Stock-Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock-based compensation

At March 31, 2020, the Company had several stock-based compensation plans including stock option plans, various cash-settled liability plans, and an employee share purchase plan. These plans resulted in an expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020 of $11 million (three months ended March 31, 2019 - an expense of $34 million).

Stock option plan

In the three months ended March 31, 2020, under CP’s stock option plans, the Company issued 212,020 options at the weighted-average price of $351.37 per share, based on the closing price on the grant date. Pursuant to the employee plan, these options may be exercised upon vesting, which is between 12 months and 48 months after the grant date, and will expire after seven years.

Under the fair value method, the fair value of the stock options at grant date was approximately $15 million. The weighted-average fair value assumptions were approximately:



	For the three months ended March 31, 2020
Expected option life (years)⁽¹⁾	4.75
Risk-free interest rate⁽²⁾	1.31%
Expected stock price volatility⁽³⁾	23.05%
Expected annual dividends per share⁽⁴⁾	$3.3200
Expected forfeiture rate⁽⁵⁾	4.37%
Weighted-average grant date fair value per option granted during the period	$68.95


⁽¹⁾	Represents the period of time that awards are expected to be outstanding. Historical data on exercise behaviour or, when available, specific expectations regarding future exercise behaviour were used to estimate the expected life of the option.


⁽²⁾	Based on the implied yield available on zero-coupon government issues with an equivalent term commensurate with the expected term of the option.


⁽³⁾	Based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price over a period commensurate with the expected term of the option.


⁽⁴⁾	Determined by the current annual dividend at the time of grant. The Company does not employ different dividend yields throughout the contractual term of the option.


⁽⁵⁾	The Company estimates forfeitures based on past experience. This rate is monitored on a periodic basis.

Performance share unit plans

During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company issued 97,205 Performance Share Units ("PSUs") with a grant date fair value of approximately $34 million and 10,029 Performance Deferred Share Units ("PDSUs") with a grant date fair value, including value of expected future matching units, of approximately $4 million. PSUs and PDSUs attract dividend equivalents in the form of additional units based on dividends paid on the Company’s Common Shares, and vest approximately three years after the grant date, contingent upon CP’s performance ("performance factor"). The fair value of these PSUs and PDSUs is measured periodically until settlement using a lattice-based valuation model.Vested PSUs are settled in cash. Vested PDSUs are settled in cash pursuant to the Deferred Share Unit ("DSU") Plan and are eligible for a 25% match if the holder has not exceeded their share ownership requirements, and are paid out only when the holder ceases their employment with CP.

The performance period for PSUs and PDSUs issued in the three months ended March 31, 2020 is January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022 and the performance factors are Return on Invested Capital ("ROIC"), Total Shareholder Return ("TSR") compared to the S&P/TSX 60 Index, and TSR compared to Class I railways.

The performance period for PSUs issued in 2017 was January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, and the performance factors for these PSUs were ROIC, TSR compared to the S&P/TSX Capped Industrial Index, and TSR compared to S&P 1500 Road and Rail Index. The resulting payout was 193% of the outstanding units multiplied by the Company's average share price calculated using the last 30 trading days preceding December 31, 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, payouts occurred on the total outstanding awards, including dividends reinvested, totalling $76 million on 121,225 outstanding awards.

Deferred share unit plan

During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company granted 13,134 DSUs with a grant date fair value of approximately $4 million. DSUs vest over various periods of up to 48 months and are only redeemable for a specified period after employment is terminated. The expense for DSUs is recognized over the vesting period for both the initial subscription price and the change in value between reporting periods.