ADA, Okla., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. , announced that our Board of Directors has authorized an additional repurchase of 1 million shares, as we have purchased virtually all of our previously announced stock repurchase authorizations totaling 15 million shares. We will make purchases at prices we consider attractive. We have not set a time limit for completion of the additional share repurchases.
During the fourth quarter of 2009 through November 30, 2009, we returned $28.8 million to shareholders through the repurchase of 722,022 shares of common stock, at an average per share price of $39.89. Since April 1999, we have returned $450.8 million to shareholders through the purchase of 14.9 million shares, average price of $30.21 per share, and $17.1 million in dividends for a combined total of $467.9 million representing more than 100% of our net earnings during the same timeframe.
About Us - We believe our products are one of a kind, life events legal service plans. Our plans provide for legal service benefits provided through a network of independent law firms across the U.S. and Canada, and include unlimited attorney consultation, will preparation, traffic violation defense, automobile-related criminal charges defense, letter writing, document preparation and review and a general trial defense benefit. We have an identity theft restoration product we think is also one of a kind due to the combination of our identity theft restoration partner and our provider law firms. More information about our products and us can be found at our homepage at http://www.prepaidlegal.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, regarding our future plans and objectives and expected operating results, dividends and share repurchases and statements of the assumptions underlying such statements, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain assumptions that may not be correct. They are subject to risks and uncertainties incident to our business that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the reports and statements filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including (among others) those listed in our Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, and include the risks that our membership persistency or renewal rates may decline, that we may not be able to continue to grow our memberships and earnings, that we are dependent on the continued active participation of our principal executive officer, that pending or future litigation may have a material adverse effect on us if resolved unfavorably to us, that we may have compromises of our information security, that during an economic downturn in the economy consumer purchases of discretionary items may be affected which could materially harm our sales, retention rates, profitability and financial condition, that we could be adversely affected by regulatory developments, that competition could adversely affect us, that we are substantially dependent on our marketing force, that our stock price may be affected by short sellers, that we have been unable to increase our employee group membership sales and that our active premium in force is not indicative of future revenue as a result of changes in active memberships from cancellations and additional membership sales. Please refer to pages 15 - 17 of our 2008 Form 10-K and pages 7 and 8 of our September 30, 2009 Form 10-Q for a more complete description of these risks. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
CONTACT: Steve Williamson of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.,
+1-580-436-1234
Web Site: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/
