In effect looks at the issue raised in the Microsoft is a mature tech company/Why tech companies never pay out their earnings as dividends <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1090632" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1090632</a> and another earlier.  Many Microsoft units improved their bottom line by reducing headcounts ... and this is not a sign of an "immature" (growing, hopeful, etc.) company.