this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2024
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Stock buybacks aren't really the issue, if they didn't exist they'd just be paying dividends with the money instead. The real issue is the reckless pursuit of maximising shareholder payouts, particularly for too big to fail corps.
While you are correct that dividends would be paid, it just wouldn't happen on this scale or to this detriment, imo. Buybacks are used as a crutch to generate Short-term profit and lead to executives and companies focusing on short-term goals. They artificially increase EPS for executive compensation. This is all exacerbated when companies know they're going to be bailed out by taxpayers because there are only 2 companies that make planes now, or 3 media companies setting prices together.