Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MSA.” On February 11, 2022, there were 162 registered holders of our shares of common stock.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Period Total Number of Shares Purchased Average Price Paid Per Share Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced
Plans or Programs Maximum Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or Programs
October 1 — October 31, 2021 — $ — — 377,828
November 1 — November 30, 2021 183 148.22 — 402,280
December 1 — December 31, 2021 49 148.51 — 381,921
The share repurchase program authorizes up to $100.0 million in repurchases of MSA common stock in the open market and in private transactions. The share purchase program has no expiration date. The maximum number of shares that may be purchased is calculated based on the dollars remaining under the program and the respective month-end closing share price. We have purchased a total of 527,406 shares, or $42.3 million, since this program's inception.
The above shares purchased during the quarter relate to stock-based compensation transactions.
We do not have any other share repurchase programs.
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Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return
The following paragraph compares the most recent five-year performance of MSA stock with (1) the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index (previously used by MSA), (2) the Russell 2000 index (previously used by MSA), (3) S&P Midcap 400 Index (currently being used by MSA) and (4) S&P Midcap 400 Industrials (currently being used by MSA). Because our competitors are principally privately held concerns or subsidiaries or divisions of corporations engaged in multiple lines of business, we do not believe it feasible to construct a peer group comparison on an industry or line-of-business basis. The S&P Midcap 400 Index and the S&P Midcap 400 Industrials, while including corporations both larger and smaller than MSA in terms of market capitalization, is composed of corporations with an average market capitalization similar to us.
COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
ASSUMES INITIAL INVESTMENT OF $100
Among MSA Safety Incorporated, the S&P 500 Index, the Russell 2000 Index, S&P Midcap 400, and S&P Midcap 400 Industrials
Assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2015 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending December 31.
During 2021 the Company selected the S&P 400 Midcap 400 Index and S&P Midcap 400 Industrials as the indexes that includes companies that are of comparable market capitalization to MSA Safety to replace the S&P 500 Index and Russell 2000 index going forward.
Value at December 31,
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
MSA Safety Incorporated $ 100.00 $ 113.94 $ 140.81 $ 191.63 $ 229.53 $ 234.46
S&P 500 Index 100.00 121.83 116.49 116.49 153.17 153.17 181.35 181.35 233.41
Russell 2000 Index 100.00 114.65 102.02 128.06 153.62 176.39
S&P Midcap 400 100.00 115.79 102.39 129.22 146.70 183.02
S&P Midcap 400 Industrials 100.00 123.54 105.15 140.43 163.58 210.11
Prepared by Zacks Investment Research, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright 1980-2022.
Index Data: Copyright Standard and Poor’s, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Index Data: Copyright Russell Investments. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Not applicable.
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