Stock Buybacks
Which companies are buying back their own stock, how much they spent over the last 12 months, how much is left in each buyback program and the average price they paid. Every figure comes from the companies' own 10-Q and 10-K filings.
Biggest buybacks
| Company | Spent, 12 months | Yield | Left in program | Left % of value | Last quarter | Avg price paid | Shares, 12 months | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Yield = buybacks over the last 12 months divided by company value. Left % of value = what is left in the program divided by company value (or, for programs set in shares, divided by shares outstanding). Shares = change in shares outstanding over 12 months; green means fewer shares. Last quarter and average price paid come from the newest filing.
Most room left
Program left as a share of company value, companies worth $20 billion or more
Share count growing the most
Shares outstanding over 12 months. Often a merger or acquisition paid in stock.
When companies buy
Across 4,540 company quarters of monthly filings, buying was lightest in the first month of a quarter, when most companies are in their quiet period before reporting. It picked up in the second and third months once the window opened.
Does buying move the stock? We tested it. Since 2018 the S&P 500 companies with the highest buyback yield did about the same as the average S&P 500 stock, and a dip below the price a company paid for its own shares did not act as support. See the buyback backtest and the buyback timing backtest.
Stock buybacks FAQ
What is a stock buyback?
A stock buyback, or share repurchase, is when a company buys its own shares in the market. The board approves a program of a set size, and the company buys over months or years. Fewer shares outstanding means each remaining share owns a bigger slice of the company.
Where does the buyback data come from?
From each company's own 10-Q and 10-K filings. Every quarterly and annual report includes a table of the shares bought each month, the average price paid and how much is left in the program, and the cash flow statement shows the money spent.
What is buyback yield?
Buyback yield is the money a company spent on buybacks over the last 12 months divided by its market value. A 5% buyback yield means the company bought back about 5% of its value in a year.
Do stocks with big buybacks go up?
Not reliably, in our testing. From 2018 on, the S&P 500 companies with the highest buyback yield did about the same as the average S&P 500 stock, and a dip below the price a company paid for its own shares did not act as support.
When do companies buy back stock?
Most companies pause before they report earnings. Across thousands of filings, buying was lightest in the first month of each quarter and picked up in the second and third months.
For informational and educational purposes only. Not investment advice, and not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Figures come from company 10-Q and 10-K filings and can lag by a quarter. Yield and left % of value use the latest close.