Microsoft Just Hiked Its Dividend by 8%. How to Play the Stock Here.

Microsoft headquarters By Peter Microsoft (MSFT) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.98 per share on Sept. 15. That is a $0.07, or about 8%, increase from its previous $0.91 payout. The dividend will be paid on Dec. 10 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 19. Nov. 19 is also the ex-dividend date. As Microsoft continues to pour capital into AI infrastructure while revising its reporting structure to give investors a clearer view of its Azure-led cloud business, the company returned $10.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in a single quarter. It has now raised its dividend for 24 consecutive years, moving it closer to Dividend Aristocrat status.