Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) 4Q Earnings Preview

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Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will report its fourth quarter results on July 18, 2013, and is expected to post earnings of 74 cents per share, an increase of 1 percent from the previous year earnings of 73 cents per share. Average estimates have witnessed a drop over past three months from 77 cents a share.

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) 4Q Earnings Preview

Numbers expected

Earnings are expected to come in at $2.74 cents per share for fiscal 2013. Analysts expect quarterly revenue to come in at $20.77, which is an increase of 15 percent from the previous year total of $18.06 billion. For a full year, revenue is estimated to come in at $78.73 billion.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has witnessed an average 3 percent year over year growth in revenue, in the last four quarters. In the recent quarter, revenue surged 13 percent compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Decline in sales of Xbox 360 is also expected prior to the release of its next generation console, Xbox one this year. However, there are expectations that the revenue of the company will increase in the quarter as the business partners are switching from Windows XP to Windows 7 launched, in 2009.

What analysts expect from Microsoft

According to BMO Capital Markets analyst Karl Keirstead, who surveyed Microsoft partners and resellers before the earning release, told that business customers are not switching to Windows 8 because most of the installed computers are not touch enabled and have the absence of the “Start” button.

According to Citi analyst Walter Pritchard PC shipments in the United States has been better than expected, which reflects that the decline in PC shipments is slowing.

Microsoft’s results important for tech industry

Results from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which is in the business of developing, licensing and supporting various software products and services for computing devices, hold critical importance because it is the provider of the operating system to more than a billion personal computers all over the world. Performance of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) indicates the financial condition of overall technology industry and shift in consumer behaviors.

Software giant in its earnings release may give an update about the Windows 8. Last month, Windows 8.1 was unveiled by the company. Microsoft blamed declining PC market as one of the reasons for its poor performance of touch enabled operating system.

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