Do note that Microsoft has an ongoing $40 billion share repurchase program that's ending in two weeks.
So they're just renewing the buybacks with another $40 billion. It would actually have been a bigger deal if Microsoft had allowed the program to expire without a replacement.
From Microsoft's annual report for fiscal year 2013:
"On September 22, 2008, we announced that our Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program authorizing up to $40.0 billion in share repurchases with an expiration date of September 30, 2013. As of June 30, 2013, approximately $3.6 billion remained of the $40.0 billion approved repurchase amount."
And the 2008 buyback program was, in turn, a continuation of the 2004 buyback program.
Comments
Do note that Microsoft has an ongoing $40 billion share repurchase program that's ending in two weeks.
So they're just renewing the buybacks with another $40 billion. It would actually have been a bigger deal if Microsoft had allowed the program to expire without a replacement.
From Microsoft's annual report for fiscal year 2013:
And the 2008 buyback program was, in turn, a continuation of the 2004 buyback program.