Microsoft takes $6.9bn dud deal hit

Microsoft is absorbing a $6.2bn (€4.9bn) charge to reflect that one of the biggest deals in its 37-year history fell flat.

The non-cash charge announced yesterday could saddle the world’s largest software maker with a loss for its fiscal fourth quarter ending in June. Analysts polled by FactSet had predicted Microsoft would earn about $5.3bn (€4.2bn) for the period. The company has not suffered a quarterly loss during the past 20 years, according to its website.