The stock market's safety net is disappearing — but don’t sound the alarm just yet

Share buybacks and dividend payments are slowing, but it's not yet time to panic about the longevity of the bull market, Morgan Stanley says. The firm says stocks should continue climbing higher as corporations use money to grow their core businesses, something that equity investors have already started rewarding. Since the financial crisis, share buybacks have been an ace in the hole for public companies as the equity market's bull run has stretched into its ninth year. They've...