Hey Sam.
(IMO's),
Buying a lot of stock back -- "Wouldn't the price price go up"?
(Yes, and No.) Volumes do not necessarily move a stock up or down. It is usually a MM who moves a price. (Only they know why and where a stocks price movements will go).
"I never saw a reverse stock split that worked out well".
(Yes and No). Companies like Citigroup, AIG, E-Trade, Motorola to name a few, were very successful in doing it! (It is claimed the firm size and some other factors were very important factors for doing so).
They all claim "Visibility" was the main purpose. They also claimed the attraction of successful "Wealthy Individuals" who invest only in "Blue Chip Stocks" are their market target. (They appear to want investors to be long term shareholders).
Additionally, some companies that performed a reverse split, never made it. A firm called "Xerox" never made it. So that backs up your claim "I never saw a reverse split that worked out well".
Some claim the reverse split (RS) method only works with penny stock plays. And I am sure when it's used in penny land, it can work much better. Hence: Companies are able to get liquidity through selling large volumes of shares to investors in turn growing their companies, and then they RS their large share volume(s) to gain "Visibility" at higher per share price(s), with the hope of moving their companies up to the NASDAQ or NYSE.
The fact is more stock investors or flippers can only afford so much to play the markets and are willing to gamble for the higher risk and reward approach.
Naturally, I make no claims as to buy, hold or sell a stock. My style or angle to investing (playing) the market(s) is outside the main stream. I "use a Contrarian approach". I think all markets and stocks are guided. I don't know who or what it could be (and don't care), but the (patterns) of cycles that stocks and the general markets go through leave me suspect. So I take an opposing view of what is touted. I watch the actions of long term charts for most of my information. (Talk is cheap).
Hope I was able to enlighten or lend what some call wisdom : )
Remember, they say advise is only worth what one would pay for it, so I'm told.
"Things are not always what they seem" ; )
GO-COAL
GO-OIL
GO-NATURAL GAS
GO-WOOD
GO-CO2
