Microsoft Drops Record $6.8B Dividend Payment Amid Aggressive Capex Spending

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has been generous with its shareholders this year. The company paid out $6.8 billion in dividends on September 10, 2026, following an ex-dividend date of August 20, 2026. This payment was the largest among the 26 companies that went ex-dividend that day.

The dividend payout amounts to $0.91 per share, a rate that Microsoft has maintained for four consecutive quarters. The company's capital expenditures (capex) reached $115.948 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, a sharp increase from $64.551 billion in the prior year.

The board of directors typically announces its annual dividend increase in mid-September, and investors are closely watching for this announcement as it will provide insight into whether Microsoft will maintain or increase its dividend payout. CFO Amy Hood stated that Microsoft returned over $43 billion to shareholders through dividends and repurchases during the fiscal year.