Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
COMMON STOCK
Busey’s common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “BUSE.”
Busey has a history of paying regular dividends, and Busey’s board of directors and management are committed to continuing to pay regular cash dividends on its common stock; however, no guarantee can be given with respect to future dividends, as they are dependent on certain regulatory restrictions, future earnings, capital requirements, and the financial condition of First Busey Corporation and its subsidiaries. See “ Item 1. Business—Supervision, Regulation, and Other Factors—Supervision and Regulation of First Busey Corporation—Dividend Payments ” and “ Item 1. Business—Supervision, Regulation, and Other Factors—Supervision and Regulation of Busey Bank—Dividend Payments ” for further discussion of these matters. Busey’s preferred stock outstanding has preference over Busey’s common stock with respect to payment of dividends.
As of February 26, 2026, First Busey Corporation had 86,227,449 shares of common stock outstanding held by 1,833 holders of record. Additionally, there were an estimated 18,322 beneficial holders whose stock was held in street name by brokerage houses and nominees as of that date.
STOCK REPURCHASE PLAN
On February 3, 2015, First Busey Corporation's board of directors approved the Stock Repurchase Plan to enable Busey to purchase shares of its common stock through various means including purchases executed on the open market, through block trades or otherwise, and in privately negotiated transactions. The Stock Repurchase Plan provides Busey with treasury shares from which stock-based compensation can be issued, and it limits the number of outstanding shares that may be actively traded. The Stock Repurchase Plan does not obligate Busey to purchase any shares of its common stock, and it has no expiration date. The Stock Repurchase Plan may be terminated, or the number of shares authorized for repurchase may be increased or decreased by Busey's board of directors at its discretion at any time.
Under the Stock Repurchase Plan, Busey's board of directors has authorized shares for repurchase as shown in the table below:
Number of Shares Authorized
February 3, 2015 666,667
May 22, 2019 1,000,000
February 5, 2020 2,000,000
May 24, 2023 2,000,000
May 29, 2025 2,000,000
December 4, 2025 4,000,000
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During the fourth quarter of 2025, Busey purchased 1,251,100 shares of its common stock pursuant to the Stock Repurchase Plan. As of December 31, 2025, Busey had 4,856,175 shares that may still be purchased under the Stock Repurchase Plan.
Period Total Number of Common Shares Purchased Weighted Average Price Paid per Common Share Number of Common Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs Maximum Number of Common Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
October 1-31, 2025 300,000 $ 23.04 300,000 1,807,275
November 1-30, 2025 308,000 22.84 308,000 1,499,275
December 1-31, 2025 643,100 24.68 643,100 4,856,175
Three months ended December 31, 2025 1,251,100 $ 23.84 1,251,100
Year ended December 31, 2025 3,063,100 $ 22.81 3,063,100
STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following graph compares Busey’s performance, as measured by the change in price of its common stock plus reinvested dividends, with the Nasdaq Composite, the Russell 2000 Index, the KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index, and the S&P U.S. BMI Banks – Midwest Region over the five years ended December 31, 2025. The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index seeks to reflect the performance of publicly traded U.S. regional banks and thrift institutions. Banks in the S&P U.S. BMI Banks – Midwest Region Index represent all Major Exchange Traded Banks in S&P Capital IQ’s coverage universe that are headquartered in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
For purposes of the comparative total return graph, Busey intends to replace the Nasdaq Composite with the Russell 2000 Index. Busey’s management believes the Russell 2000 Index is more comparable because it includes a higher percentage representation from the finance sector, and its market capitalization range provides a more representative and comparable group to Busey’s market capitalization.
In addition, for purposes of the comparative total return graph, Busey intends to replace the S&P U.S. BMI Banks – Midwest Region with the KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index. With Busey’s expanded footprint beyond the Midwest region, Busey’s management believes the KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index now provides a more appropriate comparison, and beginning in 2025 Busey’s new equity award grants with a total stockholder return performance goal will be evaluated in comparison to the KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index.
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As of December 31,
Index 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
First Busey Corporation $ 100.00 $ 130.76 $ 123.68 $ 129.97 $ 128.37 $ 135.42
KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index 100.00 136.64 127.17 126.67 143.39 152.71
S&P U.S. BMI Banks – Midwest Region 100.00 132.12 114.02 116.40 142.02 159.02
Russell 2000 Index 100.00 114.82 91.35 106.82 119.14 134.40
Nasdaq Composite 100.00 122.18 82.42 119.22 154.47 187.12
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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