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Microsoft posts $92.3bn quarterly revenue after offering buyouts to 60,000 employees
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Microsoft shares gained billions of dollars in market value on Wednesday afternoon after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit. The software giant posted $92.3bn in revenue and more than $36.6bn in profit for the September quarter. The results arrived just two days after Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce.
The buyout offer is Microsoftâs second this year and covers a large share of its global staff. In April, the company gave seven percent of its US workforce the option to retire early. Microsoft had 223,000 employees globally at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025, according to regulatory filings.
Analysts had expected around $90.6bn in revenue and $35.1bn in profit, according to FactSet. Microsoft exceeded both forecasts, helped by its Azure cloud computing division, which grew 48% in the September quarter. Chief executive Satya Nadella said the company was delivering greater capability, choice, control and cost-efficiency for customers across its entire stack.
The Azure growth is central to Microsoftâs AI strategy because cloud platforms host many AI services. At the same time, the voluntary buyouts signal pressure to control costs while funding expensive AI infrastructure. The move may reduce headcount without resorting to broad layoffs.
Investors responded positively, lifting Microsoftâs stock market value on Wednesday afternoon. The beat may reassure shareholders that heavy spending on AI and cloud computing is producing revenue growth. It also suggests Microsoft can trim staff while maintaining strong financial performance.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a new Surface Ultra laptop that runs on Nvidiaâs AI chips and will cost more than $2,500. Apple announced a similar touchscreen MacBook this week. The launches reflect a broader tech-industry push toward hardware that can handle more AI computing on-device and offline.
