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 and Holders
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PDM.” As of February 16, 2024, there were 7,277 common stockholders of record of our common stock.
Distributions
We intend to make distributions each taxable year equal to at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (not including a return of capital for federal income tax purposes). One of our primary goals is to pay regular quarterly distributions to our stockholders. The amount of distributions paid and the taxable portion thereof in prior periods are not necessarily indicative of amounts anticipated in future periods.
The amount of distributions to common stockholders is determined by our board of directors and is dependent upon a number of factors, including funds deemed available for distribution, based principally on our current and future projected operating cash flows reduced by outstanding debt service and capital requirements necessary to maintain our existing portfolio, our future capital needs, our future sources of liquidity, and the annual distribution requirements necessary to maintain our status as a REIT under the Code. Our board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per common share for the first and second quarter of 2023, and a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per common share for the third and fourth quarter of 2023.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we had a board-authorized stock repurchase program in place that allowed management to repurchase shares of our common stock when they believed such purchases would be a prudent use of capital. No shares were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $150.5 million of share repurchase capacity remained; however, this plan expired in February 2024 with no additional purchases.
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Performance Graph
The following graph compares the cumulative total return of Piedmont’s common stock with the FTSE NAREIT Equity Office Index, the FTSE NAREIT Equity REITs Index, and the S&P 500 Index for the period beginning on December 31, 2018 through December 31, 2023. The graph assumes a $100 investment in each of Piedmont and the three indices, and the reinvestment of any dividends.
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return of One or More Companies, Peer Groups, Industry Indices, and/or Broad Markets
As of the year ended December 31,
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. $ 100.00 $ 135.92 $ 104.01 $ 123.38 $ 65.70 $ 56.04
FTSE NAREIT Equity Office $ 100.00 $ 131.42 $ 107.19 $ 130.77 $ 81.58 $ 83.23
FTSE NAREIT Equity REITs $ 100.00 $ 126.00 $ 115.92 $ 166.04 $ 125.58 $ 142.83
S&P 500 $ 100.00 $ 131.49 $ 155.68 $ 200.37 $ 164.08 $ 207.21
The performance graph above is being furnished as part of this Annual Report solely in accordance with the requirement under Rule 14a-3(b)(9) to furnish Piedmont’s stockholders with such information and, therefore, is not deemed to be filed with the SEC or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and should not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any of our prior or subsequent filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities
There were no unregistered sales of equity securities during the fourth quarter of 2023.
Purchases of Equity Securities By the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
There were no repurchases of shares of our common stock during the fourth quarter of 2023. As of December 31, 2023 approximately $150.5 million remains available under our board-authorized stock repurchase program; however, this plan expired in February 2024 with no additional purchases.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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