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
On January 17, 2018, we consummated an initial public offering of our Class A Common Stock at a price of $17.00 per share. Our Class A Common Stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “LBRT.” Prior to that time, there was no public market for our Class A Common Stock. There is no public market for our Class B Common Stock.
Holders of our Common Stock
As of February 5, 2024, there were 17 stockholders of record of our Class A Common Stock and no stockholders of record of our Class B Common Stock. The number of record holders is based upon the actual number of holders registered on the books of the Company at such date and does not include holders of shares in “street names” or persons, partnerships, associations, corporations or other entities identified in security position listings maintained by depositories.
Dividend Policy
On October 18, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) reinstated quarterly dividends after they were suspended on April 2, 2020. The Company paid cash dividends of $0.05 per share of Class A Common Stock on December 20, 2022, March 20, 2023, June 20, 2023, and September 20, 2023 to stockholders of record as of December 6, 2022, March 6, 2023, June 6, 2023, and September 6, 2023, respectively. Additionally, the Company paid cash dividends of $0.07 per share of Class A Common Stock on December 20, 2023 to stockholders of record as of December 6, 2023. The declaration of dividends is subject to approval by the Board and to the Board’s continuing determination that such declaration of dividends is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Future dividends may be adjusted at the Board’s discretion based on market conditions and capital availability. We are not required to pay dividends, and our stockholders will not be guaranteed, or have contractual or other rights to receive, dividends.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, dividend payments totaled $37.5 million and $9.0 million, respectively.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities
We had no sales of unregistered equity securities during the period covered by this Annual Report that were not previously reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K (or on Form 10-Q in lieu of Form 8-K).
Purchase of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
On July 25, 2022, the Board authorized and the Company announced a share repurchase program that allowed the Company to repurchase up to $250.0 million of the Company’s Class A Common Stock beginning immediately and continuing through and including July 31, 2024. On January 24, 2023, the Board authorized and the Company announced an increase to the share repurchase program that increased the Company’s cumulative repurchase authorization to $500.0 million. Furthermore, on January 23, 2024, the Board authorized and the Company announced an increase to the share repurchase program that increased the Company’s cumulative repurchase authorization to $750.0 million and extended the authorization through July 31, 2026. The shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with applicable state and federal securities laws. The timing, as well as the number and value of shares repurchased under the program, will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend on a variety of factors, including management’s assessment of the intrinsic value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, the market price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, general market and economic conditions, available liquidity, compliance with the Company’s debt and other agreements, applicable legal requirements, and other considerations. The exact number of shares to be repurchased by the Company is not guaranteed, and the program may be suspended, modified, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. The Company expects to fund any repurchases by using cash on hand, borrowings under the ABL Facility and expected free cash flow to be generated through the duration of the share repurchase program.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased and retired 13,705,622 shares of Class A Common Stock for $203.1 million or $14.82 average price per share including commissions, under the share repurchase program.
As of December 31, 2023, $171.9 million remained authorized for future repurchases of Class A Common Stock under the share repurchase program and $417.5 million as of February 5, 2024, following the authorization increase.
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The following sets forth information with respect to our repurchases of shares of Class A Common Stock during the three months ended December 31, 2023:
Period Total number of shares purchased Average price paid per share (2) Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs (1) Approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs (1)
October 1, 2023 - October 31, 2023 351,632 19.91 351,632 203,968,909
November 1, 2023 - November 30, 2023 1,161,489 19.45 1,161,489 181,379,741
December 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023 518,615 18.22 518,615 171,930,956
Total 2,031,736 19.21 2,031,736 171,930,956
(1) On July 25, 2022, the Board authorized and the Company announced a share repurchase program that allowed the Company to repurchase up to $250.0 million of the Company’s Class A Common Stock beginning immediately and continuing through and including July 31, 2024. On January 24, 2023, the Board authorized and the Company announced an increase to the share repurchase program that increased the Company’s cumulative repurchase authorization to $500.0 million. Furthermore, on January 23, 2024, the Board authorized and the Company announced an increase to the share repurchase program that increased the Company’s cumulative repurchase authorization to $750.0 million and extended the authorization through July 31, 2026. The shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with applicable state and federal securities laws.
(2) The average price paid per share of $19.21 was calculated excluding commissions.
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Stock Performance Graph
The following graph and table compares the cumulative total return on our Class A Common Stock with the cumulative total return on the Standard & Poor’s 500 ® Index and the Philadelphia Oil Service Index, since December 31, 2018 and each annual period thereafter through December 31, 2023. The graph assumes that $100 was invested in our Class A Common Stock in each index on December 31, 2018 and that any dividends were reinvested on the last day of the month in which they were paid. The cumulative total return set forth is not necessarily indicative of future performance.
The following graph and related information shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.
For the Years Ended December 31
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Liberty Energy Inc. $ 100.00 $ 87.20 $ 82.35 $ 77.48 $ 128.28 $ 147.43
Standard & Poor’s 500 ® Index 100.00 131.49 155.68 200.37 164.08 207.21
Philadelphia Oil Service Index 100.00 99.44 57.60 69.54 112.31 114.47
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Item 6. [Reserved]
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