New York, Jan 5, 2026, 15:24 EST
- U.S. blue chips are leaning on share buybacks to lift per-share metrics as 2026 gets underway.
- GM, Southwest and Tapestry were flagged for double-digit buyback yields after heavy 2025 repurchases.
- Investors are watching whether companies can keep repurchasing without squeezing investment or balance sheets.
General Motors, Southwest Airlines and Tapestry ended 2025 with last-12-month buyback yields above 10% after repurchasing stock worth $8.2 billion, $2.75 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively, MarketBeat wrote on Monday. GM shares rose nearly 53% in 2025, while Southwest gained 23% and Tapestry climbed 96%, the report said. 1
The renewed focus on buybacks comes as investors look for durable supports for equity returns at the start of a new year. Repurchases reduce the number of shares outstanding, which can lift earnings per share even when a company’s overall profit growth slows.
That matters because the market’s appetite for “per-share” improvement has broadened beyond the usual tech giants. In sectors where sales growth is patchy, buybacks can still bolster per-share metrics — and, in turn, valuations — if cash flow holds up.
Buyback yield is one shorthand investors use to compare repurchase intensity across companies of different sizes. It measures net buybacks — repurchases minus share issuance — as a percentage of a firm’s market value, offering a quick read on how fast a company is shrinking its share count.
MarketMinute said aggressive buybacks have become a central tool for companies trying to steady stock prices during uncertainty and signal confidence, even as investors debate whether repurchases are replacing spending on longer-term growth. The outlet pointed to big tech names such as Apple, Alphabet and Meta Platforms as leaders in total buyback dollars, while highlighting higher-yield repurchasers in other sectors. 2
S&P Dow Jones Indices said S&P 500 companies bought back $249.0 billion of stock in the third quarter of 2025, and repurchases totaled a record $1.020 trillion over the 12 months through September 2025. “The 1% tax continues to be a manageable expense and has not impacted overall buybacks,” Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said in a December update on repurchase trends. 3
The mechanics can create a gap between a company’s market capitalization and its stock’s performance. If the share count falls fast enough, the price per share can rise even when the company’s total value barely moves.
Still, buybacks are not a free lunch. Repurchases funded with heavier borrowing can raise risk if interest rates rise, and investors can sour quickly if buybacks appear to crowd out spending on factories, technology, or other investment that keeps a business competitive.
For 2026, portfolio managers are likely to track repurchase pace alongside cash flow, leverage and dilution from stock-based compensation. A high buyback yield can signal confidence — or a lack of better places to deploy capital — and the difference often shows up in operating results a few quarters later.
