BlackBerry’s Big Move: Share Buybacks Are Back
It's been a while since BlackBerry made headlines for its stocks, but here we go. On May 8, 2025, BlackBerry revealed it got the nod from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) to launch a Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB). Not everyone’s familiar with the term, but in plain English, that means the company can start buying back its own shares.
The program officially kicks off on May 12, 2025, and could run all the way until May 11, 2026—unless BlackBerry decides to wrap it up sooner. The company says it can repurchase up to 27,855,153 of its common shares. That’s about 4.7% of its public float, which is finance-speak for the shares available for everyday folks to buy and sell. For some context, BlackBerry’s public float stood at a whopping 596,180,623 shares as of early May.
How the Buyback Works and Why It Matters
Share buybacks used to be the bread and butter for companies wanting to reward investors and boost confidence in their own business. After taking a breather for the past year—no shares repurchased since May 2024—BlackBerry is back in the game. The new program permits the company to scoop up shares on several platforms: TSX, NYSE, other Canadian and U.S. exchanges, alternative trading systems, or even through direct deals with certain shareholders.
There are rules, though. BlackBerry can’t just grab as many shares as it wants in one go, especially not on the TSX. The daily limit is set at 721,194 shares (unless we’re talking about block trades, which is a different story). With an average daily trading volume of 2,884,777 shares on the TSX over the past six months, the daily cap keeps things fair and prevents market drama.
Every single share bought back will be canceled. So, they’re not keeping those shares for a rainy day—they’re reducing the total number of shares on the market. As of May 5, BlackBerry had 597,096,623 shares outstanding. Fewer shares out there can potentially bump up the value of what’s left, giving current shareholders a little more bang for their buck.
Buybacks often signal that a company is feeling confident about its future or thinks its stock is undervalued. For BlackBerry, which has seen its business model shift from smartphones to software and cybersecurity over the past decade, the move could also be about keeping investor spirits high at a time when tech stocks are under the microscope.
Investors and market watchers will be eyeing the impact of this share buyback both on stock price and on BlackBerry’s balance sheet. Will it help reel in new investors or reassure longtime holders that the company is on solid ground? Only time will tell, but it’s clear BlackBerry is playing a proactive hand for the next 12 months.
WILL WILLIAMS
June 10, 2025 AT 20:05BlackBerry’s buy‑back is a power‑move, bright as a fireworks show! It’s like the company just said, “We trust our future, grab a seat!”
Barry Hall
June 18, 2025 AT 03:17Nice to see BlackBerry taking confidence steps 🙂
abi rama
June 25, 2025 AT 10:29Good news for shareholders; the buy‑back shows management believes the stock is undervalued. It should give a nice confidence boost.
Megan Riley
July 2, 2025 AT 17:41Wow!!! This is a superb initiative, BlackBerry; you’re really showing the market you’ve got confidence!!! I think this will definitely& help the investors feel more secure, especially after the dip last year??? Keep up the great work, team! Tell ya what, this could be a pivotal moment-let’s all watch closely!!!
Lester Focke
July 10, 2025 AT 00:53From a strategic standpoint, the initiation of a Normal Course Issuer Bid constitutes an unequivocal affirmation of the firm’s capital allocation acumen. The quasi‑monetary redeployment manifests both a reinforcement of shareholder equity and a tacit repudiation of market undervaluation. Analysts, albeit inadvertently, shall recalibrate their intrinsic valuation models. Moreover, the circumscribed daily cap ensures liquidity equilibrium whilst averting volatility. In summation, this maneuver bespeaks a commendable confidence in BlackBerry’s prospective earnings trajectory.
Naveen Kumar Lokanatha
July 17, 2025 AT 08:05i think this buyback will be good for the share price and for the confidence of the market. the company is showing that they have cash and want to return it to shareholders. also it reduces the float which could increase earnings per share over time.
Alastair Moreton
July 24, 2025 AT 15:17Another buyback? Sure, why not. At least they’re not doing anything crazy.
Surya Shrestha
July 31, 2025 AT 22:29It appears that BlackBerry is executing a quintessentially capital‑preserving stratagem; a move befitting an enterprise of its stature. The precision with which the bid is structured manifests an admirable dedication to shareholder value.
Rahul kumar
August 8, 2025 AT 05:41Yo! This buyback is a solid play, BlackBerry is sending a clear signal that they got cash and trust the stock. It also helps shrink the float so EPS can look better. Plus, with the cap on daily purchases, the market wont go crazy. Just keep an eye on the execution.
mary oconnell
August 15, 2025 AT 12:53In the grand tapestry of corporate finance, deploying a Normal Course Issuer Bid is tantamount to a meta‑strategic signal transduction, a semantic overlay on market perception. While the jargon-laden discourse may obfuscate lay investors, the underlying premise is simple: confidence capitalisation. That said, one must interrogate whether the buyback yields incremental alpha or merely redistributes existing equity. The efficacy hinges on timing, liquidity, and the macro‑economic climate-variables that are, frankly, a moving target. So, congratulations, BlackBerry, on your self‑affirmation; the market will watch with calibrated skepticism. :)
Michael Laffitte
August 22, 2025 AT 20:05When BlackBerry announced the buyback, it felt like a thunderclap echoing across the tech valley, reverberating through boardrooms and coffee shops alike. Investors perched on the edge of their seats, hearts pounding as the numbers unfolded. The sheer audacity of repurchasing nearly five percent of the float sparked a firestorm of excitement and speculation. Some whispered that this was a masterstroke, a bold declaration that the company still believes in its own DNA. Others countered with caution, fearing the pits of over‑extension lurk beneath the glossy press release. Yet the truth, as always, lies somewhere between hubris and prudence. The daily cap of 721,194 shares serves as a safeguard, ensuring the market breathes rather than chokes. Each cancelled share is a silent promise, a reduction that nudges the earnings per share upward in a quiet, relentless way. For longtime shareholders, this feels like a long‑awaited embrace, a reassurance that their patience might finally be rewarded. New investors, meanwhile, watch with wary optimism, calculating whether the dip in float translates to a tangible price uptick. Analysts will pore over balance sheets, adjusting models, drafting reports that will either herald a new era or caution against over‑reliance on financial engineering. The broader tech sector watches, aware that BlackBerry's move could set a precedent in a market hungry for confidence. As the weeks roll into months, the real impact will be measured not just in share price but in the intangible boost to corporate morale. In the end, whether this buyback becomes a legend or a footnote will depend on execution, market conditions, and the relentless march of time. Until then, we sit on the edge of this narrative, popcorn in hand, waiting for the next twist.