Microsoft announced on Monday that its board has approved a substantial $60 billion share buyback program.
In addition, Microsoft declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, marking a 10% increase from the previous quarter. The company is also scheduled to hold its annual shareholders meeting on December 10.
Earlier in July, Microsoft indicated a significant investment in AI infrastructure, leading to a 77.6% increase in capital spending for the quarter ending June 30.
Despite a reported slowdown in growth within its Azure cloud business, Microsoft anticipates a boost in growth during the latter half of fiscal 2025.
Amid increasing investor pressure on major tech companies like Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google to demonstrate returns on their substantial AI investments, Microsoft stands out for its transparency in reporting AI contributions. However, a major industry-wide boost from AI investments remains elusive.
Last month, Microsoft restructured its reporting to include some search and news advertising revenue under the Azure cloud-computing unit.
In comparison, Apple had previously announced a record $110 billion share buyback program in May following strong quarterly results.
Microsoft's shares experienced a slight rise in after-hours trading and have increased by approximately 15% so far this year.