsoft's AI investments. It's pouring cash into building out infrastructure, with major capex implications. Yet, the revenue returns from AI remain more of a promise than a present reality," he added.
Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, saw strong growth with revenue increasing 34 percent, when adjusted for currency fluctuations.
During the quarter, Microsoft also returned $9.0 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, helping pump up share value.
With the jitters over Microsoft's massive outlays on AI, the company has trailed other tech giants on Wall Street this year, gaining just over 15 percent, while Meta has surged 70 percent and Amazon climbed nearly 30 percent.
In a notable development, Microsoft's gaming division showed substantial growth, with Xbox content and services revenue surging 61 percent, primarily due to the recent Activision Blizzard acquisition, which contributed 53 percentage points to this increase.
Google parent company Alphabet on Tuesday set the scene for the tech earnings season with a solid report, as its cloud computing division posted strong results on the back of AI adoption by search engine users.
P.Martin--AMWN