Note 13 - Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

NOTE

1

3

:     EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Equity Plans

On

May 27, 2015,

the Company

’s stockholders voted to approve the Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc.

2015

Equity Plan (

the”2015

Plan”). The Plan provides for the grant of up to

250,000

shares of Common Stock under equity awards including stock options, stock awards, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, performance units, or other equity-based awards payable in cash or stock to key employees and directors of the Company and the Bank. As of

December 31, 2017,

restricted stock for

41,031

shares of Common Stock and

55,823

of performance stock units has been granted under the Plan.

On

May 26, 2010,

the Company

’s stockholders voted to approve the Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc.

2010

Equity Plan (

the”2010

Plan”). The Plan provides for the grant of up to

200,000

shares of Common Stock under equity awards including stock options, stock awards, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, performance units, or other equity-based awards payable in cash or stock to key employees and directors of the Company and the Bank. As of

December 31, 2017,

non-incentive stock options for

25,000

shares and restricted stock for

139,330

shares of Common Stock have been granted under the Plan.

In addition, the Company established

four

stock option plans for the benefit of certain directors, officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiary. A committee of the Company

’s Board of Directors administers the plans. The stock options under these plans

may

be either incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options. Incentive stock options can be granted only to participants who are employees of the Company or its subsidiary. The option price must

not

be less than the market value of the Company stock on the date of grant. All options expire

no

later than

ten

years from the date of grant. The options vest at the rate of

20%

per year over a

five

-year period.

The tables below summarize transactions under the Company

’s equity plans:

Stock Options

	Number of shares
	Incentive Stock Option			Non-Incentive Stock Option			Weighted Average Exercise Price
Balance outstanding as of January 1, 2015		140,300			82,500			18.23
Granted		-			-			-
Exercised		(10,800	)		(25,000	)		5.22
Forfeited		(38,000	)		-			25.19
Balance outstanding as of December 31, 2015		91,500			57,500			19.58
Granted		-			-			-
Exercised		(11,500	)		(5,000	)		5.20
Forfeited		(20,000	)		(2,500	)		28.34
Balance outstanding as of December 31, 2016		60,000			50,000			19.95
Granted		-			-
Exercised		(3,000	)		-			5.19
Forfeited		(11,000	)		(25,000	)		29.48
Balance outstanding as of December 31, 2017		46,000			25,000		$	15.74
Options exercisable as of December 31, 2017		46,000			25,000		$	15.74

As of

December 31,

201

7,

total outstanding stock options of

71,000

had a remaining contractual life of

0.85

years.

The total intrinsic value of outstanding stock options was

$664,220

and

$660,120

at

December 31, 2017

and

2016,

respectively. The total intrinsic value of outstanding exercisable stock options was

$664,220

and

$660,120

at

December 31, 2017

and

2016,

respectively. The fair value of options vested during

2017,

2016

and

2015

was

$0,

$0

and

$143,350,

respectively.

Restricted Stock

	Number of shares			Weighted Average Grant- Date Price
Balance of shares non-vested as of January 1, 2015		30,503			10.26
Granted		28,951			14.78
Vested		(15,083	)		11.64
Forfeited		(894	)		12.26
Balance of shares non-vested as of December 31, 2015		43,477			12.75
Granted		24,679			15.01
Vested		(7,201	)		13.13
Forfeited		-			-
Balance of shares non-vested as of December 31, 2016		60,955			13.62
Granted		13,386			20.33
Vested		(28,791	)		12.29
Forfeited		-			-
Balance of shares non-vested as of December 31, 2017		45,550		$	16.44

In

February 2017,

the Company granted

6,960

shares of restricted stock to directors pursuant to the

2015

Equity Plan of which

6,195

have a cliff vesting at the end of

one

year and thus, expensed over that same period and

765

shares have a cliff vesting at the end of

three

years, and thus, expensed over that same period. In

February 2016,

the Company granted

9,336

shares of restricted stock to directors that have a

one

year cliff vesting. In

February 2015,

the Company granted

8,281

of restricted stock to directors that was fully vested and thus, expensed in full during the year ended

December 31, 2015.

In

June 2015,

the Company granted

966

shares of restricted stock to directors that have a cliff vesting at the end of

three

years. The expense is being recognized over the applicable vesting period. The expense relating to these awards for the years ended

December 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015

was

$135,274,

$126,032

and

$124,910,

respectively.

During

2017,

2016

and

2015,

the Company granted

6,426,

15,343

and

19,704

shares of restricted stock to officers that all have a cliff vesting at the end of

three

years. The expense is being recognized over the applicable vesting period. The expense relating to these awards for the years ended

December 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015

was

$210,008,

$267,606

and

$176,644,

respectively.

Performance

Stock

Units

	Performance Stock Units		Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Balance of shares non-vested as of January 1, 2017		-	$	-
Granted		55,823		20.48
Vested		-		-
Forfeited		-		-
Balance of shares non-vested as of December 31, 2017		55,823	$	20.48

On

March 29, 2017,

the Company granted restricted stock units representing

55,823

hypothetical shares of common stock to officers. There are

three

possible levels of incentive awards: threshold (

25%

); target (

50%

); and maximum (

100%

). The restricted stock units vest based on

two

financial performance factors over the period from

March 29, 2017

to

December 31, 2019 (

the “Performance Period”). The

two

performance measurements of the Company (and the weight given to each measurement) applicable to each award level are as follows: (i) Total Assets (

50%

) and (ii) Return on Average Assets (

50%

). In determining compensation expense, the fair value of the restricted stock unit awards was determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, which was

$20.48

per share. The expense is being recognized over the applicable vesting period. Due to the fact that the measurements cannot be determined at the time of the grant, the Company estimated that the most likely outcome is the achievement of the target level. If during the Performance Period, additional information becomes available to lead the Company to believe a different level will be achieved for the Performance Period, the Company will reassess the number of units that will vest for the grant and adjust its compensation expense accordingly on a prospective basis. The total amount of expense for restricted stock units during the year ended

December 31, 2017

was

$153,242.

Total stock-based compensation expense is comprised of expense for restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and stock options. Expense recognized for the years ended

December 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015

was

$498,524,

$393,638

and

$297,295,

respectively. As of

December 31, 2017,

there was

$632,742

of unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested restricted stock awards and restricted stock units, which will be recognized over the remaining vesting periods.