On December $31,2023,$ Dow Steel Corporation had $730,000$ shares of common stock and $43,000$ shares of $9\%,$ noncumulative, nonconvertible preferred stock issued and outstanding.

Dow issued a $5\%$ common stock dividend on May $15$ and paid cash dividends of $$530,000$ and $$82,000$ to common and preferred shareholders, respectively, on December $15,2024.$

On February $28,2024,$ Dow sold $60,000$ common shares.

In keeping with its long$-$term share repurchase plan, $2,000$ shares were retired on July $1.$

Dow's net income for the year ended December $31,2024,$ was $$2,750,000.$ The income tax rate is $25\%.$

Required:

Compute Dow's earnings per share for the year ended December $31,2024.$

Note: Do not round intermediate calculations. Except for per share amounts, enter your answers in thousands $($i$.$e$.,10,000$ should be entered as $10).$ Round "Earnings per share" answer to $2$ decimal places.

$\backslash$table$[[$Numerator$,,$Denominator,$=,$Earnings per share$],[,,,=,]]$