Share buyback: Should you accept a buyback offer for your shares? Here's how to evaluate

A buyback, also known as a repurchase, is the purchase by a company of its outstanding shares that reduces the number of its shares on the open market. Companies buy back shares for a number of reasons, such as to increase the value of shares still available by reducing the supply of them or eliminate any threats by shareholders who may be looking for a controlling stake.

By reducing the number of shares outstanding on the market, buybacks increase the proportion of shares owned by enduring investors.

Stock Buyback: Why Do Companies Buy Back Stock? (Updated )

A company may feel its shares are undervalued and buy them back to provide investors with a return, and because the company is bullish on its current operations. Another reason for a buyback is for compensation purposes.

Yahoo to buy back $3 billion shares in tender offer

Companies often award their employees and management with stock rewards and stock options; to make due on the shares and options, companies buy back shares and issue them to employees and management.

This helps to avoid the dilution of existing shareholders. Activist investors can also argue for buybacks when a company's stock has not performed in line with the greater market or its industry.

Shareholders may be presented with a tender offer where they have the option to submit, or tender, a portion of or all of their shares within a certain timeframe and at a premium to the current market price. This premium compensates investors for tendering their shares rather than holding on to them.

Companies buy back shares on the open market over an extended period of time and may even have an outlined share repurchase program that buys back shares at certain times or at regular intervals.

A company can fund its buyback by taking on debt, with cash on hand or with its cash flow from operations. A company's stock has underperformed its competitors' stocks even though it has had a relatively good financial year. Dictionary Term Of The Day.

Buy Back of Shares

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