Microsoft Announces Increase in Quarterly Dividend; Gilmartin to Retire From Microsoft Board of Directors

Press release:

Microsoft Announces Increase in Quarterly Dividend; Gilmartin to Retire From Microsoft Board of Directors

Sept. 18, 2012

Dividend of $0.23 per share payable in December

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REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 18, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, reflecting a 3 cent or 15 percent increase over the previous quarter’s dividend. The dividend is payable December 13, 2012 to shareholders of record on November 15, 2012. The ex-dividend date will be November 13, 2012. 

The company also announced that Raymond V. Gilmartin, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Merck & Co., Inc., has decided that after 11 years of service, he will retire from and not seek re-election to Microsoft’s board of directors at the company’s 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.

Gilmartin, 71, who joined the Microsoft board in 2001, is reducing his professional commitments to free up more personal time. “It’s been a real pleasure to work with Microsoft during a transformative period for the company, and see first-hand the vision and dedication that are reshaping Microsoft’s future and the future of the industry,” Gilmartin said.

“Ray has been a strong and insightful member of the board. We appreciate his many contributions over the past eleven years,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive officer. 

With Gilmartin’s departure, the Microsoft board will have ten members: Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman; Steve Ballmer; Dina Dublon, former chief financial officer of JPMorgan Chase; Reed Hastings, founder, chairman and CEO of Netflix Inc.; Maria M. Klawe, president, Harvey Mudd College; Stephen J. Luczo, chairman, president and CEO of Seagate Technology PLC; David F. Marquardt, general partner at August Capital; Charles H. Noski, former vice chairman of Bank of America Corp.; Dr. Helmut G. W. Panke, former chairman of the board of management at BMW AG; and John W. Thompson, CEO of Virtual Instruments.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

For more information, financial analysts and investors only: 

Investor Relations, Microsoft, (425) 706-4400

Verizon Communications Raises Quarterly Dividend 3 Percent to 51.5 Cents per Share

Press release:

Verizon Communications Raises Quarterly Dividend 3 Percent to 51.5 Cents per Share

News Release ShareThis

NEW YORK – September 6, 2012 –

The Board of Directors of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today declared a quarterly dividend of 51.5 cents per outstanding share, an increase of 1.5 cents per share, or 3.0 percent, from the previous quarter.  On an annual basis, this increases Verizon's dividend 6 cents per share, from $2.00 to $2.06 per share.

The quarterly dividend is payable on Nov. 1, 2012, to Verizon Communications shareowners of record at the close of business on Oct. 10, 2012.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Verizon's Board of Directors has approved a quarterly dividend increase.  Increases were 2.6 percent in each of the past two years.

"Today's action by Verizon's board marks another milestone in Verizon's ongoing commitment to generate sustained value for our shareholders," said Francis J. Shammo, Verizon executive vice president and chief financial officer.  "We are confident in Verizon's strong operating performance and cash flow generation, providing the board the flexibility to increase our dividend while we continue to invest in long-term growth."

Verizon has approximately 2.7 million shareowners and approximately 2.9 billion shares of common stock outstanding.  The company made $2.6 billion in dividend payments through the first half of 2012.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 94 million retail customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 188,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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Logitech Shareholders Approve Resolutions, Including Dividend, at Annual General Meeting

Press Releases

Logitech Shareholders Approve Resolutions, Including Dividend, at Annual General Meeting

LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) announced that at its annual general meeting held here today, the Company’s shareholders approved a one-time dividend, to be distributed out of capital contribution reserves, in the amount of CHF 125,650,814. Logitech shareholders eligible for the estimated CHF 0.80 per share dividend must own shares at the close of trading on Sept. 12, 2012 on the SIX Swiss Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The dividend will be distributed on Sept. 18, 2012. Shareholders will find information about the dividend on the Logitech corporate website at http://ir.logitech.com.

Also at the meeting, Logitech’s shareholders elected to the board of directors Didier Hirsch, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Agilent Technologies. Re-elected to the board were Erh-Hsun Chang, former Logitech senior operations executive, and Kee-Lock Chua, president and chief executive officer of the Vertex Group.

The shareholders approved all other resolutions put before them.

About Logitech

Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech’s combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

Logitech, the Logitech logo, and other Logitech marks are registered in Switzerland and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company’s Web site at www.logitech.com.

(LOGIIR)

Broadcom Board of Directors Declare Quarterly Dividend

Press release:

Broadcom Board of Directors Declare Quarterly Dividend

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it will pay its next quarterly cash dividend of $.10 per share to holders of the Company's common stock.

The $.10 dividend was declared by the Board of Directors on August 16, 2012 and will be paid on September 17, 2012 to holders of record of the Company's Class A and Class B common stock at the close of business on August 31, 2012.  

Broadcom's cash dividend policy and the payment of future cash dividends under that policy are subject to the Board's continuing determination that the dividend policy and the declaration of dividends are in the best interests of Broadcom's shareholders and are in compliance with all laws and agreements of Broadcom applicable to the declaration and payment of cash dividends.

About Broadcom Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Apple Announces Plans to Initiate Dividend & Share Repurchase Program

Apple Announces Plans to Initiate Dividend and Share Repurchase Program

Expects to Spend $45 Billion Over Three Years

CUPERTINO, California—March 19, 2012—Apple® today announced plans to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program commencing later this year.

Subject to declaration by the Board of Directors, the Company plans to initiate a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share sometime in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012, which begins on July 1, 2012.

Additionally, the Company’s Board of Directors has authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in the Company’s fiscal 2013, which begins on September 30, 2012. The repurchase program is expected to be executed over three years, with the primary objective of neutralizing the impact of dilution from future employee equity grants and employee stock purchase programs.

“We have used some of our cash to make great investments in our business through increased research and development, acquisitions, new retail store openings, strategic prepayments and capital expenditures in our supply chain, and building out our infrastructure. You’ll see more of all of these in the future,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Even with these investments, we can maintain a war chest for strategic opportunities and have plenty of cash to run our business. So we are going to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program.”

“Combining dividends, share repurchases, and cash used to net-share-settle vesting RSUs, we anticipate utilizing approximately $45 billion of domestic cash in the first three years of our programs,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “We are extremely confident in our future and see tremendous opportunities ahead.”

Apple will provide live streaming of a conference call to discuss its plans beginning at 6:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, March 19, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/call31912. The Company will not be providing an update on the current quarter nor will any topics be discussed other than cash. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those regarding future business outlook and plans for dividends and share repurchases. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011 and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.