buyback

noun

buy·​back ˈbī-ˌbak 

: the act or an instance of buying something back

In Boston and other cities, gun buyback programs dramatically call attention to the profusion of firearms among the young …

—Diane Weathers

Talks of a potential buyback come as Volkswagen and federal regulators discuss ways to bring the more than half-million affected Volkswagen cars in the US up to current emissions standards.

—Bryan Logan

especially : the repurchase by a corporation of shares of its own common stock usually on the open market

Most corporate buybacks involve a repurchase by a company of part of its outstanding common stock at a fixed price, which is normally sufficiently higher than the market price to attract the desired number of shares.

—Leonard Sloane

This stock buyback boom, while obscure to much of the public, has become one of the most pervasive and divisive practices in corporate America.

—Michael Kranish

Examples of buyback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Previously buoyed by buybacks and a high interest rate environment, European banks must now contend with the partial loss of that support as the European Central Bank continues last year’s cycle of loosening monetary policy. —Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025

Netflix also announced a $15 billion stock buyback. —Liam Reilly, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025

In early October, Korea Zinc launched a $1.5 billion share buyback, in the hope of denying shares that could be snapped up by the Young Poong-MBK alliance. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 20 Jan. 2025

The company's confidence in its future is demonstrated by its dividend increase and announcement of a $2.3 billion stock buyback program. —Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

buyback

noun

buy·​back ˈbī-ˌbak 

: an act or instance of buying something back

especially : the repurchase by a corporation of shares of its own common stock on the open market