Microsoft, maxi buyback plan and dividend up by 22%

Microsoft today announced a $40 billion buy-back plan and plans to raise its dividend by 22%. The dividend increase concerns the quarterly coupon that the software giant will pay to shareholders and which will be equal to 28 cents per share. The amount will be paid on December 12 to holders of Microsoft stock as of November 21.
The new program of the Redmond company replaces the equivalent one whose expiry is scheduled for September 30th. The newly announced buyback has no expiration date.
The decision comes a few weeks after the purchase of the Nokia patents for 5,44 billion euros, an operation that will see not only the transfer of 32.000 Nokia employees to Microsoft, but also the arrival of activities that in 2012 generated 14,9 billion euros, or about 50% of Nokia's sales.