RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:More (expanded) HodsonThe diffrence when you're issuing shares is that you're using your share value as a currency to enable you to finance other initiatives that you expect will add value, or be accretive, to the corporation.
There is no value-add for the corporation when you buy back.
As I was saying earlier, it signals the corporation has no better productive use for the funds and doesn't expect that to change for the forseeable future, so the best alternative is to return them to shareholders in that way. Another option could be a special dividend, but I don't think either of those would be very palatable to the investors who paid $29 for their shares a few months ago, and would probably be like a black eye when the company has to go back out to market to raise additional funds in the future.