VeriSign authorizes additional $884M share repurchase program
Board approval brings total repurchase authorization to $1.50B with no expiration date
What the filing says
On July 23, 2026, VeriSign's Board of Directors approved an additional authorization for share repurchases of approximately $884 million, bringing the total amount authorized and available under the company's share repurchase program to $1.50 billion. The program has no expiration date.
In the second quarter of 2026, VeriSign repurchased 0.7 million shares for an aggregate cost of $197 million. The company's executive leadership emphasized its consistent capital allocation strategy, with CEO Jim Bidzos noting that VeriSign returned more than 100% of free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter.
The new authorization comes as VeriSign reported solid financial results for Q2 2026, including revenue of $435 million (up 6.0% year-over-year) and net income of $217 million. The company ended the quarter with $1.03 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities.
Effective July 23, 2026, the Board of Directors approved an additional authorization for share repurchases of approximately $884 million of common stock, which brings the total amount to $1.50 billion authorized and available under Verisign's share repurchase program which has no expiration. — VERISIGN INC/CA 8-K filing · View on SEC EDGAR →
What this means
VeriSign's board expanded its share repurchase authorization by $884 million on the heels of Q2 results that showed revenue growth and operating leverage. The total program now stands at $1.50 billion with no sunset provision, giving management flexibility to execute repurchases opportunistically. In H1 2026, VeriSign repurchased approximately 1.5 million shares at an average price of roughly $284 per share while also increasing its quarterly dividend to $0.81 per share, reflecting a capital allocation strategy oriented toward returning cash to shareholders alongside organic business operations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the total amount authorized for repurchases under VeriSign's program now?
- As of July 23, 2026, VeriSign's Board approved an additional $884 million in repurchase authorization, bringing the total program to $1.50 billion. The program has no expiration date, meaning the Board has not set a deadline by which repurchases must be completed.
- How much did VeriSign repurchase in the second quarter of 2026?
- VeriSign repurchased 0.7 million shares for an aggregate cost of $197 million in Q2 2026, which translates to an average price of approximately $281 per share. The company stated it returned more than 100% of free cash flow through both repurchases and dividends during the quarter.
- What execution mechanism does VeriSign use for its repurchases?
- The filing does not specify the execution mechanism (such as Rule 10b-18 open-market purchases, ASR, or 10b5-1 plans) for VeriSign's share repurchases. The detail on how repurchases are conducted is not disclosed in this earnings release.
- Does VeriSign use buybacks as part of a broader capital allocation strategy?
- Yes. CEO Jim Bidzos explicitly stated that VeriSign returned more than 100% of free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during Q2 2026, which the company does consistently. On July 20, 2026, the Board also approved a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, demonstrating a balanced capital return approach.
- How does the new authorization compare to VeriSign's market capitalization?
- As of Q2 2026, VeriSign had approximately 90.4 million shares outstanding. At the Q2 average repurchase price of ~$281 per share, the market cap would be roughly $25.4 billion, making the $884 million authorization approximately 3.5% of market value—a modest but material addition to the repurchase program.