Microsoft profits take a beating in spite of record fourth quarter

Microsoft’s fourth quarter of its 2012 financial year was a mixed bag. Revenue is up to $18.06 billion, up 4 percent year-on-year. However, operating income is down 97 percent to just $192 million, and the company reported a $0.06 loss per share.

Microsoft attributes the results to two things. The company has written off $6.2 billion of goodwill value in the fallout of its 2007 purchase of advertising company aQuantive.