Review of share repurchase policy and future research agenda

The proliferation of literature concerning share repurchases, a fundamental component of payout policy, necessitates a comprehensive overview. The present research aims to synthesise the existing literature to clarify the conceptual and historical background of share repurchases. The dataset comprises 774 academic articles from the Scopus database spanning 56 years (1966-2022). Data analysis was conducted using the bibliometrix R package and VOS viewer software. The findings presented through tabular and network visualisations show the rising trend in publications, important journals, key research papers and authors, and important themes. Notably, research is concentrated in the USA and developed nations, revealing a dearth in developing countries. Subsequent studies may examine the impact of financial constraints and ESG orientation on corporate payout decisions. Further, the impact of repurchases on investment expenditure and corporate innovation can be investigated. The study will assist future researchers in identifying prominent studies, authors, thematic domains, and research gaps identified through this study.