Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2026

Microsoft blames turbulent economy as it misses profit targets

Microsoft blames turbulent economy as it misses profit targets

Tech giants Microsoft and Alphabet report their financial results in the US, with both seeing challenges in the current economy.

Microsoft missed its profit targets on Tuesday, blaming the turbulent economy.

The tech giant reported a fourth-quarter profit of $16.7bn (£13.8bn) - or $2.23 per share.

Revenue came in at $51.9bn (£43.1bn), which was up 12% from last year.

Analysts had been forecasting $2.29 per share and revenue of $52.94bn (£44bn), according to FactSet.

Microsoft blamed "evolving macroeconomic conditions and other unforeseen items" for its financial performance.

It cited supply challenges in China due to strict COVID-19 lockdowns, a deteriorating personal computer market, and the winding down of its operation in Russia as a reaction to that country's invasion of Ukraine.

Alphabet Inc, meanwhile, had a more positive showing, with revenue nearly in line with analysts' expectations.

The Google parent company said it saw second-quarter revenue rise to $69.69bn (£57.9bn) from $61.88bn (£51.3bn) a year earlier - nearly in line with the average expectation of $69.88bn (£58bn).

'Ad revenues still rising despite concerns of an overly-harsh tapering of demand'


Google's ad business was 81% of quarterly revenue, with sales coming in at $56.29bn (£46.8bn) - just below the average estimate of $56.67bn (£47.1bn).

Investors had expected ad revenue to falter as companies cut budgets to cope with rising costs.

Companies such as Alphabet are increasingly bringing in less cash from foreign revenue, due to the strong US dollar, and its shares have fallen more than 27% this year.

Overall profit was $16bn (£13.3bn) - or $1.21 per share, below the average estimate of $1.29.

Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Alphabet's unshakeable presence in our daily lives means it falls into the essentials bucket for marketing teams, which is why ad revenues are still rising despite concerns of an overly-harsh tapering of demand.

"A positive reaction from the latest quarterly numbers has been incredibly hard-won, given the negative market sentiment surrounding broader tech.

"Alphabet's essential status for marketers makes it more able to stomach inflation, as its customer base is about as sticky as they come in the sector. However, it's not completely immune to residual issues from a tough economic backdrop."

Shares of Microsoft were down 0.5% in after-hours trading, while Alphabet was up 3% following the companies' results.

Microsoft ended the regular session down 2.7% and Alphabet ended 2.3% lower on the day.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Béla Tarr, Visionary Hungarian Filmmaker, Dies at Seventy After Long Illness
UK and France Pledge Military Hubs Across Ukraine in Post-Ceasefire Security Plan
Prince Harry Poised to Regain UK Security Cover, Clearing Way for Family Visits
UK Junk Food Advertising Ban Faces Major Loophole Allowing Brand-Only Promotions
Maduro’s Arrest Without The Hague Tests International Law—and Trump’s Willingness to Break It
German Intelligence Secretly Intercepted Obama’s Air Force One Communications
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
Fake Mainstream Media Double Standard: Elon Musk Versus Mamdani
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
UK Confirms Non-Involvement in U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela
UK Terror Watchdog Calls for Australian-Style Social Media Ban to Protect Teenagers
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Europe’s Luxury Sanctions Punish Russian Consumers While a Sanctions-Circumvention Industry Thrives
Berkshire’s Buffett-to-Abel Transition Tests Whether a One-Man Trust Model Can Survive as a System
Fraud in European Central Bank: Lagarde’s Hidden Pay Premium Exposes a Transparency Crisis at the European Central Bank
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Tesla Loses EV Crown to China’s BYD After Annual Deliveries Decline in 2025
UK Manufacturing Growth Reaches 15-Month Peak as Output and Orders Improve in December
Beijing Threatened to Scrap UK–China Trade Talks After British Minister’s Taiwan Visit
Newly Released Files Reveal Tony Blair Pressured Officials Over Iraq Death Case Involving UK Soldiers
Top Stocks and Themes to Watch in 2026 as Markets Enter New Year with Fresh Momentum
No UK Curfew Ordered as Deepfake TikTok Falsely Attributes Decree to Prime Minister Starmer
Europe’s Largest Defence Groups Set to Return Nearly Five Billion Dollars to Shareholders in Twenty Twenty-Five
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
×