Stocks are expected to slide at Friday’s open, with Microsoft’s disappointing earnings outlook weighing on markets.

After markets closed Thursday, Microsoft posted an 81% jump in its fiscal fourth-quarter net income and a 15% gain in revenue, driven by growth in its core business for personal-computer software and better margins at emerging businesses. However, the results were slightly below analysts’ expectations, and Microsoft’s shares declined in after-hours trading.

There are no major economic releases from Statistics Canada today.

European markets are mixed at midday, with London’s FTSE 100 up 24.50 points at 4,330.80 and Frankfurt’s DAX 30 up 14.93 points to 3,815.98.

In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei closed down 97.71 points at 1,1187.33, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 32.78 points to 1,2352.99.

Toronto stocks closed lower yesterday as profit-takers cashed in recent gains among energy issues and sold off tech stocks despite upbeat news from the U.S.

The S&P/TSX composite index slid 56.10 points to 8,398.05.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index closed lower, too. It fell 2.40 points to 1,509.59.

Stocks fared better in the U.S., where technology stocks rebounded.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished ahead 4.20 points at 10,050.33. The S&P 500 rose 2.96 points to 1,096.84, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index climbed 14.69 points to 1,889.06.

After the bell, Microsoft Corp. reported that its earnings rose nearly 82% in the fiscal fourth quarter.