Who Are the Buyers Driving This Market?

By Cameron Lilja / Director of Product Development, Nasdaq Global Information Services

Despite the recent spate of volatility, the stock market has experienced a resounding recovery since the financial crisis of 2008 with major indexes at or near record levels. After such a long, sustained bull market, one might ask, “Who are the buyers driving this market?”

The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is that listed companies themselves are among the biggest buyers of stock.

Where Do Buybacks Come From?

In the process of conducting business and other related activities, companies generate cash; the strategy surrounding its usage is critical for management and investor success.

Companies can deploy their cash in various ways. One option is to invest in growth opportunities such as research and development, acquisition activity, and general capital expenditures. Another is to return the cash to shareholders via a dividend payment or stock buyback. In the post-crisis economic environment, which has offered fits of uncertainty, companies have increasingly chosen to return their cash to shareholders in lieu of investing in riskier growth-related activities.

Nasdaq’s new white paper explores stock buybacks, often referred to as share repurchases, one of the methods for companies to return capital to shareholders. It includes an explanation of stock buyback programs, their benefits to shareholders, recent market trends for companies executing buybacks, and the implication for investors.

The Mechanics of a Buyback Program

A stock buyback (or share repurchase) occurs when a company purchases shares of its own stock, often in the open market, thereby reducing the number of shares outstanding. A company typically uses cash to fund the purchase, though some companies finance the purchase.

The decision on whether to finance the purchase or to use cash is based on numerous factors such as the amount of cash the company has in reserve as well as the state of the lending environment, including current interest rates.

A company starts the buyback process by announcing publicly and to the SEC that it will repurchase shares. The company typically discloses (a) how much stock it intends to repurchase, usually a dollar amount; (b) a timeline for the repurchase, often spanning months or even years; and (c) whether or when it completes any part or all of its repurchase. SEC Rule 10b-18 outlines specific requirements for stock repurchases on the open market including (a) the manner of purchase, which requires that the company purchase from a single broker or dealer on any given day; (b) time and price constraints to ensure fair trading; and (c) volume limitations, prohibiting a company from purchasing more than 25% of its average daily volume on any given day.

Stock buybacks are one of many transactions that a company can execute on their stock. At the same time that it is repurchasing shares, a company may also be issuing new shares via employee equity grants or stock options. It is often the case that share buyback programs are instituted to specifically offset new stock issuance via such grants or options. As a result, it is possible for a company to issue more shares than it repurchases over a stated buyback period.

To learn more, please download the white paper , which fully illustrates the mechanics of stock buyback programs, discusses market trends and how shareholders may benefit, and explains total shares outstanding and excess returns. For more information, contact us and a member of our team will reach out to you directly.

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Nasdaq® is a registered trademark of Nasdaq, Inc. The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular security or an overall investment strategy. Neither Nasdaq, Inc. nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Statements regarding Nasdaq-listed companies or Nasdaq proprietary indexes are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. ADVICE FROM A SECURITIES PROFESSIONAL IS STRONGLY ADVISED.

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