Speaking of Excel...

[NateO]

I'm kind of surprised nobody has mentioned the special, one-time $3/share dividend Microsoft just cut:

http://www.forbes.com/2004/11/13/cx_gl_1112faceweek.html

Wow, very nice!

 

[Mark O'Brien]

Yeah, very nice, but it just looks like that there's not a better way to spend that money. There must not be a good IRR for Office 2005 and they've just run out of ideas and so are giving the shareholders their money back to spend elsewhere in the US economy.

 

[Felix Atagong]

There must not be a good IRR for Office 2005 and they've just run out of ideas and so are giving the shareholders their money back to spend elsewhere in the US economy.

Really, I was hoping to buy copies of Office2005 both Easter and Xmas editions and perhaps the DVD version with the bloopers too! Oh well, I'll stick to good old Office 2000 then...

 

[NateO]

Yeah, very nice, but it just looks like that there's not a better way to spend that money.

True. But they have a ton of cash, no debt (I think) and with the new U.S. 15% tax rate on dividends re: long-term holdings it makes sense for their domestic shareholders, including (especially) Bill Gates! Cha-ching.

 

[NateO]

Speaking of Bill Gates, here's a serious donation:

http://news.com.com/Gates+to+donate+$3+billion+windfall/2100-7343_3-5277369.html?tag=nefd.top