Baby Got Buybacks

NPR | By Rhaina Cohen,

Stacey Vanek Smith

Published September 27, 2018 at 2:06 PM CDT

Companies buy back their stock from shareholders when they have excess cash lying around, and they want to hand some of it over to the owners. And they've been doing it a lot more recently: companies are on track to spend more than a trillion dollars on buybacks this year. Today on the Indicator, dueling opinions on buybacks. One economist says they're a way to get cash to companies that need it; another argues they're a brake on the economy.

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Economy & Business

Rhaina Cohen

Rhaina Cohen is a producer and editor for Embedded, NPR’s home for documentary storytelling. She’s developed, produced, and edited acclaimed narrative podcast series on a wide range of issues, from abortion access to the aftermath of gun violence.

See stories by Rhaina Cohen

Stacey Vanek Smith

Stacey Vanek Smith is the co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money, and is a correspondent for Planet Money.

See stories by Stacey Vanek Smith