They have two main options: acquisitions (Pepsi has just bought its two main bottlers) or payouts to shareholders—assuming they are cheery enough to stop hoarding cash.

现在，摆在这些公司面前的，主要有两条路：一是收购其他公司（百事公司前不久才收购了两大饮料品牌）；二是把钱交给股东们——想象他们欣喜若狂，就不会再把钱攒起来了。 ---》they指代firms，公司现在有钱了，很high，不像金融危机那样紧巴巴不敢花钱了。assume假定

youdao

Not that this is likely to stop people hoarding crates of them in their cellars.

并不是说这会让人们停止囤积灯泡。

youdao

Miller added that some companies need to increase their payout ratio-or earning dividends to shareholders-and stop hoarding so much cash.

米勒补充说一些公司需要增加他们的派息比率或股息收入给股东，停止囤积这么多现金。

youdao

He replaced the black market currency with a stable yuan to stop high inflation and food hoarding.

FORBES: Magazine Article

So if banks are hoarding cash because they fear that any minute now the eurozone crisis will become so terrible that they won't be able to borrow what they need from normal creditors, they can relax, stop hoarding and start lending again.

BBC: Will Bank of England��s new lending schemes work?