March
The buy and sell cycle chewing up ASX companies and their investors
Companies get hoodwinked into thinking selling assets and returning capital via buybacks and dividends can make up for past sins. It doesn’t.
The easy days of banks buying their own shares are numbered
The big four have bought nearly $30 billion worth of their own shares since August 2021. What happens when that buying stops?
February
The ASX stocks ready to join the record buyback bonanza
ASX 200 companies bought back a record $14 billion worth of shares last year, and 2025 is shaping up to be even busier, according to MST Marquee.
November 2024
Qantas has splurged $2.2b on its own shares. Why?
It hasn’t paid a dividend for years, instead returning billions to investors via buybacks. But with the stock at an all-time high, should it still be buying?
July 2024
Shadow of JPMorgan’s Dimon hangs over red-hot Aussie banks
Huge share price runs are great for the banks. But they also create an unexpected problem for bank bosses.
Incitec Pivot ditches fertiliser sale talks with Indonesian buyer
The chemicals giant said it shelved the negotiations due to transaction delays as it flagged a $900 million on-market share buyback would still go ahead.
April 2024
Amazon investors eye bigger returns as cash pile grows
The online retailer could see its cash hoard surge through $150 billion this year, and shareholders are keen to pocket directly more of it.
March 2024
Mega-cap tech forecast to drive S&P 500 buybacks: Goldman
Fourth-quarter filings show the magnificent seven is currently authorised to repurchase almost one-third more of their own shares in 2024 than in 2023.
February 2024
Uber unveils near-$11b buyback plan in first for company
The capital plan marks another milestone of financial health for the tech company, and follows decisions at Meta Platforms and Airbnb to boost returns to shareholders.
January 2024
Investors look to buybacks to keep sharemarket afloat
As the US earnings season kicks off and companies start announcing plans to repurchase shares, some pundits hope it will keep last year’s rally running.
November 2023
Jack Dorsey’s Block soars 25pc as it lifts guidance, cuts jobs
Block announced a $1b share buyback, said it would cut 1500 jobs, and lifted FY24 profit guidance. The market approved.
September 2023
US firms ease off on share buybacks as interest rates push up costs
Companies are now facing a combination of new investment demands and higher borrowing costs, making buybacks less of a priority.
Nvidia cash geyser can cover buybacks and vital R&D
Nvidia is projected to generate near $60 billion in free cash flow in its fiscal 2025 year.
August 2023
NAB buyback is bullish signal on the economy – but not bank profits
That NAB’s board feels confident enough to launch a share buyback speaks to the outlook for the economy and its own balance sheet. But margin pressure is also building.
NAB reports $1.9b quarterly profit and a surprise buyback
NAB’s $1.5 billion share buyback reflects the bank’s strength, analysts said, defying concerns about deteriorating credit quality and margin pressures.
May 2023
Infomedia wrangler Viburnum butts heads with Mayne Pharma’s board
The listed drugmaker is in the firing line of the activist investor, which is taking the board to task for paring back a $113 million capital raising.
Share buybacks hit a record $1.9 trillion
The world’s largest companies went on a stock buying spree last year, led by the oil sector.
March 2023
Letters: Haste could damage the Voice
Indigenous Voice to parliament; AUKUS and its consequences; tool for fighting inflation; off-market and on-market share buybacks; Victorian apartments.
February 2023
Buffett brands stock buyback critics ‘silver-tongued demagogues’
The billionaire used part of his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders to tout the benefits of repurchases.
Meta shares soar on resilient revenue and $56b buyback
The fourth-quarter results present a rosier picture for the company, which has been squeezed over the past year.