Nvidia Says It Can Buy Back $150 Billion of Its Own Stock
Nvidia added $150 billion to its existing plan to buy back its own stock. Reuters That number was reported Sept. 28, 2026.
The September room follows an approval in May. Nvidia's board approved an extra $80 billion for buybacks in May, when $38.5 billion was still left from the earlier plan at the end of the quarter. Yahoo Finance
The May approval followed an even earlier one. In August 2023, Nvidia approved a $25 billion buyback with no end date. The Motley Fool
The broader context here is what an approval means. Think of it like a spending limit. It sets a maximum. It does not mean the money is spent. The no-end-date wording from 2023 lets Nvidia pick when to buy, working around earnings quiet periods, jumpy markets and cash needs. Adding more room before the old room runs out keeps that choice open. The move from $25 billion to an extra $80 billion to an extra $150 billion fits that pattern. New room was added while old room remained.
In my view, the key split is permission versus buying. Permission sets the top amount. Buying decides how many shares actually disappear, what average price Nvidia pays, and when profit per share gets a lift. So experts watch how fast Nvidia buys compared with normal trading, preset buying plans called Rule 10b5-1 plans, and quick deals called accelerated share repurchases. What happens next also matters. Cancelled shares are gone for good. Shares kept in treasury can be handed out later for employee pay.
Looking at what this means for spending choices, buybacks compete with research, new buildings and equipment, and cash savings. They also compete with dividends, or regular cash payments to shareholders. Buybacks let the company pick the timing and can raise profit per share by cutting the share count, like cutting the same pizza into fewer slices. Dividends give steady income. Choosing buyback room means choosing flexibility over a fixed payout. That choice does not share a forecast. It shows comfort with uneven payouts.
In my view, do not confuse the message with the money. The message is Nvidia is willing to use a lot of cash to retire shares. The money only moves when it buys. Until then, the total value of the business should not be counted as if shares are already gone. New employee shares, forfeitures and tax withholding can undo some of the buying. What counts is the net change in share count, not the headline number. That is why Wall Street tracks actual diluted shares each quarter rather than guessing from the limit.
Looking at what this means for oversight, big repeat approvals give managers more control over timing. That is simple when the stock is easy to trade. It makes clear updates on speed and average price even more important. For ordinary savers, those buying details matter more than the $150 billion figure itself.
