Share-based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Argo Group’s 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan

In May 2019, our shareholders approved the 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”), which provides equity-based and cash-based performance-related incentives to key employees, non-employee directors and other service providers. The intent of the 2019 Plan is to encourage and provide for the acquisition of an ownership interest in Argo Group, enabling us to attract and retain qualified and competent persons to serve as members of our management team and the Board of Directors. The 2019 Plan authorizes 1,885,000 shares of common stock to be granted as equity-based awards. No further grants will be made under any prior plan; however, any awards under a prior plan that are outstanding as of the effective date shall remain subject to the terms and conditions of, and be governed by, such prior plan.

Awards granted under the 2019 Plan may be in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance awards, other stock-based awards or other cash-based awards. Awards may be granted either alone or in addition to or in tandem with other awards authorized under the 2019 Plan. Awards that are settled in stock will count as one share for the purposes of reducing the share reserve under the 2019 Plan. Shares issued under this plan may be shares that are authorized and unissued or shares that we reacquired, including shares purchased on the open market.

Stock options and stock appreciation rights are required to have an exercise price that is not less than the fair market value on the date of grant. The term of these awards is not to exceed ten years.

Restricted Shares

A summary of restricted share activity as of March 31, 2020 and changes during the three months then ended is as follows:


	Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at January 1, 2020	471,271	$	60.09

Vested and issued	(134,983)	$	55.87
Expired or forfeited	(45,482)	$	61.19
Outstanding at March 31, 2020	290,806	$	61.94

The restricted shares vest over one to four years. Expense recognized under this plan for the restricted shares was $3.1 million and $3.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Compensation expense for all share-based compensation awards is included in “Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income. As of March 31, 2020, there was $14.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted share compensation arrangements granted by Argo Group.

Stock-Settled SARs

A summary of stock-settled SARs activity as of March 31, 2020 and changes during the three months then ended is as follows:


	Shares	Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at January 1, 2020	625,368	$	33.60
Exercised	(369,362)	$	32.59
Expired or forfeited	—	$	—
Outstanding at March 31, 2020	256,006	$	35.05

As of March 31, 2020, all stock-settled SARs are fully vested. Upon exercise of the stock-settled SARs, the employee is entitled to receive shares of our common stock equal to the appreciation of the stock as compared to the exercise price. There was no expense recognized for the three months ending March 31, 2020 for stock-settled SARs. Expense recognized for the stock-settled SARs was $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019. As of March 31, 2020, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock-settled SARs outstanding.