This article is flawed in many ways. Companies should buy back shares if the ROE on the company shares exceeds the expected ROI of capital spent on growth initiatives. For companies such as MSFT which generate significant ROE, the decision to buy back shares becomes very appealing relative to growth opportunities. The same can be said for certain oil companies - if the expected ROI of developing new finds is lower than the ROE, the smarter choice is to buy back shares.
Crude Sell-off: Solid Entry Point into U.S. Oil Majors [View article]
Why don't we open up offshore and the arctic, but require that 5% (or whatever appropriate %) of all revenues from dilling endeavors there be placed into a fund that will be used to develop alternative energy technologies?
Don't Buy Into Share Buybacks [View article]
Crude Sell-off: Solid Entry Point into U.S. Oil Majors [View article]
Seems like a win-win for all.