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 10, 2023, there were 153 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, 2022 — $ — — 203,214
November 1 — November 30, 2022 — $ — — 193,458
December 1 — December 31, 2022 231 $ 134.47 — 189,191
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 778,814 shares, or $72.7 million, since this program's inception.
The above shares purchased during the quarter related 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, (2) S&P Midcap 400 Index and (3) S&P Midcap 400 Industrials. 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 500 Composite Index, 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, S&P Midcap 400, and S&P Midcap 400 Industrials
Assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2017 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending December 31.
Value at December 31,
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
MSA Safety Incorporated $ 100.00 $ 123.58 $ 168.18 $ 201.44 $ 205.77 $ 199.25
S&P 500 Index 100.00 95.62 125.72 148.85 191.58 156.88
S&P Midcap 400 100.00 88.92 112.21 127.54 159.12 138.34
S&P Midcap 400 Industrials 100.00 85.11 113.67 132.41 170.07 150.52
Prepared by Zacks Investment Research, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright 1980-2023.
Index Data: Copyright Standard and Poor’s, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Item 6. [Reserved]
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