Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Eastern Bankshares, Inc.’s common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol EBC. As of February 24, 2025, there were 7,950 common shareholders of record based on information provided by our transfer agent. The number of record-holders may not reflect the number of persons or entities holding stock in nominee name through banks, brokerage firms and other nominees.
Comparative Stock Performance Graph
The stock performance graph below and associated table compare the cumulative total shareholder return of our common stock from October 15, 2020 to December 31, 2024 to the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Index and the KBW Regional Banking Index. The lines in the graph and the numbers in the table below represent annual index levels derived from the compounded daily returns that include reinvestment or retention of all dividends. If the annual interval, based on the last day of a year, was not a trading day, the preceding trading day was used. The index value for all of the series was set to $100.00 on October 15, 2020 (which assumes that $100.00 was invested in each of the series on October 15, 2020).
The following information in this Item 5 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Exchange Act or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act and will not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such a filing. The stock price performance shown on the stock performance graph and associated table below is not necessarily indicative of future price performance. Information used in the graph and table was obtained from a third party provider, a source believed to be reliable, but we are not responsible for any errors or omission in such information.
Period Ending
Index 10/15/2020 12/31/2020 12/31/2021 12/31/2022 12/31/2023 12/31/2024
Eastern Bankshares, Inc. 100.00 134.24 168.53 147.04 124.94 156.33
Russell 2000 100.00 120.82 138.72 110.37 129.05 143.94
KBW Regional Banks 100.00 134.82 184.23 171.46 170.78 193.32
Source: Zacks Investment Research, Inc. © 1980-2025
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Dividends
We intend to continue to pay regular cash dividends to holders of our common stock; however, any future determination to declare and pay cash dividends will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on a variety of factors, including applicable laws, our financial condition, results of operations, business prospects, general business or financial market conditions, regulatory environment and other factors our Board of Directors may deem relevant. To the extent dividends from Eastern Bank will be a source of cash used by the Company to pay its dividends, dividends from the Bank will be dependent on the Bank’s future earnings, capital requirements, and financial condition.
Repurchases of Common Shares
On July 25, 2024, we announced the approval by our Board of Directors of a new share repurchase program. The program authorized the purchase of up to 10,800,000 shares over a 12-month period and is limited to $200.0 million through July 31, 2025 and may be modified or terminated by our Board of Directors at any time. Repurchases are made at management’s discretion from time to time at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders, subject to the availability of shares, general market conditions, the trading price of the shares, alternative uses for capital and liquidity, and our financial performance. Repurchases may be suspended, terminated or modified by us at any time for any reason.
Information regarding the shares repurchased under the plans is presented in the following table:
Period Total Number of Shares Repurchased Average Price Paid per Share Total Number of Shares Repurchased as Part of the Share Repurchase Programs Maximum Number of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Share Repurchase Programs
July 1, 2024 – July 31, 2024 — $ — — 10,800,000
August 1, 2024 – August 31, 2024 770,252 $ 15.01 770,252 10,029,748
September 1, 2024 – September 30, 2024 66,147 $ 15.86 836,399 9,963,601
October 1, 2024 – October 31, 2024 100,433 $ 15.96 936,832 9,863,168
November 1, 2024 – November 30, 2024 157,771 $ 17.91 1,094,603 9,705,397
December 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 650,221 $ 17.51 1,744,824 9,055,176
Total 1,744,824 $ 16.29
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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