Google can do this because they have too much cash on their balance sheet and the market demands a return on that cash. They need novel areas to invest for them

Google can do this because they have too much cash on their balance sheet and the market demands a return on that cash. They need novel areas to invest for them to grow. But there is an alternative. I would prefer to see Google return cash to shareholders via a stock buyback and focus on their core: organizing the world's information. This is not because I hold GOOG stock, just because I believe in that mission, think they still have a long way to go, and don't yet have the resources to tackle that problem myself. I think as a smaller company revenue-wise and, ideally, as a private one they could have more long-term focus.