Microsoft will conduct an up-to-US$60-billion share buyback programme, raise its quarterly dividend by 11% and appoint company President Brad Smith as vice chairman.
Microsoft said the buyback programme has no expiration date and may be terminated at any time, and that it would pay a dividend of $0.62/share — 6c over the previous quarter.
The US technology giant also called the vice chairman position an updated executive role for Smith, who currently leads a team of over 1 500 staff in 54 countries, according to his biography on Microsoft’s website.
Smith joined Microsoft in 1993 from law firm Covington & Burling to run corporate and legal affairs operations in Europe. He became general counsel in 2002 and, over the next decade, handled the resolution of antitrust cases, the biography showed.
Smith will continue to report to CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft said. — Reported by Shubham Kalia and Kanishka Singh, (c) 2021 Reuters
