On December 31, 2023, the Bennett Company had 110,000 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. On July 1, 2024, the company sold 22,000 additional shares for cash. Bennett's net income for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $610,000. During 2024, Bennett declared and paid $72,000 in cash dividends on its nonconvertible preferred stock. What is the 2024 basic earnings per share?

Multiple Choice

$5.04

$4.89

None of these answer choices are correct.

$4.45