Aside from being well-known, industry-leading brands, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Target (NYSE: TGT), and Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) may not have much in common as companies. Another throughline is that each business generates a ton of free cash flow (FCF) and then uses that FCF to pay dividends and buy back stock. Here's how stock buybacks have helped to bolster shareholder value, and why Apple, Target, and Caterpillar are top stocks to buy now.