These 4 Mid-Caps Just Announced Big Buyback Plans
Several mid-cap stocks have recently unveiled buyback programs that punch well above their weight.
These companies aren’t just signaling confidence in their future—they’re committing serious capital to shareholders.
In fact, each of the four names below has authorized repurchases worth more than 5% of its total market value, creating meaningful support for their stocks and potential upside for investors.
POST: Iconic U.S. Food Company Announces $500 Million Buyback Plan
First up is one of the world’s most well-known firms in the cereal industry, Post (NYSE: POST). Post is the consumer staples company behind famous brands like Fruity Pebbles and Raisin Bran, and it makes frequent use of share buybacks to return capital to shareholders. Over the last three years, Post has spent an average of $106 million per quarter on buybacks, despite currently having a market capitalization of only $5.9 billion.
On Aug. 29, Post made a big announcement, authorizing $500 million worth of share buybacks. That is equal to a very substantial 8.5% of the company’s value, allowing Post to lower its outstanding share count significantly.
Notably, Post said in its latest earnings call that it has already bought back 8% of its shares over the last three quarters. This announcement comes as Post is selling a significant part of its business. Post acquired 8th Avenue Food & Provisions in July for $880 million.
Now, it is selling 8th Avenue’s pasta business. Post will receive $375 million in cash from the transaction, aiding the company’s ability to repurchase shares. Post has also generated an average of around $114 million per quarter over the past three years, further bolstering its ability to return capital.
Recovering Finance Stock BFH Pairs Solid Dividend With Buyback Increase
Next up is Bread Financial (NYSE: BFH), an approximately $3.1 billion consumer finance company. Bread helps other companies issue branded credit cards and collects interest from consumers.
In 2014, Bread was worth nearly $19 billion. The company has seen its value absolutely tank over the past 10 years or so. However, shares have seen a resurgence recently, providing a total return of 107% since the beginning of 2024.
On Aug. 27, Bread announced that its Board of Directors had authorized a $200 million share buyback program. That equals a relatively large 6.5% of the firm’s value. Over the past three years, Bread has spent an average of $25 million per quarter on buybacks and around $11 million on dividends.
Notably, Bread has an indicated dividend yield of approximately 1.3%.
BRBR Boosts Buybacks, Holds 8% Repurchase Capacity
BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR) is one of the leading companies when it comes to ready-to-drink protein shakes, spun off from Post several years ago.
As of the last week of June, BellRing’s Premier Protein brand held approximately a 25% market share in the United States. Premier Protein sales also grew solidly at 19% last quarter versus the prior year.
On September 2, BellRing announced the authorization of a new $400 million share buyback program. This equals 8% of the company’s approximately $5 billion market capitalization. Notably, the program only lasts for two years, meaning that BellRing could potentially repurchase a large amount of its shares fairly quickly.
BellRing has recently increased its buyback spending, repurchasing around $256 million worth of stock in the last two quarters. That equals 43% of the company’s total buyback spending over its entire history.
LAD: Massive Buyback Capacity, Jefferies Sees +15% Upside
Finally, Lithia Motors (NYSE: LAD) announced a $750 million increase in share buyback authorization. Lithia operates an extensive network of automotive dealerships across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The company’s new authorization brings its buyback capacity to $1.08 billion, equaling 12.3% of its market capitalization.
Notably, the approximately $8.75 billion company has already reduced its share count by around 6.1% in 2025, showing its willingness to use its buyback capacity.
Lithia also pays a moderate dividend with an indicated yield of around 0.7%. Jefferies Financial Group recently gave Lithia a bullish $400 price target, which implies an approximately 17% upside in this mid-cap name.
POST, BFH, BRBR, & LAD Combine for Over $2 Billion in Buyback Capacity
Together, these four mid-cap names hold $2.1 billion in buyback capacity.
These companies aim to return significant amounts of capital to shareholders, and now, it’s up to them to spend the cash to do so.
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