EMPLOYEE STOCK PLANS (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jan. 01, 2016

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

The table below summarizes the net share-based compensation expense recognized for employee stock awards and for the option component of the employee stock purchase plan shares:



	Three Months Ended
	January 1,			January 2,
(In thousands)	2016			2015
Cost of revenues - Product	$	991		$	1,109
Cost of revenues - Service	989			952
Research and development	1,577			1,738
Selling, general and administrative	7,698			8,938
Total share-based compensation expense	$	11,255		$	12,737
Income tax benefit for share-based compensation	$	(3,458	)	$	(3,973	)

Fair Value of Employee Stock Option Plans With Weighted Average Assumptions

The fair value of options granted was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model with the following weighted average assumptions:



	Three Months Ended
	January 1,			January 2,
	2016			2015
Employee Stock Option Plans
Expected term (in years)	4.13			4.52
Risk-free interest rate	1.4		%	1.5		%
Expected volatility	20.5		%	22.8		%
Expected dividend	—		%	—		%
Weighted average fair value at grant date	$	15.44		$	19.20

Fair Value of Employee Stock Purchase Plan With Weighted Average Assumptions

The option component of employee stock purchase plan shares was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model with the following weighted average assumptions:



	Three Months Ended
	January 1,			January 2,
	2016			2015
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Expected term (in years)	0.50			0.50
Risk-free interest rate	0.3		%	0.1		%
Expected volatility	17.0		%	8.3		%
Expected dividend	—		%	—		%
Weighted average fair value at grant date	$	15.59		$	14.24

Summary of Share-Based Awards Available for Grant

A summary of share-based awards available for grant is as follows:



(In thousands)	Shares Available for Grant
Balance at October 2, 2015	6,661
Granted	(378	)
Cancelled or expired	217
Balance at January 1, 2016	6,500

Activity Under Employee Stock Plans

Activity under the Company’s employee stock plans is presented below:



	Options Outstanding
(In thousands, except per share amounts)	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Term (in years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (1)
Balance at October 2, 2015	2,537		$	72.58
Granted	12		80.78
Cancelled or expired	(9	)	86.22
Exercised	(133	)	52.97
Balance at January 1, 2016	2,407		$	73.65	4.0	$	26,024

Exercisable at January 1, 2016	1,551		$	64.75	3.0	$	25,985

(1)

The aggregate intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value of options, which is computed based on the difference between the exercise price and VMS’s closing common stock price of $80.80 as of December 31, 2015, the last trading date of the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, and which would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised and sold their options as of that date.

Activity for Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units and Performance Units

The activity for restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units and performance units is summarized as follows:



(In thousands, except per share amounts)	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Balance at October 2, 2015	950		$	84.11
Granted	85		83.42
Vested	(153	)	71.13
Cancelled or expired	(57	)	81.08
Balance at January 1, 2016	825		$	86.85