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November 30, 2004

Apparently, Microsoft has been holding back on dividend payments to shareholders over the past few years. However, in a possible attempt to reinvigorate the company, after share price lows to below $30 a share this August, Microsoft will drop a $33 billion on their shareholders - resulting in a $3 dividend per share.

Market analysts predict that some of this money is certain to be reinvested in Microsoft stock - which will no doubt help buoy the company share price. However, predictions are also being made on a general increase in share price over 2005 as news of the release of Longhorn becomes a more gradual reality.

However, it's certainly worth considering that any rise in share price next year is going to be tempered. This not least by punctuations of bad news on the development frontm if Longhorn is further delayed - possibly by update projects on IE, to try and prevent loss of browser market share to Firefox - especially when browsers and their toolbars have become of the major battle lines of the Search Engine Wars.

The slow but sure march to Open Source in Western business and government, plus it's possible conquest of the developing world, could also put a real damper on Longhorn's release. I've also speculated elsewhere on the future possibility of Google patronising a Linux distribution, to help take the Search Engine Wars closer to home, and capture the advertising market at the consumer before they've even log online.

Anyway, more on the dividends story here at CNN: Microsoft's $33B holiday gift.

Posted by brian_turner at November 30, 2004 10:17 PM

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