Wall Street is starting to bet that Broadcom AVGO +5.70% could benefit from the rising excitement over generative AI applications. On Thursday, Broadcom (ticker: AVGO) r eported strong earnings and provided a better-than-expected outlook for its April quarter. During the conference call with analysts and investors, CEO Hock Tan said generative AI software requires fast connections, which should drive demand for Broadcom’s networking chips. Already a member? Sign In Apple and Meta Stock Buybacks Haven’t Been Equal. Here’s Why. Investors love stock buybacks , but they don’t always spur the types of returns one might imagine. It takes a discerning eye to identify companies with buybacks that create significant gains for shareholders. Buybacks, on their own, increase the value of each share. Repurchases reduce the number of shares outstanding. Keeping earnings constant, earnings per share goes up, supporting gains in the price per share. Buybacks also signal the confidence a company has in using profits and balance-sheet cash to finance these purchases.