Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Equity [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

9.Shareholders’ Equity

Share-Based Compensation

The Company’s 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2021 Plan”) was approved by the Company’s stockholders on May 25, 2021 which replaced the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”). No further grants will be made under the 2017 Plan, but outstanding awards under the 2017 Plan will continue to be unaffected in accordance with their terms. The 2021 Plan permits the granting of stock options with an exercise price equal to or greater than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the date of the grant, and other stock-based awards, including appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares and dividend equivalents. A total of 2.6 million shares of common stock were authorized for issuance. As of December 31, 2023, 1.6 million shares remain available for future issuance. Stock options granted to employees generally vest equally over a period of four years from the date of the grant with a maximum contractual term of ten years from the date of the grant. Stock awards granted to employees generally vest over a period of three to four years from the date of the grant.

On July 6, 2020, in connection with the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer, the Company granted its Chief Executive Officer approximately 94,000 restricted stock units with a fair value of $0.6 million, which are being expensed over the vesting period of four years. The Company also granted its Chief Executive Officer approximately 1.2 million stock options with a fair value of $2.4 million that are being expensed over the vesting period of four years. These grants of restricted stock units and stock options (“2020 Inducement Awards”) were approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and are not included in any of the aforementioned Plans.

Share-based compensation expense for stock options and restricted stock awards under these plans was $4.3 million, $3.9 million and $3.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The tax benefit related to share-based compensation expense was $0.8 million, $0.5 million and $0.8 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) was approved by shareholders on June 11, 2020. The ESPP is administered by the Compensation Committee. The ESPP allows employees to purchase shares of common stock at a 15% discount from market price and pay for the shares through payroll deductions. Eligible employees can enter the plan at specific “offering dates” that occur in six-month intervals.

The aggregate maximum number of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be granted under the ESPP is 1.3 million shares over the ten-year term of the ESPP, subject to adjustment in the event there is a reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split-up, or similar transaction with respect to the common stock. As of December 31, 2023, 1.2 million shares remain available for future issuance.

The Company recognized employee stock purchase plan expense of $0.2 million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Stock Options

The estimated weighted-average fair value of stock options was determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model at the grant date based on the following assumptions:

Expected Volatility: The Company utilizes a volatility factor based on the Company’s historical stock prices for a period of time equal to the expected term of the stock option utilizing weekly price observations.

Expected Term: Due to limited historical exercise data, the Company utilizes the simplified method of determining the expected term based on the vesting schedules and terms of the stock options.

Risk-Free Interest Rate: The risk-free interest rate factor utilized is based upon the implied yields currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues over the expected term of the stock options.

No stock options were granted for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

The fair value of stock options is recorded as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods (which approximates the requisite service period) of the options and forfeitures are accounted for when they occur.

Information related to all stock options under the 2021 Plan, 2017 Plan and 2007 Plan, and the 2020 Inducement Awards for 2023, 2022 and 2021 is shown in the tables below:

(Shares in thousands)	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Outstanding at December 31, 2022		1,440		$	11.30	4.0 years
Forfeitures		(92	)		13.43
Exercised		(101	)		11.93
Outstanding and expected to vest at December 31, 2023		1,247			11.09	3.4 years	$	11,452
Exercisable at December 31, 2023		942			11.10	3.4 years	$	8,652

(Shares in thousands)	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Outstanding at December 31, 2021		1,514		$	11.19	4.9 years
Forfeitures		(32	)		10.55
Exercised		(42	)		8.15
Outstanding and expected to vest at December 31, 2022		1,440			11.30	4.0 years	$	1,766
Exercisable at December 31, 2022		833			11.47	3.6 years	$	923

(Shares in thousands)	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Outstanding at December 31, 2020		1,554		$	11.17	5.8 years
Forfeitures		(38	)		10.63
Exercised		(2	)		6.66
Outstanding and expected to vest at December 31, 2021		1,514			11.19	4.9 years	$	—
Exercisable at December 31, 2021		603			11.39	4.0 years	$	—

The Company received $1.2 million, $0.4 million, and zero of cash from employees exercising options in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $0.3 million, $0.2 million, and zero, respectively.

Restricted Stock Awards

Information related to restricted stock awards under the 2021 Plan, 2017 Plan, 2007 Plan, and the 2020 Inducement Awards for 2023, 2022 and 2021 is shown in the table below. The fair value of restricted stock awards is based on the price of the stock in the open market on the date of the grant, and the fair value of performance-based restricted stock units is determined by using the Monte Carlo

valuation model. The fair value of the restricted stock awards is recorded as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods of the awards and forfeitures are accounted for when they occur.

(Shares in thousands)	Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested at December 31, 2020		1,047		$	6.00
Granted		573			8.19
Vested		(323	)		6.31
Forfeited		(264	)		5.80
Nonvested at December 31, 2021		1,033			7.17
Granted		755			5.74
Vested		(355	)		6.80
Forfeited		(255	)		6.41
Nonvested at December 31, 2022		1,178			6.53
Granted		734			16.12
Vested		(417	)		6.56
Forfeited		(174	)		7.19
Nonvested at December 31, 2023		1,321		$	11.77

The fair value of awards vested and released during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $5.9 million, $2.3 million, and $2.6 million, respectively.

Unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested shares of stock options, restricted stock and performance units was $10.4 million at December 31, 2023 and will be recognized over a weighted average vesting period of 1.1 years.

Common Stock Repurchase

On May 10, 2022, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may purchase up to $20.0 million of its outstanding shares of common stock through April 30, 2025. The authorization permits the Company to repurchase shares in the open market, through accelerated share repurchases, block trades, Rule 10b5-1 trading plans or through privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased and retired approximately 1,032,000 shares of common stock at a cost of $7.0 million under the program. No repurchases occurred during the year ended December 31, 2023.

On August 3, 2021, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which CECO may purchase up to $5.0 million of its outstanding shares of Company stock. The authorization permitted the Company to repurchase shares in the open market, through accelerated share repurchases, block trades, 10b5-1 plans or through privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Company completed its purchases authorized under the plan in October 2021, repurchasing approximately 700,000 shares of common stock at a cost of $5.0 million under the program. All treasury shares were retired following the repurchase.

Dividends

The Company's dividend policy and the payment of cash dividends under that policy are subject to the Board of Director’s continuing determination that the dividend policy and the declaration of dividends are in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders. Future dividends and the dividend policy may be changed at the Company’s discretion at any time. Payment of dividends is also subject to the continuing compliance with financial covenants under the Credit Facility. The Company has not paid a cash dividend on its common stock in any of the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 or 2021.