Based on data from the end of 1985 on, a team of analysts from Jefferies have found that companies that paid dividends had higher average annual returns than non-payers, companies that reduced their share counts by repurchasing shares had higher average annual returns than those that let their share counts rise or remain the same, and companies that did both – paying dividends and reducing their share counts through buybacks – “outperformed the overall U.S. stock market significantly.” Given this, Jefferies has identified 17 stocks of companies it rates as “buy” that have been both paying dividends and reducing their share counts. To see what these stocks are, as well as their implied 12-month upside potential, CLICK HERE to read today’s article.