Yes, we've wanted Internet companies to grow up, but we weren't talking retirement! Members of the buyback country club include such esteemed tech stalwarts as Intel ( INTC ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), IBM ( IBM ) and Hewlett-Packard undefined. Uppity stocks bucking at Wall Street 's mocking include NCR ( NCR ), Network Computing Devices undefined, Corel undefined, Gateway undefined and Apple ( AAPL ). Steve Jobs ' decision to repurchase $500 million in Apple shares best illustrates the concept: Why let investors think Apple was tapped out in the mid-50s in July 1999? Now that the stock has more than doubled, Jobs' move looks like a cocky statement.