Target will buy back up to $5B in shares Jan 12 09:50 AM US/Eastern MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Discount chain Target Corp. says it will buy back up to another $5 billion in shares under a new stock repurchase program. The retailer's current $10 billion program is expected to be completed within the next few months. The new $5 billion program is expected to be completed in the next two to three years. Share buybacks allow a company to invest in itself and create added demand for its shares. That enables a company to increase its stock price if it doesn't think the stock is trading at a fair value. Its shares were up 66 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $49.69 in premarket trading Thursday after the disclosure.