By Fiona Craig
Publication Date: 2026-04-30 06:33:00
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported quarterly results on Wednesday that exceeded Wall Street expectations, driven by continued strength in cloud computing and growing returns from its artificial intelligence investments.
Despite the earnings beat, shares slipped about 1.5% in after-hours trading, as investors viewed the overall performance as underwhelming, particularly with Azure growth coming in line with forecasts rather than exceeding them.
Revenue and Azure growth meet but do not exceed expectations
The company posted revenue of $82.9 billion for the quarter, ahead of the $81.29 billion consensus estimate. However, the market reaction remained muted, with the stock falling more than 1% in extended trading.
Revenue from Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, rose 40% during the January–March period, matching expectations compiled by Visible Alpha.
Overall Microsoft Cloud revenue reached $54.5 billion, representing a 29% increase…
