Combined share buybacks by Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT) and Oracle (ORCL) fell to just $4.4 billion in Q3, the lowest since Q3 2017 according to the Kobeissi Letter, and the third straight quarter below $5 billion. That is down 90% from the $45.9 billion peak in Q4 2021. Cash once used for buybacks is being redirected into AI projects, with the five companies' combined capital expenditures tracking toward approximately $800 billion in 2026. Wall Street analysts project that spending will surge past $1.2 trillion in 2027.
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AI investmentshare buybacksartificial intelligencetech stocks
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Related tickers and likely impact
MSFT
▼ Likely negativeMicrosoft
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Information Technology |
| Industry | Systems Software |
| Market cap | $3.9T |
| Close on 11/04/2026 | 556.03 |
| Change that session | +6.73% |
AMZN
▼ Likely negativeAmazon
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Broadline Retail |
| Market cap | $2.6T |
| Close on 11/04/2026 | 266.14 |
| Change that session | +6.16% |
GOOGL
▼ Likely negativeAlphabet Inc. (Class A)
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Communication Services |
| Industry | Interactive Media & Services |
| Market cap | $3.5T |
| Close on 11/04/2026 | 288.99 |
| Change that session | +3.20% |
META
▼ Likely negativeMeta Platforms
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Communication Services |
| Industry | Interactive Media & Services |
| Market cap | $1.6T |
| Close on 11/04/2026 | 629.89 |
| Change that session | +1.43% |
QQQ
▼ Likely negativeInvesco QQQ Trust
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 11/04/2026 | 691.95 |
| Change that session | +0.97% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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