Newsletter Archives

• Intel reports fourth-quarter financial results

  Posted on January 31, 2025 at 03:00 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) released its fourth-quarter and annual financial results yesterday. Details are available at Intel’s financial site.

  The year-to-year comparison looks bleak, but the real question is whether the results for the most recent quarter improved over preceding quarters. For Q3, the loss was $16.6 billion. For Q4, the loss is $0.1 billion. That is obviously a dramatic improvement, which may mean that the drastic cost-cutting measures that began in Q3 had an effect. (Free coffee was restored in November.)

  Given the sporadic results last year, it’s too soon to suggest that a positive trend has emerged. However, stemming the blood flow is essential so that the company has the resources to fund much-needed innovation.

  Intel Financial Performance, INTC, Quarterly results

• You’ll be amazed to learn how Microsoft really makes dough

  Posted on July 1, 2024 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  If you think the sale of Windows software is Microsoft’s primary source of revenue, you’re in for a big surprise when you see the way the Redmond corporate giant actually earns money.

  As of the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2024, more than 56% of the company’s revenue — easily a majority — is generated by Microsoft’s cloud services, including Azure Server, Office cloud services, and other online income streams.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.27.0, 2024-07-01).

  Public Defender Azure, Cloud computing, Financial Performance, Gaming, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Newsletters, Office, Windows

• 14th Gen processors, and (of course) AI

  Posted on October 30, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.44 • 2023-10-30

  INTEL NEWS

  

  By Will Fastie

  Intel made some impressive announcements, but Qualcomm may get all the good press.

  You know we’ve been following developments in silicon carefully over the past couple of years. Our focus has been largely on Apple because of its bold initiatives with its M-series of chips.

  That coverage has not been to tout Apple, although it’s abundantly clear that the company’s products, especially Macintosh, have shown market share improvements. Our purpose has been to underscore what we perceived as a lag in Intel’s ongoing development. Windows users don’t gain anything from Apple’s proprietary silicon, but they lose something if Intel can’t keep up.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.44.0, 2023-10-30).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Intel Financial Performance, Intel, Intel News, Intel Processors, News, Newsletters, Qualcomm

• A strong Microsoft

  Posted on October 30, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT NEWS

  

  By Will Fastie

  Microsoft’s FY24 Q1 numbers are excellent and will please investors, but results in certain sectors may spell future trouble.

  These days, decoding financial statements can be very difficult, much more so than during my time as a securities analyst in the ’90s. Complicating matters today are strained economies, inflation, political uncertainty, post-pandemic recoveries, supply-chain disruption, and currency fluctuations.

  Despite all that, Microsoft’s first-quarter financial results justify optimism.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.44.0, 2023-10-30).

  Microsoft News Financial Performance, Microsoft, Newsletters, Surface, Windows

• Microsoft to lay off 10,000 workers

  Posted on January 23, 2023 at 02:42 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT NEWS

  

  By Will Fastie

  Microsoft will reduce its worldwide workforce by 5% due to economic uncertainty.

  On January 18, 2023, Satya Nadella sent to all Microsoft employees a letter titled Focusing on our short- and long-term opportunity. The note contained his explanation for the contraction of the workforce.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.04.0, 2023-01-23).

  Microsoft News Financial Performance, Microsoft layoffs, Newsletters