The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today finalized a plan to bring long-overdue transparency to the practice of companies buying back their own stock. However, the final rule weakened key aspects of the initial proposal.
Washington, D.C. – The announcement that Chevron will spend $75 billion on stock buybacks underscores the urgency of reinforcing a measure Congress created last year to penalize companies that engage in a financial practice that amplifies rampant wealth inequality, and in this case boosts the bottom line of a climate-harming industry.
AFREF led a letter to President Biden calling on him to adopt contracting standards to: 1) narrow the gaps between CEO and worker pay; 2) reduce wasteful spending on stock buybacks; and 3) support workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.