US stock buybacks hit a new quarterly record in 3Q2021 in a huge reversal from 2020 which saw repurchases plunge as the effects of the pandemic gripped the financial markets. S&P 500-listed companies repurchased USD 234.5 bn worth of shares during the July-September period, surpassing the previous USD 223 bn record set in 4Q2018, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing preliminary S&P data.

It might be a short-lived record if analysts are to be believed: One market watcher is expecting buybacks to reach USD 236 bn during the current quarter. Microsoft, Dell and car rental firm Hertz have all recently announced new repurchase programs.

The aim of buybacks: Support the share price. By reducing share count, buybacks boost a company’s share price, and support investor sentiment by signalling management's confidence in the future of the firm. Microsoft’s aggressive buyback program allowed its CEO to sell half his holdings without impacting its share price. And juicing the share price higher helps maximize the returns for exiting investors. Hertz, which only last year filed for bankruptcy, is planning to spend up to USD 2 bn buying its share as its private equity backers head for the exit.

Buybacks are partly fuelling this year’s bull run on equities: The S&P 500 is up 25% this year, logging 67 record closes — and buybacks are partly responsible, along with the US Federal Reserve’s stimulus measures, and corporate earnings that have consistently outperformed analysts expectations.

But they’re not without controversy: Some US lawmakers have criticized firms for shoring up their share prices rather than investing in the business. A 1% tax set to come in on the net value of buybacks as part of US President Joe Biden’s landmark Build Back Better bill. That could be a catalyst for more buyback schemes before the law comes in, though the levy was described by one wealth management exec as “so low that I don’t think it will impact anything.”

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Deepfake tech is increasingly advanced, widespread — and dangerous. Just four years after its inception, synthetic media software (AKA deepfake tech) can replace a person’s face in a video so seamlessly that most viewers struggle to tell a fake from reality, Reuters reports. The tech has also become accessible to any and everyone with a smartphone, leading experts to warn that a turning point is nearing where deepfakes could start to pose serious ills for society.

Women are most likely to have their faces stolen: Non-consensual deepfake [redacted] accounted for 96% of the total deepfake videos online, according to a 2019 report from deepfake monitor Sensity. “The vast, vast majority of harm caused by deepfakes right now is a form of gendered digital violence,” one of the study’s authors told Reuters, adding that mns of women have been targeted globally.

And there’s little justice to be found: Even in the few places worldwide where deepfake abuse is criminalized, cases are difficult to prosecute. Many deepfakes are distributed anonymously — and until now, it's only the perpetrators (not the platforms that allow them to make and share the content) who bear liability. New legislation proposed in the US and EU could bring in more restrictions, such as requiring deepfakes to be marked as such. But whether that will deter people from creating, sharing and watching non-consensual deepfakes is another matter, researchers told the newswire.

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Santa vs. supply shortages: Global supply issues are coming for US and European gift lists this year, as the world continues to deal with bottlenecks and shortages in the aftermath of the pandemic. The cost of air freight has reached record highs, reports the Financial Times, with more companies turning to air cargo as they scramble to stock shelves before Christmas. Air freight prices have nearly doubled in the past three months on key routes linking Chinese manufacturing hubs with European and US consumers. Half of these parcels would normally go on passenger flights, but the pandemic has grounded jets, leaving freight planes piled high.

It could also be more challenging to get your hands on a new phone, Xbox or PS5 in time for the festivities, as the global chip shortage lingers. Semiconductor-rich products like smartphones, games consoles, and computers are in short supply, according to CNBC.

Not even Amazon Prime can help with this one: Consumers have increasingly found themselves waiting two to three weeks for their gadgets to arrive, instead of the usual one or two days, according to one analyst. Meanwhile, a rise in the use of automated bots that snap up popular products to sell them on at inflated prices means some are being forced to pay a premium on their gadgets.