The announcement follows the completion of Microsoft's stock repurchase programme.
The company said that it has returned over $115bn (£62bn) to shareholders over the past five years through a combination of share repurchases and dividends.
"These announcements illustrate our confidence in the long-term growth of the company and our commitment to returning capital to our shareholders," said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer at Microsoft.
Market watchers had expected such a move following Microsoft's failure to purchase Yahoo, which had sent its share value tumbling.
Microsoft splashes out to appease stockholders
By
Rosalie Marshall
on Sep 23, 2008 7:54AM
Got a news tip for our journalists? Share it with us anonymously here.
Partner Content
Tech Data: Driving partner success in a digital-first economy
Tech Buying Budgets for SMBs on the Rise
Shure Microsoft Certified Audio for Teams Rooms
Channel faces AI-fuelled risk as partners lag on data resilience, Dicker Data summit told
Promoted Content
From Insight to Opportunity: How SMB Service Demand is Shaping the Next Growth Wave for Partners
.jpg&w=100&c=1&s=0)
_(8).jpg&w=100&c=1&s=0)
.jpg&q=95&h=298&w=480&c=1&s=1)
