Conservative Economics

Advertisement

Recent Tweets

Follow capflowwatch on Twitter
Page 7 of 23« First...567891020...Last »
Subject: Stock Buybacks

In some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, corporations can buy back their own stock in a share repurchase, also known as a stock repurchase or share buyback. There has been a meteoric rise in the use of share repurchases in the U.S. in the past twenty years, from $5b in 1980 to $349b in 2005. A share repurchase distributes cash to existing shareholders in exchange for a fraction of the firm’s outstanding equity. That is, cash is exchanged for a reduction in the number of shares outstanding. The firm either retires the shares or keeps them as treasury stock, available for re-issuance. Under U.S. corporate law there are five primary methods of stock repurchase: open market, private negotiations, repurchase put rights, and two variants of self-tender repurchase, a fixed price tender offer and a Dutch auction. (Wikipedia Feb 2010)

The Post Stock Buyback Era

Seeking investment opportunities

On a tightrope ... without a net.

The Crash of 2008 signaled a turning point in capital markets. The stock buyback era seemed to have ended. The Efficient Market Hypothesis was discredited. The inability of market experts and major institutions to place a fair value on thousands of securities indicated basic problems in security analysis and the handling of freely available information.

This article describes new challenges facing fundamental security analysts in the early 21st century, and the consequent opportunities.

Hard Times

Finding a job in the new capital market

Whither Wall Street?

The Crash of 2008 was the end to what I call, “the old capital markets”.

A new era is beginning, but form and detail are hidden in the mists of change. It may be a decade or so before new structures and directions are visible.

Many were thrown out of work by the Crash, but before getting into the unpleasant chore of actually looking for a job, you should consider whether or not you even want to work in the new capital markets.

Assessing the damage

The Stock Buyback Era evaluated

SEC Rule 10b-18 opened the door to the buyback era

The buyback era began in 1982 when the US Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated Rule 10b-18, granting “safe harbor” to corporations that wished to use equity repurchases to boost market prices in order to give value to executive option schemes. The total value of corporate buybacks since SEC Rule 10b-18, in 2008 dollars, is estimated at $5.77 trillion.

Buybacks have been funded not only from profits, but by raiding depreciation reserves and borrowing from banks.

Page 7 of 23« First...567891020...Last »

Featured articles on inside pages

Stock buybacks

WSJ exposes the 9/11 caper

In a major exposé of misused executive options, the Wall Street Journal ran a front page article, reporting that as stocks sank after the the 9/11 attacks, scores of companies rushed to issue options to top officials. Some executives reaped millions.
More ...

Securities Analysis

Jeff Skilling explains US corporate ethics

Unfortunately for society, Jeff Skilling of Enron told the truth according to tenets of moral relativism learned at the Harvard Business School and with McKinsey and Company, when, on being sentenced to decades in prison, he said, "That's the way the game is played. You win some, you lose some."
More ...

US Politics

President Obama's Lincoln moment

In mid 2009, Barack Obama found that Lincoln's saying, "You can't fool all of the people all of the time," applied to his presidency. Profligate spending and unpopular health reform ended Obama's honeymoon. More ...

US equities

GAO favors overly-optimistic projections

In a study of the effect of the retirement of Baby Boomers on the price of equities, the GAO assumed that equities will provide real returns of 7% over the next decades. This figure is often cited in Wall Street promotional literature, but has no scientific basis.
More ...

US Bonds

The collapse of the dollar and US bonds?

The extreme spending of the Obama government, combined with irresponsible bank lending policies promoted by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, portend rising interest rates, the collapse of the bond market, and the end of dollar supremacy. More ...

World Economy

Signs of US losing its groove?

Thirty years ago, US income from abroad was more than double the amount of income that the US paid to the rest of the world. This year, or the next, this foreign income surplus may disappear forever. Is the US 'losing its groove'? More ...

Custom Search

Subscribe / Follow

Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via Email

Site navigation

Capital Flow Watch has hundreds of articles on economics and investments.

Articles have excerpts on the front pages, and on tag, category, search and archive pages.


Review capital-flow-watch.net on alexa.com

» Blog Guide

Excerpts by Category

Article Calendar

August 2010
MTWTFSS
« Jul  
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031 

Stock Quotes

DJIA10213.62  chart -0.56%
NASDAQ2179.76  chart +0.04%
S&P 5001071.69  chart -0.37%

Ftse 1005195.28  chart -0.31%
Dax6005.16  chart -1.15%
Cac 403526.12  chart -1.30%

Nikkei 2259179.38  chart -1.96%
Hang Seng Index20981.82  chart -0.43%
Straits Times Ind2936.48  chart -0.35%

Eur To Usd1.27  chart -0.35%
Usd To Jpy85.61  chart -0.35%
Gbp To Usd1.55  chart -0.35%

2010-08-20 16:03