In other words, all this epic corruption and greed is exactly what brought us candidates like this.
Posted on 12/08/2017 11:10:51 AM PST by spintreebob
With unemployment low and demand for new homes high, a company like Home Depot could be spending most of its surplus billions on raises for workers or the rollout of new stores.
Instead, it is using $15 billion to buy back shares of its own stock, a move that will reward shareholders including chief executive Craig Menear.
Home Depot’s statement was a reminder that corporate America may have other plans for that cash.
Several companies already have indicated that they will use excess funds to pay off debt, increase dividend payments or repurchase their own shares rather than create new jobs or raise wages. the consensus is that workers will be last in line.
The chain’s founder, Bernie Marcus, was among President Trump’s staunchest supporters during the 2016 campaign, once writing that “the fate of this nation” depended upon his election.
Now, the White House website features a Marcus opinion piece praising the tax cut as “the gift that keeps on giving.” Home Depot last month issued a statement praising the plan for “improving the competitive position of companies so they can create more jobs.”
Several corporations, including AT&T and CVS Health, have publicly touted plans to funnel tax savings into new spending on equipment or hiring. The telecom giant has vowed to boost its annual investment next year by $1 billion, about a 4 percent increase from last year’s $22 billion total.
Over the past five years, companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index spent $2.6 trillion acquiring their own shares. Information technology companies such as Google’s parent company Alphabet led the way with big banks such as Wells Fargo and Citigroup close behind. Dozens of companies so far this year, including marquee names such as Apple, JPMorgan Chase and Boeing, have spent big on their own stock.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
There are some good longer term reasons why companies will on occasion buy back some of the zillions of outstanding shares. I do not know the particulars in Home Depot’s case in the context of their financial positions and prospects today. Regardless of that there is not a one-to-one relationship of a company’s buyback of some shares and what salaries it is paying might be.
The economically ignorant Mr David Lynch assumes too much when he assumes that if Home Depot was not buying back those shares that there were be no other good use of the money besides raising salaries.
Labor markets and the directions within them determine most salaries, not the short term fortunes or misfortunes of a company.
You really are one stupid mother f***r aren’t you?
If the employees of Home Depot want raises, nobody is stopping them from going elsewhere.
A healthy stock is showing a 4% per annum return on the investment. That is twice what one might make in an FDIC insured account.
What do you think P/Es would be if the government was not artificially holding interest rates low?
Regardless of P/Es, it can make sense to return the money to stockholders when the company cannot find a better place to put the money. Stock buy-backs allow the stockholders to recognize the return as capital gains rather than dividends.
Without government meddling we would have a much healthier economy.
Wall Street is corrupt to the core. But I love how some of these naive people sing the praises of the markets, Wall Street and well connected corporate insiders who have corrupted, subverted and manipulated, “Econ 101” in every direction.
Widespread corruption/greed was a big factor and helping elect Trump to the presidency. And even the election was corrupted in an attempt by these insiders to ensure everything stayed business as usual.
In other words, all this epic corruption and greed is exactly what brought us candidates like this.
The average dividend yield in the S&P 500 is around 2.2%. That means it will take 45 years for the dividend savings to equal the cash you pay out today, not even taking into account the time value of money.
All makes sense if you want to expand in half a century or so.
Stop projecting.
Raises will come with supply and demand. It just has not gotten competitive enough yet.
If anyone has a retirement account of any kind at all they had better own stock and should be very happy if shares are bought back or dividends increase. Especially if there are not enough good places to invest the profits.
Agreed. 24000?!!!??!?!?
that’s a lot lol!!
and the P/E ratio is high but not insane like the 90s.
Maybe some of the techs are kind of crazy high but they’ve always been. the leaders
A. Actually, very very few new homes are built using materials from Home Depot. Too expensive. Where Home Depot gets its customers is mostly from people who already own homes, and from remodelers. Good economic times with new houses does not mean good times for Home Depot.
B. The primary duty of Home Depot management is to the shareholders. If they feel that this is the best way to serve the shareholder interest, that is the way it is. If they are wrong, a competitor will take business from them and provide jobs and raises like the author wants.
I don’t blame people for what others do when they impose themselves on their property. Nor do I blame them for what some of their apparently customers do.
Unless you can produce evidence that Home Depot actually tried to attract illegal aliens to camp out on their paring lots I’m gonna continue blaming only the criminal aliens and their employers.
Did ya know loitering is a crime? You can be arrested. If Home Depot wanted to enforce this and keep their OWN parking lots and close by neighborhoods safe, they would have made damn sure the cops enforced it instead of allowing cartel owned food trucks into their parking lots to service the illegal aliens. Spit*
They didn't because it was not politically correct for them to do so. The government did the same damn thing, and gave millions of excuses for not enforcing the borders and even ginned up the numbers when Americans started running out of civil patience.
Based on your responses, I have forgotten more about this issue than you ever knew.
Or the approximately $75 billion Home Depot has spent over the last 15 years buying back stock.
Not.
We are talking about a private company here, not the government.
A private company can post signs, hire security guards, or even complain about people doing things like loitering but actually enforcing the law is the governemnt’s job and if they don’t do it what are you gonna do? Harass people assuming they are illegal aliens? That’s a great way to get the ire of actual customers down on your head.
As for “cartel owned” food vendors, which cartels are you thinking of? Maybe you’ve never noticed, while we’re at it, that Home Depot customers buy food at these? Same with those outside Lowes. In my experience they serve “American” foods.
Btw, not sure how old you are, but during most of Home Depots existence they didn't have people out front peddling food. That is a relatively new thing. At one time, at many locations, food trucks came in and went straight to those standing around the parking lots. It was a daily thing. You missed all that right?
Wise up, Home Depot is worth billion$. They swing big influence. If ya believe Home Depot couldn't have put quick stop to their parking lots being used as illegal alien sanctuary camps, I can't help ya.
And peddle your illegal alien tales of harassment to someone who might buy it. No sale here.
Agree 100 percent
Who will then use their additional wealth to order yachts, private airplanes, vacations, and other luxury items. Think of all the people who will be put to work building and piloting those yachts and plane. If the Left is upset about this, then they must really hate the working class.
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