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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

Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “PAYX.” Dividends have historically been paid on our common stock in August, November, February, and May. The level and continuation of future dividends are dependent on our future earnings and cash flows, and are subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors (the “Board.”)

As of June 30, 2014, there were 15,333 holders of record of our common stock, which includes registered holders and participants in the Paychex, Inc. Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan. There were also 6,997 participants in the Paychex, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan and 5,261 participants in the Paychex, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

The high and low sale prices for our common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and dividends for fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013 are as follows:

Fiscal 2014Fiscal 2013
Sales pricesCash dividends declared per shareSales pricesCash dividends declared per share (1)
HighLowHighLow
First quarter$40.84$35.75$0.35$33.44$29.12$0.32
Second quarter$44.01$36.80$0.35$34.70$31.27$0.33
Third quarter$45.95$39.86$0.35$34.06$30.55$0.66
Fourth quarter$43.56$39.80$0.35$38.66$32.73—
(1)In fiscal 2013, the dividends that would typically have been paid in February 2013 and May 2013 were accelerated and paid in December 2012.

The closing price of our common stock as of May 30, 2014, as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, was $41.11 per share.

In October 2012, our Board approved a program to repurchase up to $350 million of our common stock, with authorization expiring on May 31, 2014. In May 2014, the Board approved a new program to repurchase up to $350 million of its common stock with authorization expiring on May 31, 2017. Shares of stock repurchased during the three months ended May 31, 2014 were retired. All shares of stock repurchased during the three months ended May 31, 2014 were purchased pursuant to the program.

The following table provides information relating to our repurchase of common stock during the three months ended May 31, 2014:

PeriodTotal number of shares purchasedAverage price paid per shareApproximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the program
March 1, 2014 - March 31, 2014—$—$147,044,948
April 1, 2014 - April 30, 2014844,015$41.08$112,369,489
May 1, 2014 - May 31, 2014300,000$40.37$100,257,468
Total for the period1,144,015$40.90$100,257,468

The following graph shows a five-year comparison of the total cumulative returns of investing $100 on May 31, 2009, in Paychex common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and a Peer Group Index. All comparisons of stock price performance shown assume reinvestment of dividends. We are a participant in the S&P 500 Index, a market group of companies with a larger than average market capitalization. Our Peer Group is a group of companies with comparable revenue and net income, who are in a comparable industry, or who are direct competitors of Paychex (as detailed on the next page).

May 31,200920102011201220132014
Paychex$100.00$108.99$128.64$124.54$160.94$183.86
S&P 500$100.00$120.99$152.39$151.76$193.15$232.64
Peer Group$100.00$105.30$142.18$134.51$178.37$221.56

There can be no assurance that our stock performance will continue into the future with the same or similar trends depicted in the graph above. We will neither make nor endorse any predictions as to future stock performance.

Our Peer Group is comprised of the following companies:

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (direct competitor)Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
Fiserv, Inc.Robert Half International Inc.
The Western Union CompanyIntuit Inc.
Total Systems Services, Inc.Iron Mountain Incorporated
Global Payments Inc.Moody’s Corporation
The Brink’s CompanyH&R Block, Inc.
DST System, Inc.TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation
The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation

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