Yahoo Financeยท2025-09-11 01:31Group 1 - The "Magnificent Seven" tech giants are significantly investing in AI data centers, which is impacting their share buyback activities [2][5] - S&P 500 companies typically increase buyback activity by approximately 20% annually, but there has been a slowdown in buybacks in the latter half of 2025 [3][4] - The Magnificent Seven accounted for nearly 30% of S&P 500 gross buyback spending, with no year-over-year growth in buybacks during the quarter [5][6] Group 2 - These companies have invested $368 billion in AI-related capital expenditures this year, which is expected to limit increases in the buyback payout ratio [5] - Goldman Sachs projects a 12% increase in S&P 500 buybacks to $1.2 trillion next year, although this growth may be constrained by high AI-related capital spending [5] - In contrast, a previous report indicated that corporate buybacks were crucial for the market's rebound in June, with S&P 500 firms authorizing a record $750 billion in repurchases [6]