When a global chip company such as SK Hynix commits 40 trillion won to buy back and cancel its own shares and signals a plan to return over 50% of free cash flow to investors, it shines a spotlight on buybacks as a powerful capital allocation tool. That kind of move can influence how investors think about other large companies with active repurchase programs. This article looks at 3 stocks exposed to that theme and how the same playbook might help or hurt future returns.

The 3 stocks below are just a starting sample from this buyback theme, and the full screen on Simply Wall St has surfaced 11 more large caps with similar shareholder return stories that are not covered here.

If you want to identify and analyze the companies that best fit your own criteria, head straight into the Global Large-Cap Companies with Aggressive Share Buyback Programs screener

Mitsui (TSE:8031)

Overview: Mitsui is a large Japanese trading and investment company that links global supply and demand across energy, resources, chemicals, infrastructure, machinery, consumer goods and wellness businesses. It uses its balance sheet and partnerships to back long term projects. Its scale, cash generation and history of share repurchases make it a relevant candidate for investors focused on aggressive buyback programs.

Operations: Mitsui generates revenue across multiple segments, with sizeable contributions from Wellness Ecosystem at about ¥3,484b, Chemicals at about ¥3,184b, Energy at about ¥3,576b and Mineral & Metal Resources at about ¥2,103b, alongside smaller Iron & Steel Products and other businesses.

Market Cap: ¥13,547.7b

Investors looking at Mitsui today are not just getting a diversified trading house in energy, resources, chemicals and wellness. They are also looking at a company that is actively using buybacks and dividends to return cash. Management has authorized repeated ¥200b repurchase programs with plans to cancel the shares, and has guided to shareholder returns of over 50% of core operating cash flow, which ties directly into this screener’s focus on aggressive buybacks. At the same time, Mitsui still leans on commodity driven earnings and carries debt and free cash flow coverage questions, so the quality of future cash generation matters. For investors seeking an example of how a mature Japanese conglomerate is working to translate cash flows into shareholder yield, Mitsui may warrant closer examination.

Mitsui’s accelerating buybacks and high cash return targets can look compelling, yet the real story lies in how those cash flows compare with its obligations. Get the full picture in the Mitsui financial health report

Build your own aggressive buyback shortlist

Mitsui and the other two stocks in this list are just examples of what can surface from a focused screener. Use our flexible Screener to blend metrics like valuation, growth, balance sheet strength, risks and dividends into your own watchlist, or tap into our curated Investing Ideas for readymade themes.

ACI Worldwide (ACIW)

Overview: ACI Worldwide is a payments software company that helps banks, merchants and billers process electronic transactions, manage real time and cross border payments and tackle fraud, using platforms like ACI Acquiring, ACI Issuing, Connetic and its Payments Orchestration and Speedpay services.

Operations: ACI Worldwide generates about $972 million from its Payment Software segment and about $848 million from its Biller segment, with around $1.1 billion of revenue from the United States and $770 million from other regions.

Market Cap: $5.3b

ACI Worldwide draws interest in a buyback focused screen because it combines a cash generative payments software model with an active commitment to returning capital. Management has highlighted limited capital needs and plans to allocate 50% to 60% of cash from operations to share repurchases in 2026. It has also been steadily shrinking the share count in recent years. At the same time, the company carries meaningful debt and has seen profit margins move around, which can influence how far it can push repurchases if credit conditions tighten or earnings soften. For investors, the key question is whether the mix of recurring payments revenue, cloud native products like Connetic and disciplined buybacks can outweigh that leverage and earnings volatility.

ACI Worldwide’s accelerating repurchases and recurring payments revenue raise a simple question: Is the market misreading how this cash engine and its leverage fit together? The 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign

Blackbaud (BLKB)

Overview: Blackbaud is a US software company that provides AI powered cloud solutions to help nonprofits, schools, companies and other organizations manage fundraising, finances, grants, education workflows, corporate giving and payments on a recurring subscription basis. This steady software and services model, backed by data intelligence and managed services, gives Blackbaud a cash flow profile that can sit behind ongoing share repurchase programs when growth steadies.

Operations: Blackbaud generates about $1.15 billion from Software & Programming, with around $960 million from the United States and the remainder from the United Kingdom and other countries.

Market Cap: $2.0b

Blackbaud is drawing attention in this buyback focused screen because it combines recurring software revenue with an intention to return cash to investors. Management has highlighted free cash flow and has expanded its stock repurchase capacity to $800 million, while also speaking about being aggressive with buybacks at current valuations and using at least half of future free cash flow for repurchases over several years. At the same time, the company carries meaningful debt and faces pressure to keep investing in AI products and security, and it operates in a competitive software market that could test pricing power. For investors comparing cash generation with repurchase plans, this mix of recurring revenue, active buybacks and balance sheet risk presents Blackbaud as a case study within the SK Hynix style capital return theme.

Blackbaud’s aggressive buybacks, backed by recurring software revenue, raise a bigger question about how long that cash engine can keep running at this pace. Get the full story in the full narrative for Blackbaud

Seeking Alternatives Before Everyone Else?

Fresh stock ideas can pick up breakout momentum quickly, and the strongest stories rarely stay under the radar for long. Scan these curated lists before the crowd and act now.

• Spot companies with strong cash positions and robust fundamentals by running the list of solid balance sheet and fundamentals (41 results) while that combination of resilience and value is still being overlooked.
• Explore potential secular trends in clean energy infrastructure by checking the 92 nuclear energy infrastructure stocks before capital flows shift and initial entry points change.
• Track companies positioned for AI driven demand in chips, data centers and connectivity through the 56 AI infrastructure stocks while sentiment is still forming and pricing power stories are emerging.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.