Universal Entertainment begins multimillion-dollar share buyback

In a filing with the Jasdaq Securities Exchange yesterday, Japan-based gaming company Universal Entertainment Corp. announced that it had begun its shares buyback program. In total, the company looks to purchase 600,000 shares, which account for 0.76% of its outstanding stock, said to be worth approximately $18.53 million. The buyback program does not include any treasure stock.

Universal will continuing buying back the stocks until June 30. The program will allow the company to “execute flexible capital policies that accommodate the reinforcement of the return of profits to shareholders and changes in the environment the company operates in,” according to its filing with the exchange. That was a reiteration of its same announcement on the subject made to Jasdaq in October of last year.

The company added, “Going forward, the company, which views the return of profits to its shareholders as one of its foremost management priorities, will follow up on this second acquisition of treasury stock with the active, ongoing implementation of measures for the return of profits to shareholders based on its financial status and trends in securities markets.”

Universal has been embroiled in a dispute with its founder and former chairman, Kazuo Okada, since 2016. Due to that dispute, investors have become a little rattled over the company’s performance. The buyback program is meant to improve the relationship Universal has with its investors as it attempts to normalize its operations.