Ask HN: Why do so many large Tech companies buyback their stock?

5 points

5 years ago

If you look at the top companies who buyback stocks it is dominated by tech companies: #1 Apple, #2 Google, #3 MS, #5 FB, etc.[1] And if you look at a breakdown of what sectors do buybacks, you see that it is tech (32% of total S&P 500 buybacks) followed by finance (20% of total S&P 500 buybacks) and then drops off quickly to other sectors.[1]

What is it specifically about tech companies that causes them to do frequent, large stock buybacks? It seems like tech companies would have more R&D opportunities to invest cash than non-tech companies. Is it just because the profit margins are higher and they have more cash lying around then in other sectors?

Is it because of the employee compensation structure where the majority of employees receive stock and so stock buybacks ensure they can attract/retain talent (by ensuring stock prices go up)? If so why does (for example) Amazon not engage in stock buybacks?

If it was just being done to inflate executive compensation then why is the practice so concentrated in just the tech sector? Why don't other sectors do it more?

[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/q1-2021-sp-500-buybacks-double-their-post-covid-low-companies-repurchased-36-5-more-shares-than-in-q4-2020--301312766.html

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