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Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

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Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Price range of common stock and number of stockholders

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SYMC.” As of March 31, 2017, there were 1,763 stockholders of record. The high and low closing sales prices set forth below are as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market during each quarter of the two most recent fiscal years.

20172016
Fourth QuarterThird QuarterSecond QuarterFirst QuarterFourth QuarterThird QuarterSecond QuarterFirst Quarter
High$30.83$25.45$25.27$21.24$20.88$21.37$23.47$25.90
Low$24.01$23.49$20.28$16.60$16.62$19.50$19.33$23.03

Stock performance graph

The graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500 Composite Index and the S&P Information Technology Index for the five fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 (assuming the initial investment of $100 in our common stock and in each of the other indices on the last day of trading for fiscal 2011, and the reinvestment of all dividends). The comparisons in the graph below are based on historical data and are not indicative of, nor intended to forecast the possible future performance of our common stock.

COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN

Among Symantec Corporation, the S&P 500 Index

and the S&P Information Technology Index

symc33117-_chartx10899.jpg

This performance graph shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Symantec under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Dividends

During fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, we declared and paid aggregate cash dividends and dividend equivalents of $222 million or $0.30 per common share, $3.0 billion or $4.60 per common share, and $413 million or $0.60 per common share, respectively. Dividends declared and paid each quarter during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $0.075, $0.15 and $0.15 per share, respectively. Additionally, a special dividend of $4.00 per share was declared and paid in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding our dividends. All future dividends are subject to the approval of our Board of Directors.

Repurchases of our equity securities

Through our stock repurchase programs we have repurchased shares of our common stock since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004. Under these programs, shares may be repurchased on the open market and through accelerated stock repurchase (“ASR”) transactions. Stock repurchases during the three months ended March 31, 2017, were as follows:

(In millions, except per share data)Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)Average Price Paid per Share (1)Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced ProgramMaximum Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (2)
December 31, 2016 to January 27, 2017—$——$1,300
January 28, 2017 to February 24, 2017—$——$1,300
February 25, 2017 to March 31, 201714.2$—14.2$800
Total number of shares repurchased14.214.2
(1)Pursuant to the March 2017 ASR, we made an upfront payment of $500 million and received and retired an initial delivery of 14.2 million shares of our common stock in March 2017. On May 19, 2017, which was in our first quarter of fiscal 2018, the ASR was completed, which, per the terms of the agreements, resulted in us receiving an additional 2.2 million shares of our common stock (these shares were excluded from the table above, as they were received after March 31, 2017). The total shares received under the terms of the ASR were 16.4 million, with an average price paid per share of $30.51. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding our stock repurchase programs.
(2)The approximate dollar value of the shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs for the period from February 25, 2017 to March 31, 2017 is reduced by the $500 million that reflects the aggregate value of the stock held back by the financial institutions pending final settlement of our ASR agreement. The remaining $800 million authorization, to be completed in future periods, does not have an expiration date.

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