Microsoft taking cautious stance on N. America: CFO

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is being a "little cautious" about North American sales for the remainder of the year, Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said on Thursday.

In an interview with Reuters, Liddell said North American sales grew 15 percent in the first half of Microsoft's fiscal year ending in June. Its cautious stance did not deter Microsoft from raising its full-year earnings and revenue outlook, Liddell said.

"We're probably a little cautious in the back half of the year, but that's made up for in the other parts of the (global) economy," Liddell said. "Even if we shave a few percentage points off, we think the overall level of growth is still very healthy."

Microsoft posted a 79 percent rise in quarterly profit, boosted in part by strong Windows sales. The company received a 3-percentage-point bump in the division's sales from improvements in fighting piracy, Liddell said.

(Reporting by Daisuke Wakabayashi; Editing by Braden Reddall)