SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Share Repurchase Program

Share repurchase program

NOTE 9 – SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

In January of 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program. Under the program, the Company may, from time to time, repurchase shares of its common stock, solely through open market purchases effected through a broker dealer at prevailing market prices, based on a variety of factors such as price, corporate trading policy requirements, and overall market conditions.  The Company’s Board of Directors may increase or otherwise modify, renew, suspend, or terminate the share repurchase program at any time, without prior notice.  As announced on May 23, 2023, and November 16, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors each time approved a resolution to increase the authorization amount under the share repurchase program by an additional $2.0 billion, resulting in a cumulative authorization amount of $25.8 billion.  The additional authorizations are effective for three years, beginning on their respective announcement date.

The following table identifies shares of the Company’s common stock that have been repurchased as part of the Company’s publicly announced share repurchase program for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands, except per share data):

	For the Three Months Ended				For the Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Shares repurchased		498		852		1,545		2,961
Average price per share	$	1,084.28	$	938.11	$	1,038.32	$	874.99
Total investment	$	540,713	$	799,520	$	1,604,494	$	2,590,950

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $967.7 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization.  Excise tax on shares repurchased, assessed at one percent of the fair market value of shares repurchased, was $16.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Subsequent to the end of the third quarter and through November 8, 2024, the Company repurchased 0.2 million additional shares of its common stock under its share repurchase program, at an average price of $1,174.84, for a total investment of $192.4 million.  The Company has repurchased a total of 95.8 million shares of its common stock under its share repurchase program since the inception of the program in January of 2011 and through November 8, 2024, at an average price of $260.71, for a total aggregate investment of $25.0 billion.