buyback

AOL stockholders expecting a big dividend check after the Internet company's $1 billion patent portfolio sale to Microsoft might be a little disappointed.

After examining its tax strategies and consulting major stockholders, the company has decided a stock buyback is the best way to use the gains from the $1.06 billion sale of some 800 patents and related applications, sources close to the situation tell All Things D.

AOL promised that the proceeds from the sale, which closed on June 15, would be returned to shareholders, although it was unclear whether that would be in the form of … Read more

Ask a technology company about the prospects for a dividend and publicly, you'll probably get a boring boilerplate answer about timing, the right use of cash, and its commitment to honoring fiduciary duties.

Inside, however, that company is probably snickering and dismissing the idea completely.

Why are technology companies--even major bellwethers sitting on a lot of cash--reluctant to pay a dividend? The short answer: it's uncool.

For most companies, paying a dividend is the ultimate admission that the growth phase (also known as the fun period) is over. Dividends are more associated with safe industries like utility companies, … Read more

Apple plans to pay a dividend, finally putting to use a portion of its $100 billion cash hoard.

The company said it plans to initiate a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share sometime in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012, which begins on July 1.

In addition, Apple's board has authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in company's fiscal 2013, which begins on September 30, 2012. The repurchase program is expected to be executed over three years.

"We have used some of our cash to make great investments in our business through increased … Read more

If the pace of used iPhone buybacks is any indication, many gadget lovers have already made their minds up about upgrading.

Buyback service Gazelle is seeing a used iPhone being turned in every 15 seconds today, according to company representative Michael Schneider. Last week, the company received about 5,000 used iPhones for buyback and reselling. On Friday alone, it received 1,000, he said.

The rapid volume is most likely due to people trying to lock into buyback prices before today's iPhone announcement. By later this afternoon, prices, which have been volatile, will likely fall significantly, he said. … Read more

As many as 40 percent of consumers say they plan to snag an iPhone 5 once it's available. Now, I'm no statistician, but I do have the equivalent of at least an 8088 processor in my cranium, and it tells me that probably a few of those folks are current iPhone 4 owners.

That could mean that a lot of households are about to gain a nifty new coaster, hockey puck, or doorstop with an Apple logo on the back. Or they could turn it into enough cash to by three old school Kindles or one of those … Read more

At the pace that new e-readers, tablets, and smartphones are released, it can be disappointing how the latest gadget can make that shiny new iPad or Kindle you bought last year seem obsolete.

If you don't have an endless budget for tech purchases and would rather not just dump the old one in the trash, or are looking to raise some funds, one way to recoup some of what you paid for old tech is through buyback services. They're popping up all over, on the Web, in-store recycling kiosks, and even at major electronics retailers.

The appeal is … Read more

Best Buy is offering a deal to people who don't hold onto gadgets for long.

Through Saturday, customers who buy certain products at Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile, including televisions, laptops, tablets, and phones, will be enrolled in a buy-back program at no charge.

Best Buy launched its buy-back program last month. Under the program, customers who enroll at the time of purchase can get a Best Buy gift card when they eventually decide to move on to a new product. Normally, customers pay $69.99 to enter the program when buying laptops, Netbooks, or tablets. The enrollment … Read more

Hewlett-Packard has been given the go-ahead by its board to buy back up to $10 billion of its own stock, the company announced Monday.

HP said it plans to pick up shares "opportunistically" and is targeting the repurchase as a way to manage the dilution created by stock issued to its employees.

"HP has a strong balance sheet," Cathie Lesjak, HP chief financial officer and interim CEO, said in a statement. "We plan to be active in repurchasing our shares, and we expect to repurchase at least $3 billion worth of our shares in our … Read more

For the first time in its history, Google plans to buy back its own shares, following the completion of the AdMob acquisition.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt told Bloomberg of the plan Tuesday, which of course assumes the deal passes regulatory scrutiny. Google announced plans Monday to buy AdMob--one of the most successful mobile advertising companies--for $750 million in stock, making it the third-largest acquisition in Google's history.

Some had wondered why Google used stock instead of dipping into its cash horde to make the deal, which has the effect of diluting the holdings of other shareholders. However, by … Read more