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
Our common stock trades on The Nasdaq Global Select Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “PZZA”. As of February 17, 2022, there were 1,359 record holders of our common stock. However, there are significantly more beneficial owners of our common stock than there are record holders.
On January 27, 2022, our Board of Directors declared a first quarter dividend of $0.35 per share of common stock, representing an approximate $12.7 million aggregate dividend that was paid on February 18, 2022 to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 7, 2022.
We anticipate continuing the payment of quarterly cash dividends. The actual amount of such dividends is subject to declaration by our Board of Directors and will depend upon future earnings, results of operations, capital requirements, our financial condition, contractual restrictions, including the terms of the agreements governing our debt and any future indebtedness we may incur and other relevant factors. There can be no assurance that the Company will continue to pay quarterly cash dividends at the current rate or at all.
On October 28, 2021, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program with an indefinite duration for up to $425.0 million of the Company’s common stock. This share repurchase program operated alongside our previous $75.0 million share repurchase authorization, which began on November 4, 2020 and expired on December 26, 2021. In fiscal 2021, approximately 594,000 shares with an aggregate cost of $72.5 million and an average price of $121.96 per share were repurchased under these programs. Funding for the share repurchase programs were provided through our operating cash flows and our $600.0 million PJI Revolving Facility.
The following table summarizes our repurchase activity by fiscal period during the fourth quarter ended December 26, 2021 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Total Number
Maximum Dollar
Total
Average
of Shares Purchased
Value of Shares
Number
Price
as Part of Publicly
that May Yet Be
of Shares
Paid per
Announced Plans
Purchased Under the
Fiscal Period
Purchased
Share
or Programs
Plans or Programs
9/27/2021 - 10/24/2021
132
$
126.44
132
$
35,026
10/25/2021 - 11/21/2021
70
$
125.25
70
$
451,219
11/22/2021 - 12/26/2021
205
$
128.84
205
$
424,800
Total
407
$
127.44
407
$
424,800
Subsequent to year-end, we acquired an additional 109,000 shares at an aggregate cost of $13.3 million. Approximately $411.5 million remained available under the Company’s share repurchase program as of February 17, 2022.
The Company utilizes a written trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, from time to time to facilitate the repurchase of shares of our common stock under this share repurchase program. There can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares of our common stock either through a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan or otherwise.
The information required by Item 5 with respect to securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Part III, Item 12 of this Form 10-K.
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Stock Performance Graph
The following performance graph compares the cumulative shareholder return of the Company’s common stock for the five-year period between December 25, 2016 and December 26, 2021 to (i) the Nasdaq US Benchmark TR Index and (ii) a group of the Company’s peers consisting of U.S. companies listed on Nasdaq with standard industry classification (SIC) codes 5800-5899 (eating and drinking places). Management believes the companies included in this peer group appropriately reflect the scope of the Company’s operations and match the competitive market in which the Company operates. The graph assumes the value of the investments in the Company’s common stock and in each index was $100 on December 25, 2016, and that all dividends were reinvested.
(Note) The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S. Companies) Index was replaced with the Nasdaq US Benchmark TR Index in 2021.
Item 6. Intentionally Omitted
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