⚠ Options Pay for Most of the BuybackLow threat

Amphenol (APH) — threat to the moat

Option exercises returned $553 million of Amphenol's $665 million buyback cost in 2025, so the net return through buybacks was $112 million.

Amphenol's buyback looks larger than it is, because much of the cash comes straight back in. Share repurchases were $585.1 million in 2023, $689.3 million in 2024 and $665.2 million in 20251. Cash received from the exercise of stock options was $394.5 million, $447.4 million and $553.0 million in the same years2. The net cash spent was therefore $190.6 million, $241.9 million and $112.2 million3.

Amphenol buybacks and option exercise proceeds ($M)585Buybacks 2023395Options 2023689Buybacks 2024447Options 2024665Buybacks 2025553Options 2025Amphenol Form 10-K FY2025, cash flow statement
Net buybacks were $112 million in 2025.

Put that way, the company returned far less through buybacks than the headline suggests, and most of its capital return was the dividend: $802.2 million paid in 20254.

The options themselves are a cost that the income statement records only partly. Stock-based compensation was $135.4 million in 20255, but the value transferred to option holders when they exercise at a low strike and the company buys shares back at a high price is larger than the accounting charge. With the share price up about 36% in the year to September 20266, that transfer grows.

None of this is unusual for a company that pays its managers in equity, and the managers' stake is part of what keeps the federation working. The question for an owner is whether the dilution buys enough. The buyback still does real work: without it, the share count would have grown by the options exercised.

The net figure is the one to track. If buybacks net of option proceeds fall to zero in a year when the company has spare cash, the repurchase programme will have become a way of servicing the option plan rather than of returning money to shareholders.

References
  1. ReportedShare repurchases were $585.1 million in 2023, $689.3 million in 2024 and $665.2 million in 2025.
    Amphenol Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (year ended 31 December 2025) - acquisitions: Andrew, Trexon, CommScope, goodwill and the acquisition strategy. — FY2025 · publ. 11 February 2026 · source ↗
  2. ReportedCash received from the exercise of stock options was $394.5 million, $447.4 million and $553.0 million in the same years.
    Amphenol Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (year ended 31 December 2025) - financial statements and notes: income, cash flow, capital returns, debt and taxes. — FY2025 · publ. 11 February 2026 · source ↗
  3. Moat Explorer calcThe net cash spent was therefore $190.6 million, $241.9 million and $112.2 million.
    Moat Explorer calculation from Amphenol's reported figures ($ millions unless stated; calendar years; per-share figures adjusted for the two-for-one splits of March 2021, June 2024 and September 2026). Sales growth: 2025 23,094.7 / 15,222.7 - 1 = +51.7%; 2024 15,222.7 / 12,554.7 - 1 = +21.3%; 2023 12,554.7 / 12,623.0 - 1 = -0.5%; 2019 8,225.4 / 8,202.0 - 1 = +0.3%; 2025 increase 23,094.7 - 15,222.7 = 7,872.0, about $7.9bn; 2015-2025 23,094.7 / 5,568.7 = 4.1 times. Operating margin (operating income / net sales): 2015 1,104.7 / 5,568.7 = 19.8%; 2016 1,205.2 / 6,286.4 = 19.2%; 2017 1,427.6 / 7,011.3 = 20.4%; 2018 1,686.9 / 8,202.0 = 20.6%; 2019 1,619.2 / 8,225.4 = 19.7%; 2020 1,638.4 / 8,598.9 = 19.1%; 2021 2,105.1 / 10,876.3 = 19.4%; 2022 2,585.8 / 12,623.0 = 20.5%; 2023 2,559.6 / 12,554.7 = 20.4%; 2024 3,156.9 / 15,222.7 = 20.7%; 2025 5,868.6 / 23,094.7 = 25.4%; average 2015-2024 about 20.0%; Q2 2025 1,418.8 / 5,650.3 = 25.1%; operating income growth 2025 5,868.6 / 3,156.9 - 1 = +85.9%, Q2 2026 2,584.6 / 1,418.8 - 1 = +82.2%. Trailing twelve months to June 2026: sales 23,094.7 - 10,461.3 + 16,378.2 = 29,011.6; net income 4,270.3 - 1,829.1 + 2,702.2 = 5,143.4; operating income 5,868.6 - 2,443.6 + 4,416.4 = 7,841.4, margin 7,841.4 / 29,011.6 = 27.0%; at a 20% margin 29,011.6 x 0.20 = about 5,800, 26% below 7,841.4. Gross margin: 4,084.1 / 12,554.7 = 32.5% (2023); 5,139.7 / 15,222.7 = 33.8% (2024); 8,517.7 / 23,094.7 = 36.9% (2025); 3,548.0 / 8,758.1 = 40.5% (Q2 2026); tariff benefit 80 / 8,758.1 = 0.9 points. Segment margins (segment operating income / external sales): Communications Solutions 871.2 / 4,056.2 = 21.5% (2020), 1,023.3 / 4,832.1 = 21.2%, 1,245.7 / 5,652.4 = 22.0%, 1,063.5 / 4,912.8 = 21.6%, 1,569.6 / 6,323.8 = 24.8%, 3,746.6 / 12,056.0 = 31.1% (2025); Harsh Environment Solutions 556.8 / 2,286.0 = 24.4%, 708.2 / 2,752.2 = 25.7%, 801.6 / 3,107.2 = 25.8%, 943.9 / 3,530.8 = 26.7%, 1,093.2 / 4,417.4 = 24.7%, 1,541.4 / 5,881.7 = 26.2%; Interconnect and Sensor Systems 348.6 / 2,256.7 = 15.4%, 588.1 / 3,292.0 = 17.9%, 716.5 / 3,863.4 = 18.5%, 753.7 / 4,111.1 = 18.3%, 825.9 / 4,481.5 = 18.4%, 1,005.1 / 5,157.0 = 19.5%. Communications Solutions share of segment operating income: 871.2 / 1,776.6 = 49.0% (2020); 1,023.3 / 2,319.6 = 44.1%; 1,245.7 / 2,763.8 = 45.1%; 1,063.5 / 2,761.1 = 38.5%; 1,569.6 / 3,488.7 = 45.0%; 3,746.6 / 6,293.1 = 59.5% (2025); Q2 2026 1,808.3 / (1,808.3 + 559.3 + 318.9 = 2,686.5) = 67.3%; Q2 2025 890.7 / 1,506.7 = 59.1%. Segment operating income growth Q2 2026: Harsh Environment 559.3 / 363.7 - 1 = +53.8%; Interconnect and Sensor 318.9 / 252.3 - 1 = +26.4%. Segment sales growth 2020-2025: Communications Solutions 12,056.0 / 4,056.2 = 2.97 times, 24.3% a year; Harsh Environment 5,881.7 / 2,286.0 = 2.57 times, 20.8% a year; Interconnect and Sensor 5,157.0 / 2,256.7 = 2.29 times, 18.0% a year; Communications Solutions operating income 3,746.6 / 871.2 = 4.3 times; Communications Solutions 2023 4,912.8 / 5,652.4 - 1 = -13.1%; Interconnect and Sensor 2021 3,292.0 / 2,256.7 - 1 = +45.9%, 2023 4,111.1 / 3,863.4 - 1 = +6.4%; Communications Solutions share of net sales 4,056.2 / 8,598.9 = 47% (2020), Q2 2026 5,383.6 / 8,758.1 = 61.5%. Segment costs and geography 2025: gap between segment and consolidated operating income 6,293.1 - 5,868.6 = 424.5, 424.5 / 6,293.1 = 6.7%; 2024 3,488.7 - 3,156.9 = 331.8, 9.5%; 2023 2,761.1 - 2,559.6 = 201.5, 7.3%; depreciation and amortisation 486.9 / (486.9 + 166.5 + 150.0 = 803.4) = 60.6%, 486.9 / 12,056.0 = 4.0%, 166.5 / 5,881.7 = 2.8%, 150.0 / 5,157.0 = 2.9%; Harsh Environment United States 3,211.0 / 5,881.7 = 54.6%, China 508.5 / 5,881.7 = 8.6%, distributors 1,595.8 / 5,881.7 = 27.1%; Interconnect and Sensor China 959.4 / 5,157.0 = 18.6%; Communications Solutions China 2,205.2 / 12,056.0 = 18.3% and 2,205.2 / 3,673.1 = 60.0% of China sales; Q2 2026 Communications Solutions China 698.0 / 515.2 - 1 = +35.5%. Geography: China share of net sales 2,067.3 / 7,011.3 = 29.5% (2017); 2,594.0 / 8,202.0 = 31.6% (2018); 2,306.4 / 8,225.4 = 28.0% (2019); 2,597.5 / 8,598.9 = 30.2% (2020); 3,044.4 / 10,876.3 = 28.0% (2021); 3,265.0 / 12,623.0 = 25.9% (2022); 2,884.0 / 12,554.7 = 23.0% (2023); 3,399.9 / 15,222.7 = 22.3% (2024); 3,673.1 / 23,094.7 = 15.9% (2025); Q2 2026 1,113.0 / 8,758.1 = 12.7%, Q2 2025 882.2 / 5,650.3 = 15.6%; China Q2 growth 1,113.0 / 882.2 - 1 = +26.2%; United States share 2,524.7 / 8,225.4 = 30.7% (2019), 7,987.7 / 23,094.7 = 34.6% (2025), Q2 2026 3,413.8 / 8,758.1 = 39.0%, United States Q2 growth 3,413.8 / 1,937.3 - 1 = +76.2%; long-lived assets in China 1,050.4 / 617.9 - 1 = +70.0% (2025); China cash taxes 579.5 / 1,084.1 = 53.5%; China tax charges 100.0 + 130.0 + 160.0 = 390.0, 390.0 / 5,143.4 = 7.6% of trailing net income. People: employees outside the United States 170,000 - 15,000 = 155,000 (2025), 125,000 - 12,000 = 113,000 (2024); United States share 12,000 / 125,000 = 10% and 15,000 / 170,000 = 9%; employees 170,000 / 74,000 = 2.3 times; net sales per employee 8,225.4 / 74,000 = about $111,000 (2019), 23,094.7 / 170,000 = about $136,000 (2025); net sales per general manager 8,598.9 / 120 = 71.7 (2020), 10,876.3 / 130 = 83.7, 12,623.0 / 130 = 97.1, 12,554.7 / 130 = 96.6, 15,222.7 / 140 = 108.7, 23,094.7 / 140 = 165.0 (2025); people added by CommScope deals about 4,000 + 20,000 = 24,000; SG&A 2,545.7 / 23,094.7 = 11.0% (2025), 1,855.4 / 15,222.7 = 12.2%, 1,489.9 / 12,554.7 = 11.9%, SG&A growth 2,545.7 / 1,855.4 - 1 = +37.2%; Norwitt 8,219,557 x 2 = about 16.4 million shares, x $83.14 = about $1.37bn. Acquisitions: payments 2015-2025 199.8 + 1,305.1 + 265.5 + 158.9 + 937.4 + 50.4 + 2,225.4 + 288.2 + 970.4 + 2,156.4 + 3,818.6 = 12,376.1, plus 10,684.0 in H1 2026 = about $23.1bn; goodwill 17,554.7 / 4,867.1 = 3.6 times; goodwill and intangibles 17,554.7 + 5,288.9 = 22,843.6, 22,843.6 / 44,806.6 = 51.0% (June 2026), 10,575.4 + 2,241.4 = 12,816.8, 12,816.8 / 36,236.9 = 35.4% (December 2025); property 2,932.2 / 44,806.6 = 6.5%; acquisition payments / operating cash flow 937.4 / 1,502.3 = 62.4% (2019), 50.4 / 1,592.0 = 3.2%, 2,225.4 / 1,540.1 = 144.5%, 288.2 / 2,174.6 = 13.3%, 970.4 / 2,528.7 = 38.4%, 2,156.4 / 2,814.7 = 76.6%, 3,818.6 / 5,374.7 = 71.0% (2025); 2025 uses of cash 996.6 capex + 3,818.6 acquisitions + 802.2 dividends + 665.2 buybacks = 6,282.6, above operating cash flow of 5,374.7; dividends and buybacks 802.2 + 665.2 = 1,467.4; price / expected sales CIT 1,995.3 / 900 = 2.2 times, Andrew 2,022.7 / 1,200 = 1.7 times, CommScope CCS 10,500 / 3,754.5 = 2.8 times and 10,500 / 545.9 = 19 times net income; CCS operating margin 739.6 / 3,754.5 = 19.7%; CCS sales growth 3,754.5 / 2,823.2 - 1 = +33.0%; CCS allocation (6,958.0 + 3,289.0) / 10,735.8 = 95%, other net assets 10,735.8 - 6,958.0 - 3,289.0 - 317.0 = 171.8; CCS operating income 739.6 / 10,500 = about 7% of price; CommScope since acquisition 190.2 / 2,100.9 = 9.1% net margin, Amphenol H1 2026 2,702.2 / 16,378.2 = 16.5%, CommScope share of H1 sales 2,100.9 / 16,378.2 = 12.8%; H1 2026 purchase costs 272.4 + 132.0 + 179.0 = 583.4, 583.4 / 190.2 = 3.1 times; acquisition-related expenses 103.4 / 23,094.7 = 0.4% of sales; accretion $0.30 pre-split / 2 = $0.15; acquired and currency growth Q2 2026 55% - 30% = 25 points, industrial 56% - 18% = 38 points; CommScope purchases 2,022.7 + 10,500 = about $12.5bn. Cash and capital: free cash flow / net income 2,159.9 / 1,928.0 = 112.0% (2023), 2,156.9 / 2,424.0 = 89.0% (2024), 4,392.9 / 4,270.3 = 102.9% (2025); operating cash flow 5,374.7 / 1,030.5 = 5.2 times (2015-2025); capital spending / sales 172.1 / 5,568.7 = 3.1% (2015), 360.4 / 10,876.3 = 3.3% (2021), 383.8 / 12,623.0 = 3.0%, 372.8 / 12,554.7 = 3.0% (2023), 665.4 / 15,222.7 = 4.4%, 996.6 / 23,094.7 = 4.3% (2025), 355.5 / 8,758.1 = 4.1% (Q2 2026); long-lived assets 2,864.6 / 2,096.2 - 1 = +36.7%; buybacks 2015-2025 248.9 + 325.8 + 618.0 + 935.2 + 601.7 + 641.3 + 661.7 + 730.5 + 585.1 + 689.3 + 665.2 = 6,702.7; buybacks net of option proceeds 585.1 - 394.5 = 190.6 (2023), 689.3 - 447.4 = 241.9 (2024), 665.2 - 553.0 = 112.2 (2025); diluted shares 316.5 x 8 = 2,532 million (2015), 1,289.2 x 2 = 2,578 million (Q2 2026), +1.8%, 1,272.2 x 2 = 2,544 million (Q2 2025); diluted EPS 2.41 / 8 = $0.30 (2015), 3.34 / 2 = $1.67 (2025), 1.37 / 2 = $0.685 (Q2 2026); net debt 6,886.1 - 3,335.4 = 3,550.7 (2024), 15,502.0 - 11,434.2 = 4,067.8 (2025); November 2025 notes 500 + 750 + 750 + 1,000 + 1,250 + 1,600 + 1,650 = 7,500; interest H1 2026 421.6 / 157.4 = 2.7 times; interest cover 5,868.6 / 367.8 = 16 times (2025), 4,416.4 / 421.6 = 10.5 times (H1 2026); interest / operating income 139.5 / 2,559.6 = 5.5% (2023), 421.6 / 4,416.4 = 9.5% (H1 2026); invested capital 30,639.2 / 18,303.5 = 1.67 times. Markets: IT datacom sales 0.19 x 8,225.4 = about 1,560 (2019), 0.24 x 15,222.7 = about 3,650 (2024), 0.36 x 23,094.7 = about 8,310 (2025), 2025 increase about 4,660 of 7,872.0; industrial 0.19 x 23,094.7 = about 4,390 (2025); mobile devices 0.15 x 8,598.9 = about 1,290 (2020), 0.06 x 23,094.7 = about 1,390 (2025); communications networks = mobile networks + broadband 8 + 4 = 12% (2019), 6 + 4 = 10% (2020), 5 + 4 = 9% (2021), 5 + 5 = 10% (2022), 4 + 4 = 8% (2023), 3 + 3 = 6% (2024); sales outside IT datacom Q2 2026 8,758.1 - 3,800 = about 4,960, Q2 2025 5,650.3 - 3,800 / 1.89 = about 3,640; distributor share 2,092.5 / 12,554.7 = 16.7% (2023), 2,778.2 / 15,222.7 = 18.3% (2024), 4,297.2 / 23,094.7 = 18.6% (2025); end customers and contract manufacturers 18,797.5 / 23,094.7 = 81.4%; backlog 8.9 / 1.720 = 5.2 times (2018-2025), 8.9 / 6.1 - 1 = +45.9%, 8.9 / 23.09 = 38.5% of 2025 sales; market share 23,094.7 / about 500,000 = 4.6%. Valuation: market value / net income 16,100 / 763.5 = 21.1 (2015), 26,810 / 650.5 = 41.2 (2017), 24,410 / 1,205.0 = 20.3 (2018), 39,120 / 1,203.4 = 32.5 (2020), 45,310 / 1,902.3 = 23.8 (2022), 59,310 / 1,928.0 = 30.8 (2023), 83,730 / 2,424.0 = 34.5 (2024), 165,420 / 4,270.3 = 38.7 (2025), 205,020 / 5,143.4 = 39.9 (September 2026); Amphenol / TE Connectivity 205.02 / 63.28 = 3.2 times; value added since 2024 (205.02 - 83.73) / 205.02 = 59%; forward earnings 83.14 / 28.48 = about $2.92, 2.92 / 2.00 - 1 = +46%. More: distributor sales 4,297.2 / 2,092.5 = 2.05 times (2023-2025); SG&A ratio 12.19% - 11.02% = 1.2 points; goodwill 17,554.7 / 44,806.6 = 39% of total assets; Harsh Environment sales 5,881.7 / 2,286.0 = 2.6 times; operating income H1 2026 Communications Solutions 1,389.4 + 1,808.3 = 3,197.7, 3,197.7 / 3,746.6 = 85%; dividend payments 307 against remaining term loan 400.0 = 1.3 quarters; sales growth 2020-2025 23,094.7 / 8,598.9 = 2.7 times; 2019 average quarterly sales 8,225.4 / 4 = about 2,056 against IT datacom Q2 2026 about 3,800; 2025 buyback price 665.2 / 7.4 = about $90 pre-split, $45 post-split; CommScope H1 net income 190.2 / 2,702.2 = 7%; capital spending H1 2026 647.1 / 16,378.2 = 4.0%; industrial 0.25 x 10,876.3 = about 2,720 (2021); Harsh Environment Q2 United States 990.5 / 772.3 - 1 = +28.3%; Interconnect and Sensor Q2 United States 442.9 / 384.5 - 1 = +15.2%, other foreign 826.0 / 677.8 - 1 = +21.9%, China 248.8 / 233.0 - 1 = +6.8%; Communications Solutions Q2 United States 1,980.4 / 780.5 - 1 = +153.7%, other foreign 2,705.2 / 1,614.1 - 1 = +67.6%; United States share Q2 2025 1,937.3 / 5,650.3 = 34.3%; Interconnect and Sensor sales 5,157.0 / 2,256.7 = 2.3 times. Additional: Communications Solutions Q2 2026 less Q1 2026 sales 5,383.6 - 4,534.7 = 848.9 and operating income 1,808.3 - 1,389.4 = 418.9, 418.9 / 848.9 = 49%; Interconnect and Sensor Q2 less Q1 1,517.7 - 1,392.3 = 125.4; Interconnect and Sensor China 959.4 / 986.0 - 1 = -2.7% (2025), segment 5,157.0 / 4,481.5 - 1 = +15.1%; Harsh Environment 2023 3,530.8 / 3,107.2 - 1 = +13.6%; Harsh Environment operating income 1,541.4 / 556.8 = 2.8 times, Interconnect and Sensor 1,005.1 / 348.6 = 2.9 times (2020-2025); China share of long-lived assets 343.1 / 1,195.7 = 28.7% (2019), 455.5 / 1,616.2 = 28.2% (2023); goodwill increase H1 2026 17,554.7 - 10,575.4 = 6,979.3; Q2 2026 sales 8,758.1 / 7,620.1 - 1 = +14.9%; industrial Q2 2026 0.20 x 8,758.1 = about 1,750; China Q2 2026 by segment 698.0 / 1,113.0 = 62.7%; effective tax rate 1,295.4 / 5,600.7 = 23.1% (2025), 570.3 / 3,011.9 = 18.9% (2024); June-quarter buyback price 141 / 2 = 70.50; long-lived assets 2,864.6 / 36,236.9 = 7.9% of total assets; Norwitt salary 1,565,000 / 22,351,288 = 7%; market value 205.02 / 16.10 = 12.7 times since 2015; P/S at end-2015 16,100 / 5,568.7 = 2.9; net debt 2024 3,550.7 / operating income 3,156.9 = 1.1 times; dividends 802.2 / 4,270.3 = 19% of net income; distributor sales 4,297.2 / 2,778.2 - 1 = +54.7%, direct 18,797.5 / 12,444.5 - 1 = +51.0%; CommScope H2 need 4,600 - 2,100.9 = about 2,500; orders 25.4 / 23.09 = 1.1 times sales; EBITDA implied by net leverage 13.4 / 1.3 = about 10.3bn, net debt at 1.0 times about 10.3bn, 13.4 - 10.3 = about 3.1bn less, or 13.4 / 10.3 - 1 = about 30% more earnings; deals per year 970 / 10 = 97, 937 / 9 = 104; Cable Products and Solutions 2021 22.8 / 445.4 = 5.1%; H1 2026 Communications Solutions 4,534.7 + 5,383.6 = 9,918.3; CommScope purchases 2,022.7 + 10,500 = about 12,500 against 12,376.1 for 2015-2025; November notes 7,500; sales 2020 8,598.9 / 8,225.4 - 1 = +4.5%, 2021 10,876.3 / 8,598.9 - 1 = +26.5% - sales growth and margins. — 2015-2026 · publ. September 2026 · source ↗
    Method: Arithmetic on figures reported in Amphenol's Forms 10-K and 10-Q, quarterly results releases, earnings calls, XBRL filings and market data; operands shown in the source line.
  4. ReportedPut that way, the company returned far less through buybacks than the headline suggests, and most of its capital return was the dividend: $802.2 million paid in 2025.
    Amphenol Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (year ended 31 December 2025) - financial statements and notes: income, cash flow, capital returns, debt and taxes. — FY2025 · publ. 11 February 2026 · source ↗
  5. ReportedStock-based compensation was $135.4 million in 2025, but the value transferred to option holders when they exercise at a low strike and the company buys shares back at a high price is larger than the accounting charge.
    Amphenol Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (year ended 31 December 2025) - financial statements and notes: income, cash flow, capital returns, debt and taxes. — FY2025 · publ. 11 February 2026 · source ↗
  6. Third-party estimateWith the share price up about 36% in the year to September 2026, that transfer grows.
    stockanalysis.com, Amphenol statistics, 28 September 2026: 2.47bn shares, P/S 7.03, P/FCF 43.27, return on invested capital 20.19%, weighted average cost of capital 10.35%. — September 2026 · publ. 28 September 2026 · source ↗
Sources
Generated September 28, 2026