Microsoft cut its losses in significant ways this quarter as it shutters retail stores and Mixer — and analysts say they're key examples of CEO Satya Nadella's strategy that transformed Microsoft from an also-ran to a cloud leader (MSFT)

· Microsoft shuttered two major initiatives in June, the last days of its fiscal year: First, it announced that Mixer, its video game streaming service, would be shut down. Next, it announced the closure of most of its retail stores. 
· Both of those moves represented Microsoft cutting its losses in businesses where it faced...