In March of 2015, Qualcomm Incorporated announced that it will buy back $15 billion USD worth of shares of its own stock. Over the next year, the company will spend $10 billion buying back stock, funded by both cash on hand (with $31.6 billion in liquid assets at its disposal as of the end of 2014) and also possibly a public debt offering. The technology corporation also stated that it will increase its dividend distribution by 14% (from $0.42 to $0.48 per share). The news triggered a rise in stock price of approximately 1.6%, closing at almost $73 on Monday, March 9, 2015. The company maintains a generous capital return program with 93% of fiscal year 2014’s free cash flow (totaling approximately $7.1 billion) distributed to investors. Read more >>

In March of 2015, General Motors announced that it would be buying back $5 billion USD worth of shares of its own stock. In an effort to avert a conflict with an investor group helmed by Harry Wilson concerning GM’s balance sheet and governance practices (particularly with the hoarding of cash), the company has also issued plans to increase its quarterly dividend by 20% - returning a total of approximately USD$10 billion to shareholders over the next two years. Harry Wilson has been seeking a seat on GM’s corporate board of directors and has withdrawn his nomination in light of this new capital allocation plan. In addition to raising quarterly dividends from 30 cents a share to 36 cents, the company has also stated it will offer more transparency in its investment proposals, as well as keeping executive compensation more balanced with overall return on investment capital and with shareholder return. Read more >>

In February of 2015, Hitachi Ltd. announced that it will acquire the railway division of Finmeccanica, a partially state-controlled Italian industrial group. Finmeccanica has been running their rail businesses - AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS - at a loss. In an effort to streamline their businesses and focus solely on defense and aerospace, Finmeccanica has been seeking a buyer for these companies for approximately 4 years. Read more >>

On February 23, 2015, the aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman unveiled their new Citadel Enterprise Battle Command System. Northrop Grumman’s Citadel Enterprise Battle Command System supports allied integrated air and missile defense systems. The easily deployable and mobile command and control system provides the capability to utilize all sensors and weapon systems, offering war-fighters a clear cut air picture. Read more >>

Announced February of 2015, Critical Solutions International (CSI) in partnership with DCD Protected Mobility (OEM of Husky vehicles) was chosen to supply an undisclosed number of Husky 2G systems to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MoD). The contract, worth $73.5 million USD, will allow the Iraqi government to safely clear pathways and routes from explosives placed by the likes of ISIS. Read more >>

JBT Corporation has been awarded over USD$6 million from the United States Navy for mobile power equipment. Under this contract, JBT will provide engineering and designing of prototypes for new-generation mobile shipboard power generator equipment. It is to be used by Navy and Marine Corps aircraft that will be based on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. Read more >>

In February 2015, the British aerospace, defense, and information security firm BAE Systems was awarded a new contract by the United States Navy. The initial value of the award is USD$28.4 million. With a duration of nine years, the grand total of the contract is an estimated USD$187.4 million. The nine-year DDG VI Radio Communications System contract calls for BAE Systems to provide systems engineering, production, and integration for 12 DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers and one DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer. Read more >>

General Dynamics has upgraded their Digital Modular Radios (DMR) to quadruple the United States Navy’s network communications capacity. The radio’s four channels are being upgraded with high-frequency dynamic routing (HFDR) software to double their channels to eight. Along with the HFDR, the high-frequency virtual channel exploitation software increases the DMR’s virtual channels to 16 while using the high frequency line-of-sight and ultra-high frequency satellite communications frequencies. Read more >>

On January 30, 2015, the American aerospace and defense company L-3 Communications won two Enterprise Program Management contracts that have a total value of USD$367 million. Granted by the National Security Agency (NSA) to L-3’s National Security Solutions (NSS) business, the five-year contract calls for L-3 Communications to supply systems engineering, acquisition planning, program management, and financial management for the National Security Agency’s key mission areas. Although the contract’s value is USD$367 million, the maximum ceiling value of the two contracts over a period of five years totals to approximately USD$1 billion. With the contract, L-3 Communications looks to provide the National Security Agency with an affordable solution to increase the government agency’s capabilities in national security and defense. Read more >>

On January 13, 2015, the subsidiary of the British aerospace engineering company Meggitt, Meggitt Training Systems, was awarded a USD$31.7 million contract from the United States Marine Corps System Command Program Manager for Training Systems. This contract calls for Meggitt Training Systems to cultivate and provide an innovative training system called the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainers (ISMT). This new system will give the US Marine Corps a lifelike, state-of-the-art virtual small arms training for marksmanship, cooperative and judgmental situations. The USD$31.7 million award puts into agreement a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract which, in addition to the system and weapon simulator, will provide the installation and support of more than 670 systems at domestic and worldwide US Marine Corps sites. Read more >>