A company can just as easily reduce the AS just as they are able to increase it. There are a couple of reasons why they may have wanted to increase the AS to include having share structure for a potential merger, but also to have shares available to dilute in the event of a cash flow crisis if loan closing was delayed. It seems to me that with the closing of these loans, unless they need the shares to merge, they could do a lot of good by reducing the AS by a couple of billion shares. Frankly, I would look to do that at the same time I announced the buy back....
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
