It looks like Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) has cried wolf too many times. Investors shrugged off the software behemoth's conservative outlook for 2005, bidding up the stock Friday in the wake of the firm's strong top- and bottom-line third-quarter results. After all, many noted, Microsoft gave similarly conservative guidance a year ago -- only to prove itself wrong with revenue growth on track to reach an impressive 13% this year. On Friday, Microsoft shares jumped $1.59, or 6.1%, to $27.54 with more than 255 million shares changing hands -- about four times its average daily volume.
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