Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

The Company's common stock, par value $0.10 per share, or Common Stock, trades on the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE under the symbol “LH.”

Holders

On February 23, 2024, there were approximately 1,188 holders of record of the Common Stock.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent for the Company's Common Stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, 48 Wall Street, Floor 23, New York, NY 10005, telephone: 800-468-9716, website: www.https://equiniti.com/us/.

Dividends

The Company initiated a quarterly dividend beginning in the second quarter of 2022. The Company’s ability to pay dividends is primarily dependent on earnings from operations, the adequacy of capital and the availability of liquid assets for distribution.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company paid $254.0 million in Common Stock dividends. The Company expects common dividend declarations, if made, to occur in January, April, July, and October with payment dates in March, June, September and December, and are subject to Board approval. There can be no assurance that the Company will continue to pay quarterly cash dividends at the current rate or at all.

Common Stock Performance

The graph below shows the cumulative total return assuming an investment of $100 on December 31, 2018, in each of the Company’s Common Stock, the Standard & Poor’s, or S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Health Care Index, and assuming that all dividends were reinvested. For the purpose of this graph, the distribution of 100% of the outstanding Common Stock of Fortrea Holdings Inc. (Fortrea) to the Company's shareholders, pursuant to which Fortrea became an independent company, is treated as a non-taxable cash dividend of $33.11 per share, an amount equal to the opening price of Fortrea Common Stock when it began trading on June 20, 2023, that was deemed reinvested in the Company’s Common Stock at the closing price on June 20, 2023.

Comparison of Cumulative Total Return

Index

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities (all amounts in millions, except per share amounts)

The following table sets forth information with respect to purchases of shares of the Company’s Common Stock made during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, by or on behalf of the Company:

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company purchased 4.8 shares of its Common Stock at an average price per share of $206.85 for a total cost of $1,000.0. When the Company repurchases shares, the amount paid to repurchase the shares in excess of the par or stated value is allocated to additional paid-in-capital unless subject to limitation or the balance in additional paid-in-capital is exhausted. Remaining amounts are recognized as a reduction in retained earnings. At the end of 2023, the Company had outstanding authorization from the Board to purchase up to $530.4 of the Company's Common Stock. The repurchase authorization has no expiration date.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased 4.7 shares of its Common Stock at an average price per share of $233.48 for a total cost of $1,100.0. When the Company repurchases shares, the amount paid to repurchase the shares in excess of the par or stated value is allocated to additional paid-in-capital unless subject to limitation or the balance in additional paid-in-capital is exhausted. Remaining amounts are recognized as a reduction in retained earnings.