Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) released its earnings report for the three months through September this afternoon after the market closed. The company showed earnings of 62 cents per share for the three month period. Revenue for the third quarter came in at $18.53 billion. On today’s market, shares in the software company rose by a fraction to finish trading at $33.73. Shares jumped more than 5 percent after the numbers were released.
In the run up to the release of this earnings report, analysts following Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) were looking for earnings per share of 54 cents on revenue totaling $17.8 billion. In the same three months of 2012, the company showed earnings of 53 cents per share on revenue totaling $16.4 billion.
Microsoft indicators
There are a few major indicators for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) heading into the rest of the year and 2014. The firm’s search for a new CEO is probably the number one priority for the investors involved in the company.
The firm is also looking at expanding business to shore up its losses from the decline of the PC market. Despite the beat in this earnings report, investors will not be happy until the company demonstrates an ability to adapt to the new realities of the tech world in 2013.
Microsoft transformation
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been heading on a path to remake itself for the twenty first century in the last year. The company’s Surface tablets have been unsuccessful thus far, but the improvements in the hardware, and Windows 8, should offer the company some uptick in demand. The firm is also after buying the Nokia Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) smart phone division in order to expand into consumer, and enterprise, hardware.
Another major factor for the company is its cloud computing offerings and other enterprise facing software. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) needs to keep enterprise on its side if it wants to continue with the success it has enjoyed for years. Companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) are aiming squarely at enterprise.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will host an earnings call to discuss these numbers at 5:30 PM EST this afternoon. Analysts and investors will be looking for any information they can get on the company’s CEO search, and some forward looking information on the company’s Nokia buy.
