Note 15 - Stockholders' Equity

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Equity [Text Block]

NOTE 15. Stockholders’ Equity

Stock Repurchase Program. In February 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved a common stock repurchase program to acquire up to $75.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock, excluding excise tax, which expires on December 31, 2024. Purchases under the repurchase program may be made from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions, and are subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements, contractual obligations and other factors. The repurchase program does not require the Company to acquire any specific number of shares. This repurchase program may be suspended from time to time, modified, extended or discontinued by the board of directors at any time. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company repurchased, excluding excise tax, approximately $8.8 million and zero of common stock under this repurchase program, respectively. As of March 31, 2024, approximately $66.2 million remained available for use to repurchase shares under the Company’s common stock repurchase program, excluding excise tax.

Issuance of Common Stock. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company did not issue any shares of HighPeak Energy common stock. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company issued 11,984 shares of HighPeak Energy common stock as a result of warrants (150 shares) and stock options (11,834 shares) being exercised.

Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. In February 2024, the Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.04 per share of common stock outstanding which resulted in a total of $5.1 million in dividends being paid on March 25, 2024. In addition, under the terms of the LTIP, the Company paid a dividend equivalent per share to all vested stock option holders of $536,000 in March 2024 and accrued a dividend equivalent per share to all unvested stock option holders which will be payable upon vesting, assuming no forfeitures. In addition, the Company accrued an additional combined $86,000 in dividends on the restricted stock issued to directors, management directors and certain employees that will be payable upon vesting.

In January 2023, the Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.025 per share of common stock outstanding which resulted in a total of $2.8 million in dividends being paid on February 24, 2023. In addition, under the terms of the LTIP, the Company paid a dividend equivalent per share to all vested stock option holders of $283,000 in February 2023 and accrued a dividend equivalent per share to all unvested stock option holders which was payable upon vesting of up to an additional $5,000, assuming no forfeitures. In addition, the Company accrued an additional combined $53,000 in dividends on the restricted stock issued to directors, management directors and certain employees that will be payable upon vesting.

Outstanding securities. At March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had 127,855,383 and 128,420,923 shares of common stock outstanding, respectively, and 7,934,977 and 7,934,977 warrants outstanding, respectively, with an exercise price of $11.50 per share that expire on August 21, 2025.