Microsoft Renews Stock Buyback Program, Raises Dividend By 5 Cents

When the half life on your stock boost from dumping your CEO is measured in days (especially when coupled with less than brilliant M&A transactions) what do you do? Why... resort to the oldest trick in the book: dividend and buyback (most likely leveraged)

• *MICROSOFT SETS $40 BILLION BUYBACK, BOOSTS DIVIDEND 22%

It seems ValueAct is active already - and doing all they can to cover the FUBAR move in Nokia. But  - for all those buying on this news - this is merely extending the time-period of a prior buyback program - so just the dividend boost of 22% (23c to 28c with expectations of a shift to 26c) counts.

It seems the catalyst for a higher Dow is fading fast now...