London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

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

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×