From Stock Repurchases to AI Capex: The New Playbook for Corporate Cash

Corporate America is shifting capital allocation away from stock buybacks toward AI infrastructure spending and capex investments. While absolute buyback values hit records in 2026, buybacks as a percentage of market cap have declined to multi-year lows, particularly among tech hyperscalers. This trend reflects the AI arms race prioritizing immediate cash investments in AI projects over shareholder returns, creating potential risks if these ambitious AI projects fail to deliver expected profits.