Momentum around JDE Peet’s capital return plan has built quickly. The Dutch coffee group hit the €100 million mark in mid-August, after buying over 5.2 million of its own shares since January. The milestone shows the firm is ahead of schedule on its €250 million programme for 2025 and the initial slice of a planned €1 billion multi-year effort. This financial strategy aims to shrink the share count by roughly 2.8 % while using surplus cash rather than fresh debt. The company has confirmed it will publish weekly buyback updates on its investor-relations page to maintain the same transparency it has offered since the programme kicked off on 26 February 2025.
JDE Peet’s has already hoovered up €100 million of its own stock, racing ahead on the first leg of a €1 billion buyback marathon.
Market reaction at the outset stayed muted. The shares dipped to €19 early in the spring, and some analysts warned that buybacks might mask limited growth. Yet buying volume rose once investors noted the steady weekly flow. In April, 38,272 shares were picked up at €19.73 each. In August, the company paid €26.03 for 247,873 more. Each purchase was small, spaced across trading days, and run by an intermediary under EU rules. The tactic avoided sudden price spikes and kept transparency high.
Supporters say the buyback makes sense after 2024 delivered 5.3 % organic sales growth but no clear path for bigger deals. Supermarkets pushed back on price hikes, squeezing margins, and recent acquisitions have shown mixed results. Faced with strong cash flow, managers chose to hand money back to owners instead of chasing risky growth bets. The cancelled shares will lift earnings per share and may prop up a stock that still trades well below recent highs.
Critics raise one main question: will shrinking the equity base leave the firm exposed if coffee prices swing again or consumer demand cools? JDE Peet’s says its balance sheet stays solid and that dividends won’t be cut. The board has repeated that buybacks are “opportunistic,” not a permanent substitute for expansion.
For now, the market appears willing to give the plan breathing room, and traders expect the full €250 million to be wrapped up before New Year unless volatility spikes.
