Stockholders’ Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders’ Equity

11. Stockholders’ Equity

Cash Dividend — On February 8, 2023, our Board of Directors approved a cash dividend on our common stock in the amount of $0.08 per share to be paid on March 16, 2023 to holders of record as of March 2, 2023. The amount and timing of all future dividend payments, if any, are subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon business conditions, results of operations, financial condition, terms of our debt agreements and other factors. Our Board of Directors may, without advance notice, reduce or suspend our dividend to improve our financial flexibility and position our company for long-term success. There can be no assurance that we will pay a dividend in the future.

Share Repurchases and Acquisitions — In September 2013, our Board of Directors approved a stock buyback program. In October 2022, our Board of Directors approved an increase of the authorization under the stock buyback program to allow for an aggregate of $300 million of future share repurchases. All purchases executed to date have been through open market transactions. Purchases under the program are made at management’s discretion, at prevailing prices, subject to market conditions and other factors. Purchases may be made at any time without prior notice. There is no expiration date associated with the buyback program. As of December 31, 2022, we had remaining authorization to purchase approximately $243 million of our outstanding common stock under the stock buyback program. Shares of stock purchased under the buyback program are held as treasury shares.

We acquired shares of stock from employees during 2022, 2021 and 2020 that are accounted for as treasury stock. Certain of these shares were acquired to satisfy the exercise price and employees’ tax withholding obligations upon the exercise of stock options. The remainder of these shares were acquired to satisfy payroll withholding obligations upon the settlement of performance unit awards and the vesting of restricted stock units. These shares were acquired at fair market value. These acquisitions were made pursuant to the terms of the Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. Amended and Restated 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2014 Plan”) and the Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2021 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), and not pursuant to the stock buyback program. Upon the issuance of shares for the Pioneer acquisition in October 2021, we withheld shares with respect to Pioneer employees’ tax withholding obligations.

Treasury stock acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2022				2021				2020
	Shares		Cost		Shares		Cost		Shares		Cost
Treasury shares at beginning of period		84,128,995	$	1,372,641		83,402,322	$	1,366,313		77,336,387	$	1,345,134
Purchases pursuant to stock buyback program		3,254,599		57,173		—		—		5,826,266		20,000
Acquisitions pursuant to long-term incentive plan		1,372,101		23,237		451,196		3,727		239,669		1,179
Purchases in connection with Pioneer acquisition		—		—		275,477		2,601		—		—
Other		3,027		28		—		—		—		—
Treasury shares at end of period		88,758,722	$	1,453,079		84,128,995	$	1,372,641		83,402,322	$	1,366,313

Release of Cumulative Translation Adjustment — In April 2022, we sold certain assets to substantially complete our exit from our Canadian operations. We used the Canadian dollar as our functional currency for our Canadian operations. Prior to the substantial completion of our exit, the effects of exchange rate changes were reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income, which is a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Upon substantial completion of our exit, we released the $7.7 million cumulative translation adjustment, net of tax of $3.8 million, from accumulated other comprehensive income into net income (loss) in the second quarter of 2022. The release resulted in an $11.5 million pre-tax gain, which was recorded in other operating income, net.