By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock buybacks are picking up, with corporate announcements this earnings season trending above the prior two quarters and above the average of the past 12 earnings periods, according to EPFR.
Companies have announced an average of $6.9 billion worth of buybacks daily through the first three weeks of the fourth-quarter reporting season, according to EPFR Liquidity Offerings, which tracks buyback announcements from companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
That is the highest amount at this stage in an earnings season since the $8.2 billion daily average from the first-quarter 2023 reporting period, while it is also above the $6.5 billion daily average of the past 12 periods.
The volume of buyback announcements is showing "signs of life," EPFR said in a note.
Goldman Sachs and other strategists have projected a rebound in buybacks this year after a down 2023, which can help support the stock market in 2024.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last week announced a $50 billion increase in its stock repurchase authorization, as the Facebook owner also initiated a quarterly dividend. Other recent buyback announcements include $1 billion repurchase plans from each of Altria Group (NYSE:MO), DuPont (NYSE:DD) and Corteva (NYSE:CTVA).
Twelve companies have made buyback announcements of at least $1 billion in the current earnings season as of Friday, EPFR said.
Separately, stock buybacks by Bank of America corporate clients have been above seasonal levels for 12 straight weeks, the firm's analysts said in a note on Tuesday.
Several high-profile European companies also announced buyback plans on Tuesday, including UBS and BP (NYSE:BP).