Microsoft Beats Quarterly Estimates on Cloud Growth Days After Offering Buyouts to 60,000

Microsoft reported quarterly revenue of $92.3 billion and profit of more than $36.6 billion on Wednesday for the fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30, beating Wall Street expectations as its Azure cloud division grew 48%. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected about $90.6 billion in revenue and $35.1 billion in profit. Microsoft's stock rose about 4%, adding billions of dollars in market value. CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement that the company is delivering greater capability, choice, control and cost-efficiency across its stack. The results came two days after Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to up to 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce, as it balances heavy AI spending. It was the second such offer this year, after an April offer to 7% of its US workforce, and followed an earlier announcement of 4,800 job cuts. Microsoft also began reporting under two operating segments for the first time since 1998 and will now disclose Azure revenue in dollars.

Newsmax, on the right, carries a short Reuters-style item headlined on Microsoft beating cloud revenue estimates. It says the results signal that AI investments are paying off while Wall Street grows wary of Big Tech's debt-fueled spending. Its excerpt does not mention the buyouts, profit figures or job cuts. The Guardian, on the left, leads with the $92.3 billion revenue and ties it to the buyout offer. It adds the profit beat, the FactSet estimates, Nadella's statement and workforce numbers. Both sides agree that cloud growth beat expectations and that AI spending is the backdrop. They differ in emphasis: the right-leaning excerpt focuses on investor sentiment about AI, while the left-leaning report puts the employee buyouts alongside the earnings. CNBC, in the alternative group, differs by adding the new segment structure, expected capital expenditures of $50.67 billion, and Microsoft's positive free cash flow compared with rivals. Reuters matches the Newsmax text.