Microsoft’s stock topped the $36 mark in early morning (a level not seen since the summer of 2001). The shares later cooled slightly, closing at $35.03, up 9.5% up from the previous close. Today marked Microsoft’s biggest single day since May 2002, according to data from Thomson Financial. The shares have gained more than 9% in a session just six other times in the past decade.

The quarter was all around strong. There were strong sales of the Windows operating system software complemented by a spike in sales for its entertainment and devices unit, which includes its Halo video-game franchise.

“While upside from solid PC growth and the ‘Halo 3′ launch were relatively expected, further upside came from improved piracy rates and uptake of premium server editions,” analysts at Thomas Weisel Partners wrote in a Friday research note.

With the recent stake of Facebook, it appears this sleepy giant has been woken up and is about to shift momentum.

Way to go Microsoft!!!

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