UPDATE: Schwab To Pay $20.50 A Share In Stock Buyback >SCHW

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)-- Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) will pay $20.50 a share to buyback about 102 million shares of its stock, distributing a portion of theproceeds from the stock brokerage's recently completed sale of its wealthmanagement subsidiary.

The purchase price announced Wednesday represents a 5% premium above the SanFrancisco-based company's current market value. Schwab shares fell 62 centsWednesday to $19.51.

Schwab had offered to pay as much as $22.50 a share when it announced thebuyback plan in early July. Investors who tendered their shares were apparentlywilling to accept less because of the recent volatility that has lowered stockprices. Schwab's stock price has fallen by 11% since management announced thebuyback plan.

Under the plan, Schwab will spend about $1.7 billion to purchase 84 millionshares from stockholders who tendered their holdings. The company will spendanother $369 million to buy back 18 million shares from its founder and chiefexecutive, Charles Schwab .

The stock brokerage is flush with cash after completing the $3.3 billion saleof its wealth management subsidiary, U.S. Trust Corp., to Bank of America Corp. (BAC) last month. The deal generated an after-tax windfall of $2.7 billion.

Besides buying back stock, Schwab also plans to distribute $1.2 billionthrough a special dividend of $1 a share scheduled to be paid later this month.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 08-01-07 2003ET Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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