Microsoft Leads Stalwarts in Topping Estimates; Google Falls

Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. issued results yesterday that topped analysts’ estimates, showing that buoyant business demand is girding the largest technology companies against Europe’s debt crisis and a consumer-spending slump.

Microsoft’s Office software and other business programs helped profit exceed projections last quarter, even as sales of Windows suffered from sluggish personal-computer orders. Intel and IBM, meanwhile, both delivered rosier sales forecasts than some analysts had predicted.