JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs were told by the Federal Reserve to submit new capital plans by the end of September. The Fed will then decide if they are in compliance with the rules on capital reserves.
Banks' losses from buying back bad mortgages won't be as bad as previously expected, according to analysts at JPMorgan Chase, who estimate those repurchases will cost about 25% less than previously forecast.
In a sign that consumer spending may be on the rebound, Visa on Wednesday reported its fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped 51% from a year ago. But shares fell after the company released disappointing guidance for the next year.
When IBM raised its buyback authorization by $10 billion on Oct. 26, it was the 259th company to announce repurchase plans in October alone. Citi Investment Research says a long-term trend of rising buybacks has only just begun.
Microsoft may sell debt later this year to fund share buybacks and dividend payments for shareholders of the world's largest software maker. The company may opt to issue debt because interest rates are near record lows.