Evidently the board of InfoSpace (INSP) sees the same type of value in its stock that I do. The company has announced it will buyback up to $100 million of its shares in the open market. With a $1 billion market value, this represents 10% of the company's outstanding shares. Quite meaningful if you ask me.
Although I have noticed the magnificent balance sheet InfoSpace possesses, the stock's pre-buyback announcement price of $29 a share shows that many investors clearly have not. By buying back stock and increasing the company's earnings, Wall Street hopefully will see how undervalued the shares really are.
With $384 million in cash and no debt on InfoSpace's balance sheet as of March 31st, shareholders need not worry that the $100 million investment will hurt the company's ability to grow. At $30 per share, the stock remains dirt cheap and a very attractive acquisition candidate. A buyout at 20x earnings, net of cash, would amount to $48 for each INSP share.