Microsoft doubles dividend

SEATTLE: Microsoft Corp has doubled its annual dividend in a partial concession to investors who want the world’s largest software company to pay out more from its US$49bil cash hoard. 

The decision to raise the yearly payout to 16 US cents per share from 8 cents – equal to an annual payment of about US$1.73bil – comes nine months after Microsoft broke with the practice of the growth-oriented technology sector and declared its first dividend payout since going public in 1986.