RE: UJO RNS ON DIVIDENDS OR BUY BACK23 Feb 2022 07:33
Some Buyback Cons
For years, it was thought that stock buybacks were an entirely positive thing for shareholders. However, there are some downsides to buybacks as well. One of the most important metrics for judging a company's financial position is its EPS. EPS divides a company's total earnings by the number of outstanding shares; a higher number indicates a stronger financial position.
By repurchasing its stock, a company decreases the number of outstanding shares. A stock buyback thus enables a company to increase this metric without actually increasing its earnings or doing anything to support the idea that it is becoming financially stronger.
As an illustration, consider a company with yearly earnings of $10 million and 500,000 outstanding shares. This company's EPS, then, is $20. If it repurchases 100,000 of its outstanding shares, its EPS immediately increases to $25, even though its earnings have not budged. Investors who use EPS to gauge financial position may view this company as stronger than a similar firm with an EPS of $20 when in reality the use of the buyback tactic accounts for the $5 difference.