Firms also choose to reward shareholders by driving up share prices rather than by paying dividends.

But at least dividends reward shareholders for standing pat.

Despite the lower profit, Exxon continued its program to reward shareholders by buying back shares and paying dividends.

Suppose that a firm decided never to pay dividends, preferring instead to reward shareholders entirely through capital gains.

And it can look tacky to reward shareholders with cash at the same time a company is pleading the need to fire workers.

Usher's share shot up 85p to 165p, rewarding shareholders who had held on through thick and thin.

The goal was to reward shareholders of Pegasus who have seen their value shredded by short manipulation.

But others think Allied can reward shareholders handsomely without putting itself up for sale.

The company has no dividend, so a buyback is one of the few ways to reward shareholders.

Sears's profit performance has been lagging, and takeover talk has put the company under intense pressure to reward shareholders.