Corporate America announced plans to buy back $665 billion worth of shares in S&P 500 companies in the four months through April 2026, the most ever to start a year, according to Birinyi Associates data. [1]
Apple approved a $100 billion share-repurchase plan on Thursday, or 2026-04-30, as it sought to reassure investors during a leadership transition. [1]
The wave of repurchase announcements came from one of the market’s biggest buyers at a time when some investors worry the rally in U.S. equities may be losing steam. [1]
Buybacks can boost earnings per share by shrinking the number of shares outstanding, and the latest surge shows companies still have ample cash to return to shareholders even after years of higher borrowing costs. [1]
Apple’s plan was the latest in a run of large repurchase authorizations this year, and the company’s size gave its decision extra weight for the broader market. [1]
The $665 billion total covers the four months through April and set a fresh record for the start of a year, based on Birinyi’s tally of S&P 500 buyback announcements. [1]