Big Tech returns smallest share of cash to shareholders in 15 years, given AI spending — Live Feedhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/big-tech-returns-smallest-share-of-cash-to-shareholders-in-15-years-given-ai-spendingContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. Big Tech Shareholder Returns Hit 15-Year Low Amid AI Spending Surgehttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/big-tech-returns-smallest-share-of-cash-to-shareholders-in-15-years-given-ai-spendinghttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/big-tech-returns-smallest-share-of-cash-to-shareholders-in-15-years-given-ai-spending#u178951Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:32:31 +0000Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Oracle returned only 9.3% of their cash to shareholders in 2026, the lowest share in at least 15 years. This retreat is driven by AI capital expenditures which doubled to $556.9 billion. While these companies generated record cash in the first nine months of 2026, the massive cost of data center expansion has squeezed share buybacks. Investors are now more dependent on AI investments delivering direct profit growth to justify company valuations as traditional buyback support fades.Why it mattersHigh AI spending is colliding with slowing core growth for maj