The practise of buying back shares of stock from current shareholders, either through a tender offer or on the open market, is known as share buyback. In this scenario, the price of the shares that are of concern is higher than the going market price.

Companies can use the secondary market to buy back shares when they use the open market mechanism. The tender offer, on the other hand, is available to those who select it by submitting or tendering a portion of their shares within a specified time frame. As an alternative to paying timely dividends, it might be seen as a way to reward current shareholder

However, there could be a number of reasons why business owners decide to buy back their shares. To make the most of such decisions and to gain appropriately from them, people should make it a point to learn the underlying causes.

Definitions
The process by which a company buys back its shares from its existing shareholders�usually at a price higher than the market price�is referred to as "buyback." The market's share count decreases or decreases when the company buys back shares. It is a way for shareholders to get out of the business of the company.

Provisions made under Companies Act 2013

A structural shift in the theme and philosophy of company law has occurred as a result of the introduction of Sections 68, 69, and 70 of the Companies Act of 2013, which stipulate that a company may Buy-back its own securities subject to the restrictions outlined in the section. As a result, it now falls into the category of exceptions that do not require court approval. In keeping with this, the SEBI (Buy Back of Securities) Regulations of 1998, which are applicable to listed companies, were also issued. Buy-back of securities for unlisted businesses is governed by Rule 17 of the Companies (Share Capital & Debenture) Rules, 2014.

Sources for the Buy-Back:

According to Section 68(1) of the Act, the Buy-Back of Shares can only be financed with:

• Its premium securities account's free reserves; or then again
• The returns of the issue of any offers or other indicated protections:
• It is stipulated that the proceeds from an earlier issue of the same kind of shares or other specified securities cannot be used to buy back any kind of shares or other specified securities because doing so would be counterproductive and illogical. However, it can be used to buy back a different kind of security.

Buy-Back Requirements:

A company can only buy back its shares or other specified securities if the buy-back is authorized by its articles, as stated in Section 68(2) of the Companies Act;

An extraordinary goal has been passed at a comprehensive gathering of the organization approving the repurchase:

• The repurchase is10% or less of the all out settled up value capital and free holds of the organization and such repurchase has been approved by the Board through a goal passed at Executive gathering;
• The total buy-back limit is no more than 25% of the company's paid-up capital and free reserves.
• This clause's reference to 25% refers to the company's total paid-up equity capital for any given fiscal year when considering equity share buybacks;
• The buy-back debt-to-equity ratio is within the acceptable range of 2:1
• After the buyback, the company's secured and unsecured debts should be no more than twice its paid-up capital and free reserves. The debt-to-equity ratio can be relaxed by the Central Government for a group or groups of companies, but not for any one company.
• The buy-back shares and other specified securities have all been paid in full. The repurchase of the offers or other determined protections recorded on any perceived stock trade is as per the guidelines made by the Protections and Trade Board for this benefit.
• Each repurchase is expected to be finished in no less than a year from the date of passing the Extraordinary Goal or the Board Goal, by and large.
• Within one year of the closing of the previous offer of buy-back, no buy-back offer in accordance with this subsection 68(2) may be made.

As indicated by Area 68 (3) the notification containing the extraordinary goal ought to be passed and ought to be joined by an illustrative articulation expressing:
Every single material truth, completely and totally unveiled:

• The requirement for a buy-back;
• The class of safety expected to be bought by the repurchase
• The sum that will be invested as part of the buy-back;
• The deadline for finishing the buy-back. Following the procedures outlined in Sections 101 and 102, the company must also pass a special resolution at its general meeting.

Finishing time for the buy-back:
Area 68 (4) gives that each repurchase is expected to be finished inside 1year from the date of passing the extraordinary goal or the Board goal, by and large.

Methods of Repurchase:
According to Section 68 (5), the securities can be purchased back from:

• From the open market in proportion to the existing shareholders or security holders;
• By purchasing the securities that the company gave to its employees as part of a stock option or sweat equity scheme.

Other Buy-Back Requirements:
Before the buyback of shares, the company authorized by a special resolution must submit a letter of offer in Form No. 1 to the Registrar of Companies. SH-8, alongside the expense. Given that such letter of proposition will be dated and endorsed for the Governing body of the organization by at the very least two heads of the organization, one of whom will be the overseeing chief, where there is one. [ Rule 17 (2)]

Under Segment 68 (6) gives a Statement of Dissolvability is expected to be documented by the organization with the Enlistment center in the endorsed Structure SH-9signed by no less than two overseers of the organization, one of whom will be the overseeing chief, if any, and confirmed by an oath before the repurchase is executed to ensure its dissolvability for essentially a year after the consummation of repurchase

An organization after the fulfillment of repurchase is expected to douse and genuinely obliterate its protections in no less than 7 days of the keep going day on which the buyback cycle is completed.[U/s 68(7)]

An organization repurchasing its protections is restricted from making a further issue of protections inside a time of a half year. However, it may fulfill its existing obligations such as the conversion of warrants, stock option schemes, sweat equity, preference shares, or debentures into equity shares by issuing a bonus. [U/S 68(8)]

Conclusion
As a result, it is clear that Indian corporations announce buybacks in response to the undervaluation of their stocks on the capital markets. These announcements are also well supported by the availability of sufficient cash balance. Therefore, the premium offered in terms of the announced repurchase prices provides shareholders with an exit option while also providing the firm with a chance to utilise its liquidity position to extinguish its shares now and issue them once more in the future.

Because it bans takeovers and mergers, consumer sovereignty is preserved and monopolisation is avoided. On the other side, buybacks might assist in flattening share values by manipulating the records. Shareholders are misled by the price-earning ratio and the earnings per share. Thus, understanding the effects of buybacks becomes crucial, and every shareholder needs to think twice before buying shares of firms that are engaging in buybacks.

Written By: Saurabh Dwivedi