** Shares of IT consultancy firm EPAM Systems EPAM.N rise 3.5% to $150 premarket
** EPAM announces new stock repurchase program of up to $1 bln
** Buyback will have a term of 24 months, co says
** With stable free cash flow generation and strong balance sheet, co can return cash to shareholders while also making investments in its business and AI - CFO Jason Peterson
** 13 of 17 brokerages covering the stock recommend a rating of "buy" or higher, while others recommend "hold"; stock has a median PT of $215 - LSEG
** Up to its last close, the stock had lost ~38% this year
(Reporting by Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru)
((Arnav.Mishra@thomsonreuters.com;))