Reported strong numbers and continued its buyback. Intel has a $16 billion program that's been authorized that it has been operating under. During Q3, they increased the buyback to $750 million. In addition, it paid a dividend of about $650 million, and on top of that it grew the cash level by $2.3 billion. You can expect Intel to continue to buyback shares and issue dividends. Intel is owned by a who's who of investors, including: Oakmark Fund, MD Sass and Twin Capital among others.

Seagate is delivering and some of that EPS gain results from Seagate actually buying back shares (fewer shares outstanding, translates into more earnings per share). Many times companies propose to buy back shares but for some reason never get around to it. During the quarter Seagate bought a total of 10.3 million sharEs at an average price of $24.27 for a total of approximately $250 million, as part of its repurchase plan. The company has authorization to purchase approximately $725 million more shares under the current stock repurchase program. I am adding Seagate to today's Insider Purchases and Buybacks portfolio because I like Seagate's EPS growth, dominant position in the disc drive space and the buyback program currently underway.

Yahoo reported it used $350 million for direct stock repurchases. Yahoo purchased this stock because it believes it is undervalued; it knows once Yahoo is able to exploit all its powerful assets, the market will eventually give it the valuation it deserves, thus making Yahoo's trade, a very profitable one.

First Horizon National Corp.'s said its board of directors has approved payment of the regular quarterly dividend of $.45 per share. In addition, First Horizon's the board of directors approved a 7.5 million share purchase authority that will expire on Dec. 31, 2010.

C. R. Bard authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million of the company's common stock. The firm said the new buyback follows the nearly completed buyback of $500 million of the company's stock, authorized by the Board in December 2005