Share Buybacks: Is it always a Good Thing?

Benefits of Share Buybacks

• Increased Shareholder Value - There are many ways to value a profitable company but the most common measurement is Earnings Per Share (EPS). If earnings are flat but the number of outstanding shares decreases. . Voila! . . A magical increase in period-to-period EPS will result.
• Increased Float - As the number of outstanding shares decreases, the shares remaining represent a larger percentage of the float. If demand increases and there is less supply, then fuel is added to a potential upward movement in the price of a stock.
• Excess Cash - Companies usually buy back their stock with excess cash. If a company has excess cash, then at a minimum you can bank that it doesn't have a cash flow problem. More importantly, it signals that executives feel that cash re-invested in the corporation will get a better return than alternative investments.
• Price Support - Companies with buyback programs in place use market weakness to buy back shares more aggressively during market pull-backs. This lends support to the price of the stock and ultimately provides security for long-term investors during rough times.

Potential Pitfalls

• Execution of Buyback - There is a difference between announcing a buyback and actually purchasing the stock.Unfortunately, there are cases where buyback announcements are made but not implemented entirely. It may initially boost the price of a stock, but this phenomenon (when it occurs) is usually short lived.
• High Stock Prices - Re-purchasing shares at all-time high prices are highly risky and doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless there is something in the works that will add substantially to earnings.A classic example is Noble Group. Targeted by short sellers and citrics of its accounting, it kept buying back shares and raised its stake from 0 to 2.8%. Needless to say, this 'dumb' move is futile as its share price has dived more than 90% since then (after consolidation of 10:1).

Conclusion