4:20pm 10/23/03
Microsoft reports Q1 profits of $2.61 billion (MSFT) By Rex Crum
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Microsoft (MSFT) Thursday posted a 2004 first-quarter net profit of $2.61 billion, up from $2.04 billion a year ago. Excluding one-time items, Microsoft earned 30 cents a share to beat the estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call who forecasted 29 cents a share. Revenue totaled $8.22 billion, up from $7.75 billion in the year-ago quarter and above analysts' estimates of $8.1 billion.