Microsoft Approves $60B Share Buyback and Boosts Dividend

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced that its board has authorized a new share buyback program valued at up to $60 billion, while also increasing its quarterly dividend. The tech giant declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, marking a 10% increase from the previous quarter.

In July, Microsoft reported strong quarterly earnings, though these were tempered by a significant rise in capital expenditures as the company ramps up investments in artificial intelligence (AI). Revenue from its Azure cloud division, which plays a crucial role in the company’s AI initiatives, experienced a slowdown during the quarter. However, Microsoft expects growth in this segment to accelerate by late 2025.

The company, along with other major tech firms, is in a race to demonstrate the value of the billions of dollars invested in AI over the past year. Thus far, most tech peers have yet to see significant returns on these investments. Additionally, Microsoft confirmed that its annual shareholders meeting will take place on December 10.