# Five tech giants cut buybacks 83% as capital spending exceeds operating cash flow

_Published Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 8:05 PM EDT · Products, AI · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

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Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Oracle cut share buybacks 83% to $13.6bn in the first nine months of 2026, The Next Web reported, citing a Reuters analysis of LSEG data and company reports. Their capital spending doubled to $556.9bn, exceeding operating cash flow for the first time in data going back to 2011.

Operating cash flow rose 29% to $542.9bn, but combined free cash flow swung from a $143.5bn surplus to a $14bn deficit. Dividends increased to $37bn from $33.9bn. Reuters found that the $50.6bn returned to shareholders came from cash reserves, borrowing or share sales.

## Sources

- [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/big-tech-buybacks-fall-ai-spending-reuters)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/LkZ1ySIP7KPxfb8xydMGMS
Published: 2026-11-01T00:05:44.823Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-31T22:21:38.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-01T02:50:35.827Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)