Microsoft Stock News

Microsoft shares jumped higher in pre-market trading, reversing significant losses from last night, as investors reacted to solid near-term sales forecasts that offset a mixed batch of second quarter earnings for the world''s second-largest tech giant.

The software giant is still delivering rapid revenue and earnings growth for investors -- and more of this is likely on the way.

Stock futures power higher with the Fed and earnings in focus; Chairman Jerome Powell likely to signal a series of 2022 rate hikes, with the first expected in March; Microsoft''s solid near-term sales outlook offsets a muted Q2 earnings report; Tesla Q4 earnings on deck, with delivery targets and production timelines in focus and Facebook''s ''Libra'' stablecoin project is reportedly on the brink of collapse.

By Susan Mathew (Reuters) U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday, with a surge in Microsoft lifting Nasdaq 100 futures, while investors keenly awaited the Federal Reserves monetary policy decision later in the day.

MSFT earnings call for the period ending December 31, 2021.

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news European markets to open higher Wall Street has seen two volatile days Microsoft beats expectations with $18.8bn profit Let the wild rumpus start: is the US facing a stock market super-bubble? Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the world economy, the financial markets, the eurozone and business. Central bankers are in the spotlight today, putting investors on edge as they brace for higher interest rates and the withdrawal of monetary stimulus. The year-to-date selloff of real rates and equity markets began with the Fed surprising markets by how much they were already considering an early and aggressive use of QT to augment their tightening of policy, so any incremental information will be devoured. While its likely too early for the Fed to deliver specific QT details today, our economists believe its possible Chair Powell begins to socialise a range of potential QT outcomes to start the give-and-take involved with guiding market expectations.

Market jitters over the path to higher interest rates will be addressed later when the US Federal Reserve holds its latest meeting.

The Indian government awarded Padma Bhushan to Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and Alphabet and Google`s Sundar Pichai among the 17 awardees.

Microsoft is generating billions in cash from operations each quarter, and that could help it stand up to higher interest rates, one investor said.

Microsoft has attracted a lot of players to the latest entries in some of its flagship series by removing the up-front cost. Halo Infinite has had 20 million players, and Forza Horizon 5 has had 18 million.