Historical Financial Highlights
- January 1992: Whole Foods goes public, trading shares on the NASDAQ Stock Market as WFMI.
- November 1993: WFMI stock splits 2 for 1.
- June 2001: WFMI stock splits 2 for 1.
- October 2001: Moody's upgrades WFMI debt ratings.
- May 2002: WFMI added to S&P MidCap 400 Index.
- December 2002: WFMI added to the NASDAQ-100 Index.
- January 2004: Whole Foods Market paid its first dividend ever, 15 cents on each share of the company's stock.
- November 2004: Board of Directors approves 27 percent increase in quarterly dividend to $0.19 per share.
- March 2005: WFMI joins the ranks of the Fortune 500, entering the list for the first time at No. 479.
- April 2005: Board of Directors approves 32 percent increase in quarterly dividend to $0.25 per share.
- November 2005: Board of Directors approves 20 percent increase in quarterly dividend to $0.30 per share and announces special $4.00-per-share dividend.
- December 2005: Whole Foods Market stock splits 2 for 1, the third stock split in the company’s history.
- November 2006: The company's salary cap was raised from 14 times the average pay of a full-time worker to 19 times the average pay. This is up from the original eight-times cap that was set in the late 80’s. Additionally, the company announced that CEO John Mackey will receive a salary of one dollar (started January 1, 2007), and will forgo any future stock option awards.
- November 2006: Whole Foods Market's stock dropped 18 percent after the company lowered its 2007 sales forecasts.
- August 2007: A federal judge cleared the way for Whole Foods to merge with its rival Wild Oats Markets Inc., discounting recent arguments that the reduced competition would lead to higher prices.
- March 2009: Federal judge orders the divestiture of Wild Oats Market as well as one of Whole Foods existing stores.
- December 2009: In a December 24, 2009 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Co-founder and CEO John Mackey voluntarily gave up his chairmanship, a position he had held since Whole Foods' inception in 1978. John Mackey will still remain on the board of directors. The new chairman will be John Elstrott.
- May 2011: The stock symbol changed from WFMI to WFM.
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