They have not mentioned a share buyback - but I think the A/S reduction lets SH's know that there aren't 1.5 billion shares waiting to hit the open market
That is so simply not true per experience. Every time I've been in a stock that got hit with an AS increase, it tanked. And every time I've been in one where the AS has been decreased, it spiked hard. It actually has to happen of course; talking about it is not enough.