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Thu, 29 Oct 2026

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 Microsoft profits soar days after announcing thousands of layoffs

The week, the Windows developer said it would offer buyouts to 60,000 workers as it looks to curb costs.

* Microsoft's profits rose to $36.6bn (£27.5bn) in the three months to September, despite announcing plans to cut its workforce by over a quarter.
* The company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), and will offer buyouts to around 60,000 workers as part of efforts to reduce costs.
* Microsoft's quarterly revenue rose to $92.3bn, up 19% from the same period last year, driven by strong growth in its cloud computing business.
* The company's earnings were boosted by a 30% increase in revenue for Microsoft Cloud, its range of enterprise technology services.
* Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, said that AI development has helped grow adoption of the technology and deliver "real-world impact across every industry".
* Despite strong earnings, Microsoft flagged risks such as "substantial investments" in AI, which could impact its finances.
* The company is cutting costs by offering voluntary redundancy to employees in teams across Canada, India, the UK, and US.