Dow Chemical 2009 Annual Report Download - page 55

Table of Contents
The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
PART II, Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity,
Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY
SECURITIES
The principal market for the Company’s common stock is the New York Stock Exchange, traded under the symbol “DOW.”
Quarterly market and dividend information can be found in Quarterly Statistics at the end of Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data, following the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
At December 31, 2009, there were 89,946 registered common stockholders. The Company estimates that there were an additional 563,000 stockholders
whose shares were held in nominee names at December 31, 2009. At January 31, 2010, there were 89,529 registered common stockholders.
On December 10, 2009, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, payable January 29, 2010, to stockholders of record on
December 31, 2009. On February 10, 2010, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, payable April 30, 2010, to stockholders
of record on March 31, 2010. Since 1912, the Company has paid a cash dividend every quarter and, in each instance prior to February 12, 2009, had
maintained or increased the amount of the dividend, adjusted for stock splits. During this 97-year period, Dow has increased the amount of the quarterly
dividend 47 times (approximately 12 percent of the time), and maintained the amount of the quarterly dividend approximately 88 percent of the time. The
dividend was reduced in February 2009, for the first time in the 97-year period, due to uncertainty in the credit markets, unprecedented lower demand for
chemical products, the ongoing global recession and pending business issues. The Company declared dividends of $0.60 per share in 2009, $1.68 per share
in 2008 and $1.635 per share in 2007.
See Part III, Item 11. Executive Compensation for information relating to the Company’s equity compensation plans.
The following table provides information regarding purchases of the Company’s common stock by the Company during the three months ended
December 31, 2009:
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Period
Total number of
shares purchased (1)
Average price paid per
share
Total number of shares
purchased as part of the
Company’s publicly
announced share
repurchase program
Approximate dollar value
of shares that may yet be
purchased under the
Company’s publicly
announced share
repurchase program
October 2009 2,442 $ 25.05 - -
November 2009 2,187 $ 24.28 - -
December 2009 - - - -
Fourth quarter 2009 4,629 $ 24.69 - -
(1) Represents shares received from employees and non-employee directors to pay taxes owed to the Company as a result of the exercise of stock options or the delivery of
deferred stock. For information regarding the Company’s stock option plans, see Note S to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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