GameStop’s buyback authorization runs through 2029.
Most people see that as a long runway.
This post by @rnewton7777 made me see it as an optionality.
If management believed shares were materially undervalued, they wouldn’t need to announce a buyback years in advance. They could simply act when the opportunity presents itself.
That’s what makes the current setup interesting:
• Billions in cash
• Positive earnings
• No meaningful debt
• Buyback authorization already in place
The authorization itself isn’t the story.
What management chooses to do with it might be.
$GME
Before engaging in the biggest hypium post I've ever even considered, I do want to say that I got a little reckless in saying GameStop can make $1.6b a year.
You should definitely use the adjusted net income of $179m and so maybe it would be more fair to say that they can engage in $2b in buybacks off income alone every two years or so. But even still, that is quite impressive considering the $500m Share Buyback Authorization reload in 2019 was funded with cash that was raised by selling assets and the company at that time was actually fairly distressed. This is an entirely different situation now.
But what I wanted to point out, in the middle of the night, lol, is that there are some things I think a bit younger @ryancohen , @michaeljburry , and @TheRoaringKitty each independently saw in GameStop 7 years ago today.
An under priced company with a large cash balance and a very large share buyback authorization.
So while the source of cash is different, the setup isn't.
And I just have to wonder if something like shown below is possible or prudent.