Compare with a sinking fund, which amortizes the total debt outstanding by repurchasing some bonds. In the three years ended December 31, 2012, Loews spent $1.3 billion repurchasing shares. Combined, SoftBank would be repurchasing 45 percent of its stock. In 2003, PTT held an 80% share after repurchasing Telecom Italia's stake in the company. So, the company started repurchasing the rights it had sold. He stayed away only six years before repurchasing an interest in the team in 1991. He laid the groundwork for large-scale bond repurchasing, a controversial idea known as quantitative easing. Brand loyalty is more than simple repurchasing. On February 22, 2016, Colonial Radio Group announced they were repurchasing WFAY and WFBX.