Microsoft announces biggest-ever share buyback scheme to help boost investment

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Tech giant Microsoft revealed that its board of directors approved a new $60 billion stock-buyback program. The repurchase program has no expiration date and may be terminated at any time, according to the company’s statement.

The board also outlined a quaterly dividend of $0.83 per share, which reflects a 10% rise over the previous quarter. Shares for the company gained 31% in the last 12 months, bringing its market value to $3.2 trillion.

A partnership with OpenAI and investments into cloud technologies has ushered in a new era for the corporation, seemingly one met with optimism and confidence. The company is reported to have $75.5 billion in cash and equivalents as of June 30th, with free cash flow of $23.3 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter, “up 18% year-over-year reflecting higher capital expenditures to support our cloud and AI offerings.”

More investments to come

AI infrastructure is set to secure more investments in the near future, with the company already reporting a 77% rise in capital spending largely due to AI related endeavors.

Tech giants are facing huge pressure to produce returns from the recent AI, with Microsoft being one of the few companies to do so. Microsoft surpassed the $3 trillion market value mark, and is the second company to ever reach this level.

AI is certainly emerging as a driving force behind Microsoft's success, especially after the company integrated generative AI into a lot of core products, including its dedicated chatbot, Copilot. The projections are incredibly promising for the company, which could be set to take the title of the world's most valuable company from its current #2 spot.

Via Bloomberg

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