After solid fourth-quarter, investors should brace for U.S. buyback come-down

(Reuters) - After a 3.2% increase in U.S. corporate share buybacks between the third and fourth quarters, investors will see Q1 reductions and a "dismal" Q2 as companies look to conserve cash during the coronavirus crisis, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.Along with the direct support to share prices when buybacks are made, they also swell earnings per share in quarterly reports as they result in lower share counts at the companies. But since they are easier to suspend than dividends, buybacks..