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Capital Stock
12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2016
Capital Stock [Abstract]  
Capital Stock
16. Capital Stock
In connection with the Company’s capital policy, the Board of Directors has authorized share repurchase programs. In August 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the 2014 stock repurchase program which authorized the repurchase of up to $3.0 billion of the Company’s common stock prior to its expiration on August 31, 2016. The Company purchased 1.3 million and 8.2 million shares under the 2014 stock repurchase program in fiscal 2016 and 2015 at a cost of $110 million and $726 million, respectively.

The Company determines the timing and amount of repurchases based on its assessment of various factors including prevailing market conditions, alternate uses of capital, liquidity, the economic environment and other factors. The timing and amount of these purchases may change at any time and from time to time. The Company has repurchased, and may from time to time in the future repurchase, shares on the open market through Rule 10b5-1 plans, which enable a company to repurchase shares at times when it otherwise might be precluded from doing so under insider trading laws.

In addition, the Company continued to repurchase shares to support the needs of the employee stock plans. Shares totaling $1.0 billion were purchased to support the needs of the employee stock plans during fiscal 2016 as compared to $500 million and $705 million in fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, respectively. At August 31, 2016, 43.8 million shares of common stock were reserved for future issuances under the Company’s various employee benefit plans.