The Dow Jones Industrial Average was struggling to take flight on Friday, with shares of Microsoft Corp. rallying to a record high after better-than-expected earnings, providing a boost to the average. Shares of Microsoft , up $6.79, or 8.5%, were contributing about 47 points to the price-weighted Dow , which has been combating headwinds from a tumble in shares of Chevron Corp. , Merck & Co. Inc. and Walt Disney Co. . Late Thursday, Microsoft reported its fiscal first-quarter earnings rose to $6.58 billion, or 84 cents a share, from $5.67 billion, or 72 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue grew 12% to $24.5 billion. Shares of the tech giant and Dow component hit an all-time high at $86.20 a share. A $1 move in any one of the Dow’s components equates to a swing of 6.89 points.
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