Microsoft quarterly dividend stays at 16 cents

Microsoft said today its quarterly dividend will stay at 16 cents per share.

Despite repeated calls from Goldman Sachs analysts to raise the dividend to increase shareholder value, Microsoft said it is keeping the dividend amount level with the previous quarter.

The dividend will be paid March 10 to people who own shares of Microsoft on Feb. 17. The ex-dividend date is Feb. 15.

The board also shuffled its board committees.

Board member Reed Hastings, the chairman and chief executive of Netflix, will become the lead independent director. He is also joining the governance and nominating committee. The lead independent director position was previously held by Raymond Gilmartin, the former CEO of Merck.

Board member Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College, will join the compensation committee.

Here are all the committees on the board.

Audit: Chair Charles Noski, chief financial officer of Bank of America; Dina Dublon, former CFO of JPMorgan; and Helmut Panke, former chair of BMW.

Compensation: Chair Dublon, Hastings, Klawe and Panke.

Governance and Nominating: Chair Gilmartin, Hastings and David Marquardt, general partner of August Capital.

Finance: Chair Marquardt and Hastings.

Antitrust Compliance: Chair Panke, Gilmartin and Klawe.

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