Wary Microsoft beats forecast

Software giant Microsoft built on a series of relatively upbeat results from leading technology companies in recent days, with results ahead of Wall Street expectations. But it warned against unreasonable expectations going forward.

The world's leading software provider, which employs 2,000 people at its Dublin operations, reported figures in line with forecasts after US markets closed last night.

Microsoft attributed its robust figures to stronger-than-expected sales of its Windows 2000 software. The Redmond, Washington company said net profits in the three months to March 31st were $2.45 billion (#2.8 billion), or $0.44 a share, compared with $2.39 billion, or $0.43 a share a year earlier.

Wall Street had pencilled in a figure of between $0.40 and $0.43. The Thomson Financial/ First call consensus forecast had been for profits of $0.42 a share.

Turnover grew to $6.46 billion, compared with $5.66 billion a year earlier - again ahead of analysts' most optimistic predictions.

The company said it did a little better than it had expected in all its business areas in the quarter, despite the deepening crisis of confidence in the US technology sector.

Microsoft's results come hard on the heels of upbeat news from chip giant Intel and computer makers IBM and Apple earlier in the week.

However, looking at trading in the current quarter, the company said it expected turnover in between $6.3 billion and $6.5 billion as PC sales slow.

Diluted per-share earnings, including a penny-a-share charge related to its Great Plains Software acquisition, will be $0.41 or $0.42, or slightly less than the $0.43 that Wall Street analysts had predicted.

"Despite this quarter's solid performance, we continue to be mindful of the current economic climate, and the impact it may have on business and consumer demand," chief financial officer Mr John Connors said.