What is an Accelerated Share Repurchase (ASR) and how does it work?

An ASR is a structured repurchase where a company receives a large block of shares upfront from an investment bank at a negotiated price, with final settlement occurring over a specified period. Verisk received 949,190 shares immediately at $179.10, representing 85% of the $200 million purchase price, with the remaining 15% settled through future share deliveries at an average price calculated at program conclusion.

How much total capital has Verisk returned to shareholders in the first half of 2026?

Verisk returned approximately $2.0 billion to shareholders in H1 2026 through share repurchases ($1.9 billion) and dividends ($130.9 million), representing disciplined capital allocation while the company maintained $800 million in remaining buyback authorization and generated $756 million in operating cash flow.

What was the average price paid for Verisk shares across all H1 2026 repurchases?

Verisk repurchased approximately 8.5 million shares in the first six months of 2026 at an average price of $186.32 per share, with the Q2 ASR initial delivery priced at $179.10, showing tactical execution across price ranges.

How did the share repurchase impact Verisk's diluted EPS in Q2 2026?

The lower average share count from H1 2026 repurchases (133.0 million diluted shares vs. 140.6 million in Q2 2025) partially offset the 3.3% decline in diluted GAAP EPS, which was driven by higher interest expense, increased effective tax rate, and legal fees. Diluted adjusted EPS rose 5.3% despite these headwinds, benefiting from strong operational performance and share count reduction.

What authorization remains for future buybacks after the Q2 ASR?

Verisk had $800 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization as of June 30, 2026, providing substantial capacity for ongoing capital returns alongside the company's quarterly dividend program ($2.00 per share guidance for full-year 2026).

How does Verisk balance share repurchases with business investment?

Verisk's CFO stated the company's strong cash flow generation enables investment at scale in advanced technologies, including AI, while also returning significant capital through repurchases and dividends. The company maintained $800 million in unused authorization and invested $132 million in capital expenditures in H1 2026, demonstrating concurrent investment in both shareholder returns and business growth.

VRSK 8-K Filed 2026-07-29 Execution disclosure

Verisk executes $200M accelerated share repurchase in Q2 2026

ASR receives 949,190 shares at $179.10; $800M remains under authorization

Shares repurchased949K

Avg price paid$179.10

Remaining$800M

MechanismAccelerated Share Repurchase

What the filing says

Verisk Analytics announced the execution of a $200 million accelerated share repurchase (ASR) program during the second quarter of 2026. Under the ASR, the company received an initial delivery of 949,190 shares at an initial price of $179.10 per share, representing approximately 85% of the aggregate purchase price. The transaction was settled as of June 30, 2026.

Following this $200 million ASR execution, Verisk had $800 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization as of quarter-end. For the first six months of 2026, the company funded aggregated share repurchases of $1.9 billion, including repurchases not yet settled, and received initial delivery of approximately 8.5 million shares at an average price of $186.32 per share. The company noted that these repurchases reflect its continued commitment to returning capital to shareholders while maintaining flexibility to invest in business growth.

The capital return program occurred alongside the company's quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share, paid on June 30, 2026, and was supported by strong cash generation, with free cash flow reaching $298 million in the quarter, up 57.9% year-over-year.

In the second quarter of 2026, we entered into a $200.0 million accelerated share repurchase program and received an initial delivery of 949,190 shares of our common stock at an initial price of $179.10, representing approximately 85 percent of the aggregate purchase price. As of June 30, 2026, we had $800.0 million remaining under our share repurchase authorization. — Verisk Analytics, Inc. 8-K filing · View on SEC EDGAR →

What this means

The $200 million ASR execution in Q2 2026 represents a significant near-term capital return to shareholders, delivering nearly 950,000 shares immediately while the company settles remaining tranches over time. At an initial price of $179.10, the transaction reduced Verisk's share count in the period and contributed to the 3.3% decline in basic EPS from higher net interest expense and tax rates—partially offset by lower average share count. Over the first half of 2026, total repurchases of $1.9 billion at an average price of $186.32 reduced the diluted share count from 140.6 million to 133.0 million shares. With $800 million still authorized, Verisk retains substantial capacity to continue returning cash while maintaining investment flexibility in AI and technology deployment.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Accelerated Share Repurchase (ASR) and how does it work?: An ASR is a structured repurchase where a company receives a large block of shares upfront from an investment bank at a negotiated price, with final settlement occurring over a specified period. Verisk received 949,190 shares immediately at $179.10, representing 85% of the $200 million purchase price, with the remaining 15% settled through future share deliveries at an average price calculated at program conclusion.
How much total capital has Verisk returned to shareholders in the first half of 2026?: Verisk returned approximately $2.0 billion to shareholders in H1 2026 through share repurchases ($1.9 billion) and dividends ($130.9 million), representing disciplined capital allocation while the company maintained $800 million in remaining buyback authorization and generated $756 million in operating cash flow.
What was the average price paid for Verisk shares across all H1 2026 repurchases?: Verisk repurchased approximately 8.5 million shares in the first six months of 2026 at an average price of $186.32 per share, with the Q2 ASR initial delivery priced at $179.10, showing tactical execution across price ranges.
How did the share repurchase impact Verisk's diluted EPS in Q2 2026?: The lower average share count from H1 2026 repurchases (133.0 million diluted shares vs. 140.6 million in Q2 2025) partially offset the 3.3% decline in diluted GAAP EPS, which was driven by higher interest expense, increased effective tax rate, and legal fees. Diluted adjusted EPS rose 5.3% despite these headwinds, benefiting from strong operational performance and share count reduction.
What authorization remains for future buybacks after the Q2 ASR?: Verisk had $800 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization as of June 30, 2026, providing substantial capacity for ongoing capital returns alongside the company's quarterly dividend program ($2.00 per share guidance for full-year 2026).
How does Verisk balance share repurchases with business investment?: Verisk's CFO stated the company's strong cash flow generation enables investment at scale in advanced technologies, including AI, while also returning significant capital through repurchases and dividends. The company maintained $800 million in unused authorization and invested $132 million in capital expenditures in H1 2026, demonstrating concurrent investment in both shareholder returns and business growth.

execution ASR mega-cap insurance-tech Q2-2026 capital-return

Source. This editorial summary is based on the SEC filing linked above. BuybackStocks aggregates and editorializes publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. Not investment advice. Past authorization announcements do not guarantee future repurchase activity or share price performance. See our full disclosures policy.