Apple® today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized an
increase of more than 50 percent to the Company’s program to return
capital to shareholders. Under the expanded program, Apple plans to
utilize a cumulative total of $200 billion of cash by the end of March
2017.
As part of the revised program, the Board has increased its share
repurchase authorization to $140 billion from the $90 billion level
announced last year. In addition, the Company expects to continue to
net-share-settle vesting restricted stock units.
The Board has also approved an increase of 11 percent to the Company’s
quarterly dividend, and has declared a dividend of $.52 per share,
payable on May 14, 2015 to shareholders of record as of the close of
business on May 11, 2015.
From the inception of its capital return program in August 2012 through
March 2015, Apple has returned over $112 billion to shareholders,
including $80 billion in share repurchases.
To assist in funding the program, the Company plans to continue to
access the domestic and international debt markets. The management team
and the Board will continue to review each element of the capital return
program regularly and plan to provide an update on the program on an
annual basis.
“We believe Apple has a bright future ahead, and the unprecedented size
of our capital return program reflects that strong confidence,” said Tim
Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While most of our program will focus on buying back
shares, we know that the dividend is very important to many of our
investors, so we’re raising it for the third time in less than three
years.”
This press release contains forward-looking statements including without
limitation those regarding future business outlook and plans for
dividends, share repurchases, and public debt issuance. 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 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 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal
quarter ended December 27, 2014, and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal
quarter ended March 28, 2015 to be filed with the SEC. 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.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website (www.apple.com/pr),
or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.
© 2015 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac
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Copyright Business Wire 2015