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.
(a) Market information, holders, dividends
First Financial's common shares are listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Stock Market® under the symbol "FFBC." The information contained in the “Quarterly Financial And Common Stock Data” in First Financial’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2021, with respect to our stock price and dividends, is incorporated herein by reference in response to this item.
As of February 17, 2022, our common shares were held by approximately 3,965 shareholders of record, a number that does not include beneficial owners who hold shares in “street name,” or shareholders from previously acquired companies that have not exchanged their stock. At December 31, 2021, a total of 20,515 stock options and 839,733 shares of restricted stock were outstanding. Additional information about stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units is included in Note 20 - Stock Options and Awards in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in First Financial’s 2021 Annual Report to Shareholders and in Item 12 below.
The payment of future cash dividends is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and subject to a number of factors, including results of operations, general business conditions, growth, financial condition, regulatory limitation and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. Further, our ability to pay future cash dividends is subject to certain regulatory requirements and restrictions discussed in the Supervision and Regulation section in Item 1 above. For further information see Note 3 - Restrictions on Cash and Dividends in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of First Financial's 2021 Annual Report to Shareholders (included as Exhibit 13 of this report), which is incorporated by reference in response to this item.
Stock Performance Graph
The stock performance graph contained in “Total Return to Shareholders” of First Financial's 2021 Annual Report to Shareholders (included as Exhibit 13 of this report), is incorporated herein by reference in response to this item.
(b) Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
(c) Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
In December 2018 the Board approved a stock repurchase plan pursuant to which the Company was authorized to repurchase up to 5,000,000 shares of stock through December 31, 2020. On December 22, 2020, the Board announced that it authorized a new repurchase plan that provided for the purchase of up to 5,000,000 additional shares of common stock of the Company (the 2020 Repurchase Plan). The 2020 Repurchase Plan became effective January 1, 2021, upon the expiration of the previously authorized stock repurchase plan, but was terminated in December 2021 and replaced with a new plan effective January 1, 2022. The Company did not purchase any shares under the 2020 Repurchase Plan in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
Not applicable.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results Of Operations.
The information contained in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section (including certain forward looking statements) of First Financial’s 2021 Annual Report to Shareholders (included as Exhibit 13 of this report) is incorporated herein by reference in response to this item.