Microsoft Earnings Expected To Grow

Microsoft Corp. is expected to report Thursday that its fiscal thirdquarter earnings rose at least 35 percent on strong sales of its Windows NT operating system and related software.

The world’s biggest personal computer software maker is one of the few U.S. computer companies that analysts expect to report sharply higher earnings this quarter. Declining U.S. PC sales are hurting many computer makers and software publishers.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is still enjoying a boost in revenue from its Windows 95 operating system. And big companies are splurging on purchases of Windows NT, a computer program that controls the flow of information through corporate computer networks. , DataTimes