NOTE 3 - STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

Under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), employees are able to acquire shares of common stock at 85% of the price at the end of each current quarterly plan term.  The most recent term ended September 30, 2015.  The ESPP is considered compensatory under current Internal Revenue Service rules.  At September 30, 2015, after giving effect to the shares issued as of that date, 107,916 shares remain available for purchase under the ESPP. 

 

2011 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan

 

On March 28, 2011 the Board adopted and on May 19, 2011 the Company’s shareholders approved the Company’s 2011 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (“2011 Incentive Plan”).  The 2011 Incentive Plan authorizes incentive awards to officers, key employees and non-employee directors in the form of options (incentive and non-qualified), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance stock units (“deferred stock”), performance cash units, and other awards in stock, cash, or a combination of stock and cash.  On May 21, 2015, the Company’s shareholders approved an amendment to the 2011 Incentive Plan to increase the authorized shares by 1,000,000 to 2,000,000.  As a result, up to 2,000,000 shares of our common stock may be issued pursuant to awards under the 2011 Incentive Plan, as amended. 

 

During 2015, stock options covering 248,258 shares have been awarded to key executive employees and directors. These options expire seven years from the date of award and vest 25% each year beginning one year after the date of award.  The Company also granted deferred stock awards of 100,017 shares to key employees during the first quarter of 2015 under the Company’s long-term incentive plan for performance over the 2015 to 2017 period. The actual number of shares of deferred stock, if any, that are ultimately earned by the respective employees will be determined based on achievement against performance goals for each of the three years ending December 31, 2017 and the shares earned will be issued in the first quarter of 2018 to those key employees still with the Company at that time. 

 

At September 30, 2015, 106,465 shares have been issued under the 2011 Incentive Plan, 842,082 shares are subject to currently outstanding options, deferred stock awards, and unvested restricted stock units, and 1,051,453 shares are eligible for grant under future awards.

 

 

Stock Option Plan for Directors

 

Shares of common stock are reserved for issuance to non-employee directors under options granted by the Company prior to 2011 under its Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the “Director Plan”).  Under the Director Plan nonqualified stock options to acquire shares of common stock were automatically granted to each non-employee director concurrent with annual meetings of shareholders in 2010 and earlier years, with the exercise price of options granted being the fair market value of the common stock on the date of the respective shareholder meetings.  Options granted under the Director Plan expire 10 years from date of grant. No options were granted under the Director Plan in 2014 or 2015.  The Company amended the Director Plan in May 2011 to prohibit future option grants.

 

1992 Stock Plan

 

Under the Company’s 1992 Stock Plan (“the Stock Plan”), shares of common stock may be issued pursuant to stock options, restricted stock or deferred stock grants to officers and key employees.  Exercise prices of stock options under the Stock Plan cannot be less than fair market value of the stock on the date of grant.  Rules and conditions governing awards of stock options, restricted stock and deferred stock are determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, subject to limitations in the Stock Plan.  The Company amended the Stock Plan in 2011 to prohibit future stock options or other equity awards.

 

At September 30, 2015, after reserving for stock options and deferred stock awards granted in prior years and adjusting for forfeitures and issuances during the year, there were 22,008 shares reserved for issuance under the Stock Plan. The Company has not awarded stock options or deferred stock under the Stock Plan since 2011.

 

Changes in Stock Options Outstanding

 

The following table summarizes changes in the number of outstanding stock options under the 2011 Incentive Plan, the Director Plan and Stock Plan over the period December 31, 2014 to September 30, 2015:  

 

 

The aggregate intrinsic value of all options (the amount by which the market price of the stock on the last day of the period exceeded the market price of the stock on the date of grant) outstanding at September 30, 2015 was $0.  The intrinsic value of all options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 was $10,000. Net cash proceeds from the exercise of all stock options were $0 and $99,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.

 

Changes in Deferred Stock Outstanding

 

The following table summarizes the changes in the number of deferred stock shares under the Stock Plan and 2011 Incentive Plan over the period December 31, 2014 to September 30, 2015:

 

 

Changes in Restricted Stock Units Outstanding

 

The following table summarizes the changes in the number of restricted stock units under the 2011 Incentive Plan over the period December 31, 2014 to September 30, 2015:

 

 

Compensation Expense

 

Share-based compensation expense recognized for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2015 was $701,000 before income taxes and $456,000 after income taxes. Share-based compensation expense recognized for the nine-month period ended September 30,  2014 was $519,000 before income taxes and $337,000 after income taxes.  Unrecognized compensation expense for the Company’s plans was $928,000 at September 30, 2015 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.3 years.  Excess tax benefits from the exercise of stock options and issuance of stock included in financing cash flows for the nine month periods ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 were $88,000 and $67,000, respectively. Share-based compensation expense is recorded as a part of selling, general and administrative expenses.