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Utility and waste stocks buying back their own shares (October 2026)
4 utility and waste stocks on Buyback Radar have each retired at least a tenth of their own shares since their peak. NRG Energy leads, with 37.8% of its shares gone since 2013. Every count comes from the cover pages of the companies' own 10-K and 10-Q filings with the SEC, split adjusted, so it is net of the new shares handed to employees. The list is rebuilt every Monday.
| # | Company | Retired since peak | Peak | 5 years | 12 months | Market value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  NRG EnergyNRG | −37.8% | 2013 | −14.1% | +8.7% | $21.8B |
| 2 |  Waste ManagementWM | −36.4% | 2001 | −5.1% | −0.8% | $90.7B |
| 3 |  VistraVST | −31.2% | 2019 | −30.4% | −0.9% | $51.0B |
| 4 |  Republic ServicesRSG | −20.3% | 2010 | −3.8% | −1.9% | $70.9B |
Which utility and waste stocks buy back the most shares?
On Buyback Radar in October 2026, NRG Energy (NRG) has retired 37.8% of its shares since 2013, followed by Waste Management (36.4%) and Vistra (31.2%).
Which utility and waste stocks are buying back the fastest right now?
Republic Services (RSG), with 1.9% fewer shares than twelve months ago. 3 of the 4 have a lower share count than a year ago.
Why count shares instead of buyback dollars?
A company can spend billions on buybacks and still end the year with more shares, because it hands new stock to employees. The share count on the cover of the filing shows what actually disappeared. Every share retired makes the remaining shares a bigger slice of the same business.
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All 467 companies: the full Radar · Best buyback stocks · What is a cannibal stock
Updated 2026-10-24 from SEC filings. Grouped by the industry code each company files with the SEC. Not investment advice. How we count.