i really don’t get why people get upset over share buybacks but not dividends. they’re literally the same thing.
as a stock holder there’s no difference between the stock going up 10 cents from a buyback versus me getting a 10 cent dividend. other than the fact that i can have more control as a shareholder in the buy back
Dividends lower stock price by moving cash from company to owner, buybacks increase stock prices[1] by de-diluting, so only one of those is evidence of the CEO (whose compensation is often tied to stock price) acting on his own interests. Also taxation is different.
as a stock holder there’s no difference between the stock going up 10 cents from a buyback versus me getting a 10 cent dividend. other than the fact that i can have more control as a shareholder in the buy back