Microsoft quarterly profit up 3.6 percent to $5.2 bn

Washington (AFP) – Microsoft on Thursday reported a 3.6 percent rise in profit to $5.2 billion in past quarter, showing gains in its new areas of focus as it absorbed the LinkedIn social network.

The US tech giant which has been shifting away from software to a broader array of services said the LinkedIn acquisition boosted its revenue in the last three months of the year but dragged on profit.