Buybacks down in '16 from record '15

IT WAS a relatively quiet year for buybacks in the Singapore market after the record setting year in 2015, with 108 companies that recorded 1,879 filings worth S$825 million in 2016. The figures were down from the previous year's 113 firms, 2,093 filings and S$1.982 billion. Investors should note that the buybacks in 2015 are the highest yearly totals since repurchases were introduced by the Singapore Exchange in 1999.

Although the buyback activity in 2016 was down from 2015, the buy…