Microsoft profit rises on PC demand, Halo sales

SEATTLE, US: Microsoft Corp posted a rise in quarterly profit on Thursday, boosted by healthy demand for personal computers loaded with its Windows operating system and strong sales of its "Halo 3" video game.

The world's largest software maker said net profit in its fiscal first quarter totalled $4.29 billion, or 45 cents per diluted share, versus a profit of $3.48 billion, or 35 cents per diluted share, a year earlier.

Revenue rose 27 percent to $13.76 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30.

Analysts, on average, had forecast 39 cents per share in first-quarter profit on revenue of $12.54 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.

Market research firms Gartner and IDC said global PC shipments rose about 15 percent in the September quarter, which helped Microsoft as well as the quarterly results of chip maker Intel Corp. Microsoft also enjoyed strong sales of "Halo 3," the latest installment of its flagship shooter game franchise.