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In 1982, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted Rule 10b-18, providing companies with a safe harbor for qualifying share repurchases. Since then, publicly traded companies have been repurchasing their own shares in order to consolidate ownership and boost earnings per share (EPS). But for some firms, the timing of their stock buybacks indicates that management views the current share price as undervalued.

This year, companies are on a record-setting pace.

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According to Bloomberg, during the first four months of 2026, S&P 500 companies announced plans to repurchase $665 billion worth of shares, the highest total ever recorded in that same timeframe. And, based on historical rates, analysts now forecast authorized repurchases to reach $1.55 trillion for the full year.

Participating in that shopping spree are three companies that have recently announced a collective $24.5 billion in new, replenished, or increased share repurchase plans.

Dollar Tree: $2.5 Billion Buyback Adds Fuel to TurnaroundDollar Tree Today

$125.94 0.00 (0.00%)

As of 07/17/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

52-Week Range$84.71▼

$142.40P/E Ratio19.68

Price Target$122.68

On July 2, the board of directors for Dollar Tree NASDAQ: DLTR replenished its share repurchase authorization to the tune of $2.5 billion.

The board approved the authorization the previous day, and the amount represented approximately 10.7% of the company’s more than 192 million shares outstanding at the time

Although Dollar Tree’s current authorization doesn’t have an expiration date, the company had already been active in the market, repurchasing $500 million of stock in June under its previous authorization.

When the calendar turned to July, shares were down 5.13% year to date (YTD), presenting an opportunity as the stock’s momentum had recently shifted.

Since its YTD low of $86.80 on May 13, DLTR has gained nearly 48% and now trades around 10% lower than its 52-week high of $142.40. The current rally can be partly attributed to July 8 upgrades from Raymond James (Outperform rating) and Goldman Sachs (from Sell to Neutral), as well as upwardly revised full-year guidance, with forecasted EPS increasing to a range of $6.70 to $7.10.

With a low-volatility beta of 0.65, a TradeSmith financial health indicator that has been green for about a month, and more than 97% institutional ownership, the discount retailer’s buyback aligns with Wall Street’s improving sentiment. After posting EPS beats for five consecutive quarters and six out of the last seven, Dollar Tree is expected to report Q2 earnings on Sept. 2.

Morgan Stanley: $20 Billion Buyback Reinforces Earnings MomentumMorgan Stanley Today

MS

Morgan Stanley

$215.27 -0.23 (-0.11%)

As of 07/17/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$136.17▼

$232.25Dividend Yield1.86%

P/E Ratio17.40

Price Target$220.80

Ahead of its record-breaking Q2 earnings report on July 15, Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS reauthorized a massive $20 billion buyback—good for 5.6% of its shares outstanding—on June 24.

The company’s current multi-year repurchase authorization doesn’t have an expiration date, and shares have ticked up slightly since the most recent buyback.

Q2 marks the second consecutive quarter the investment bank announced all-time high EPS and revenue, with the firm attributing its recent success to a 69% year-over-year jump in equity trading, an increase in investment banking deals and hitting a $10 trillion milestone in total client assets under management, including a record $148 billion in net new assets.

In Q2, the company spent $1.5 billion on its own shares, and since its YTD low on March 12, shares are up nearly 48%. The stock carries a consensus Moderate Buy rating, while current short interest is just 1.12% of the float.

Accenture: $2 Billion Bet That Its Stock Is UndervaluedAccenture Today

$143.56 -0.01 (-0.01%)

As of 07/17/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$118.15▼

$291.09Dividend Yield4.54%

P/E Ratio11.47

Price Target$192.96

On June 23, global professional services and consulting firm Accenture NYSE: ACN announced a $2 billion increase to its fiscal 2026 share repurchase program that accounts for 2.4% of its shares outstanding.

From management’s perspective, the authorization comes at an opportune time: Shares of ACN are down around 46% YTD, and nearly 53% off of their 52-week high.

That $2 billion repurchase plan was an increase that brought its 2026 authorization to $7.5 billion.

The company has until Aug. 31 to exhaust those funds, with CEO Julie Sweet saying that “Accenture is at the center of AI-driven reinvention, and we do not believe our current share price reflects that position or the strength of our business fundamentals.”

Still, the firm faces an uphill battle in getting its stock near its 52-week high. In Accenture’s Q3, revenue growth slowed to 5.59%, with operating cash flow regressing to a quarter-over-quarter loss of 0.82%.

Meanwhile, the company’s financial health, according to TradeSmith, has been in the red for more than five months. But the stock’s consensus price target suggests around 33% potential upside from current prices. Over the past year, institutional inflows of more than $25 billion (compared to $13.25 billion in outflows) demonstrate that the smart money also sees a buy-low opportunity.

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Key Takeaways Dollar Tree expanded gross margin 120 bps on higher merchandise margins, freight gains and lower shrink.Shrink reduction was the largest contributor to the quarterly gross margin beat.Dollar Tree expects higher fuel costs and potential tariff increases to pressure profitability in FY26. Dollar Tree, Inc. (DLTR - Free Report) delivered one of its strongest profitability performances in recent quarters, demonstrating the effectiveness of its ongoing operational and merchandising initiatives. Despite a challenging consumer environment and persistent tariff-related pressures, the company generated meaningful margin improvement through better execution across key areas of the business. Management highlighted progress in shrink reduction, merchandise optimization and cost controls, underscoring that many of the factors driving profitability are company-specific and within its control.

Margin performance stood out in the quarter. Gross margin expanded 120 basis points year over year, supported by higher merchandise margins, freight favorability and lower shrink. Adjusted operating margin also improved 110 basis points to 9.5%, reflecting stronger execution across controllable areas of the business. These gains came despite headwinds from higher tariffs and markdown activity, underscoring Dollar Tree’s ability to protect profitability through operational discipline.

A key contributor to the margin expansion was the company's progress in reducing shrink — an area management has aggressively targeted through its Gold Store standards, enhanced audits, improved training and product-protection initiatives. Executives indicated that shrink improvement was the single largest contributor to the quarterly gross margin beat. At the same time, inventory discipline has improved significantly, with inventory declining 9% year over year despite sales growth of 7.2%. Better inventory management, improved merchandise productivity and a more efficient supply chain are creating a stronger foundation for sustainable profitability.

The key question now is whether these gains can continue amid an uncertain tariff environment. Management remains cautiously optimistic, noting that operational improvements are largely within its control and should continue to support margins. However, the company expects higher fuel costs and potential tariff increases in the second half of fiscal 2026, which could create fresh pressure on profitability. Even so, Dollar Tree's ongoing shrink-reduction efforts, disciplined cost management and growing contribution from higher-margin multi-price merchandise position the retailer to offset at least part of these external headwinds. If execution remains strong, margin expansion could remain an important earnings driver despite the tariff uncertainty ahead.

DLTR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have gained 7% in the past three months against the industry’s loss of 1.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, DLTR trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 15.69X compared with the industry’s average of 31.25X.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLTR’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 6.5% and 21.5%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 6.2% rise in sales and 10.2% growth in earnings. The company’s EPS estimate for both fiscal years has remained stable in the past seven days.

Other Key PicksRoss Stores (ROST - Free Report) , a leading U.S. off-price retailer operating Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS stores, sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. ROST delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.2%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The consensus estimate for Ross Stores’ current fiscal-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 9.1% and 17.1%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.

Five Below, Inc. (FIVE - Free Report) , which operates as a specialty value retailer, currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1. FIVE delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 70.1%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Five Below’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 14.7% and 31.7%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.

Tapestry, Inc. (TPR - Free Report) provides accessories and lifestyle brand products in North America, Greater China, the rest of Asia and internationally. At present, TPR sports a Zacks Rank of 1.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 13.8% and 36.3%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. TPR has delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.6%, on average.