Imirish I'm sorry I don't see your point...whether shares are resticted or not they are part of the total Outstanding. Yes the company bought back restricted shares as well as some on the open market which they continue to do. So as a result the OS is being reduced...the shares being purchased on the open market are not only reducing the OS they are also reducing the float....which is tradable shares and fluctuates on a daily basis depending on what is sold and what is bought.
We know the float is being reduced because as shares are sold they are being bought..as well as what the company is buying...it all equates to less shares being avaliable to the public...or in other words less float.
As the float is reduced and demand for shares rises then there is pressure on the market to take it to a higher level until a price is reached where people will sell. If there are no sellers then the price goes up...unless of course there is some stupid MM's that think they can short the stock and take it down to cover.