Closing Bell: Microsoft, Meta & Ford Report Earnings | Stock Movers

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- Microsoft (MSFT) reported better-than-expected growth in its cloud business, which it says brought in more than $75 billion in the past year, as the company continues to commercialize artificial intelligence services. The closely watched Azure cloud-computing unit posted a 39% rise in sales during Microsoft’s fiscal fourth quarter, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Analysts projected 34% revenue growth. The company said sales at the cloud division grew 34% to more than $75 billion during the year ended in June, the first time the company has disclosed a revenue figure for Azure, which sells computing power and other services to businesses.Overall, sales rose 18% to $76.4 billion during the quarter. Net income was $3.65 a share. Analysts on average estimated $73.9 billion in revenue and per-share earnings of $3.37. Shares initially rose 7% afterhours on the news.

- Meta (META) topped projections for second-quarter sales and gave a stronger-than-expected forecast for the current period, a sign that the social media company’s advertising business is still growing quickly enough to support aggressive spending on artificial intelligence. Shares jumped as much as 10% in late trading. Third-quarter sales will be $47.5 billion to $50.5 billion, Meta said in a statement Wednesday, with the midpoint of that range exceeding the average analyst estimate of $46.2 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The social media giant, which owns Instagram and Facebook, reported second-quarter revenue of $47.5 billion. Meta lifted the low end of its forecast for 2025 capital expenditures as it continues to invest heavily in the talent, infrastructure, data centers and energy needed to compete in a fast-moving AI race. The company now expects to spend $66 billion to $72 billion this year. The projection was adjusted higher in April to account for ongoing trade disputes and AI investments. Meta stock was up 18.7% so far this year before Wednesday’s report.

- Ford (F) said profit will fall as much as 36% this year as President Donald Trump’s tariffs reduce earnings by about $2 billion, more than the automaker previously expected. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes will be $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion, Ford said Wednesday, restoring guidance it had suspended in May over uncertainty surrounding Trump’s trade policies. That’s down from the $7 billion to $8.5 billion it initially forecast, and represents a sharp drop from last year’s earnings of $10.2 billion. The update highlights how even Ford, which manufactures the most cars in the US of any automaker, is being squeezed by new trade barriers imposed by the White House. Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles, auto parts, steel and aluminum – as well as goods from key US trading partners – have ballooned costs for Ford and its rivals. Shares fell after the close of regular trading.

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Closing Bell: Microsoft, Meta & Ford Report Earnings