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
Market Information
The Company has two classes of Common Stock: Class A and Class B. Class A Common Stock is listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “IMKTA”. There is no public market for the Company’s Class B Common Stock. Under the terms of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, a holder of Class B Common Stock may convert any or all of the holder’s shares of Class B Common Stock into an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock at any time. For additional information regarding the voting powers, preferences and relative rights of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, please see Note 8, “Stockholders’ Equity” to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
As of December 24, 2024, there were approximately 307 holders of record of the Company’s Class A Common Stock and 85 holders of record of the Company’s Class B Common Stock.
Dividends
The Company has paid cash dividends on its Common Stock in each of the past 40 fiscal years, except for the 1984 fiscal year when the Company paid a 3% stock dividend. During both fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023, the Company paid annual dividends totaling $0.66 per share of Class A Common Stock and $0.60 per share of Class B Common Stock, paid in quarterly installments of $0.165 and $0.15 per share, respectively. The Company’s last dividend payment was made on October 17, 2024 to common stockholders of record on October 10, 2024. For additional information regarding the dividend rights of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, please see Note 8, “Stockholders’ Equity” to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Company expects to continue paying regular cash dividends on a quarterly basis. However, the Board of Directors periodically reconsiders the declaration of dividends. The Company pays these dividends at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The continuation of these payments, the amount of such dividends, and the form in which the dividends are paid (cash or stock) depends upon the results of operations, the financial condition of the Company and other factors which the Board of Directors deems relevant. The payment of cash dividends is also subject to restrictions contained in certain financing arrangements. Such restrictions are summarized in Note 7, “Long-Term Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Repurchase of Equity Securities
None.
16
Stock Performance Graph
Set forth below are a graph and accompanying table comparing the five-year cumulative total stockholder return on the Class A Common Stock with the five-year cumulative total return of (i) the S&P 500 Comprehensive-Last Trading Day Index and (ii) a peer group of companies in the Company's line of business. The 2024 peer group consists of the following companies: Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V., Weis Markets, Inc., The Kroger Co., SpartanNash Co., Sprouts Farmers Markets, Inc., and Village Super Market, Inc.
The comparisons cover the five-years ended September 28, 2024 and assume that $100 was invested after the close of the market on September 28, 2019, and that dividends were reinvested quarterly. Returns of the companies included in the peer group reflected below have been weighted according to each company’s stock market capitalization at the beginning of each year presented.
INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED
COMPARATIVE RETURN TO STOCKHOLDERS
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INDEXED RETURNS OF INITIAL $100 INVESTMENT *
Company/Index
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Ingles Markets, Incorporated Class A Common Stock
$
95.49
$
173.74
$
218.71
$
203.00
$
202.06
S&P 500 Comprehensive – Last Trading Day Index
$
115.15
$
149.70
$
126.54
$
153.89
$
209.84
Peer Group
$
128.12
$
151.81
$
149.57
$
167.31
$
215.67
*Assumes $100 invested in the Class A Common Stock of Ingles Markets, Incorporated after the close of the market on September 28, 2019.
The foregoing stock performance information, including the graph, shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Item 6. [Reserved]