SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 9 — SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

During 2013, the Company declared and paid quarterly dividends of $0.025 per share, totaling $0.10 per share for the year. During the first and second quarter of 2014, the Board of Directors approved and paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share. Dividends paid on allocated shares in the ESOP were used to pay down the ESOP loan and recorded as a reduction in expense. A dividend payable was established for the holders of restricted shares; such dividends will be released upon vesting of the underlying restricted shares.

On May 1, 2014, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share, payable on June 26, 2014 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 23, 2014.

Compensation expense for restricted stock is recognized ratably over the required service period based on the fair value of the grant calculated as the number of shares granted multiplied by the stock price on the date of grant and, for performance shares, the likelihood of achieving the performance criteria. Compensation cost related to stock-based awards with graded vesting is amortized using the straight-line attribution method.

In February 2011, shareholders approved the Griffon Corporation 2011 Equity Incentive Plan under which awards of performance shares, performance units, stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, deferred shares and other stock-based awards may be granted. On January 30, 2014, shareholders approved an amendment and restatement of the Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Incentive Plan”), which, among other things, added 1,200,000 shares to the Incentive Plan. Options granted under the Incentive Plan may be either “incentive stock options” or nonqualified stock options, generally expire ten years after the date of grant and are granted at an exercise price of not less than 100% of the fair market value at the date of grant. The maximum number of shares of common stock available for award under the Incentive Plan is 4,200,000 (600,000 of which may be issued as incentive stock options), plus any shares underlying awards outstanding on the effective date of the Incentive Plan under the 2006 Incentive Plan that are subsequently cancelled or forfeited. As of March 31, 2014, 963,657 shares were available for grant.

All grants outstanding under the Griffon Corporation 2001 Stock Option Plan, 2006 Equity Incentive Plan and Outside Director Stock Award Plan will continue under their terms; 0 additional awards will be granted under such plans.

During the first quarter of 2014, Griffon granted 599,328 restricted stock awards with vesting periods up to four years, 554,498 of which are also subject to certain performance conditions, with a total fair value of $7,426, or a weighted average fair value of $12.39 per share. During the second quarter of 2014, Griffon granted 518,490 restricted stock awards with vesting periods up to four years, 461,827 of which are also subject to certain performance conditions, with a total fair value of $7,074, or a weighted average fair value of $13.64 per share.

For the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, stock based compensation expense totaled $3,321 and $3,338, respectively. For the six months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, stock based compensation expenses totaled $4,996 and $6,298, respectively.

In August 2011, Griffon’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $50,000 of Griffon’s outstanding common stock. Under this repurchase program, the Company may purchase shares, depending upon market conditions, in open market or privately negotiated transactions, including pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan. In the six months ended March 31, 2014, Griffon purchased 598,481 shares of common stock under the authorized program, for a total of $7,501 or $12.53 per share. To date, Griffon has purchased 4,320,712 shares of common stock, for a total of $45,474 or $10.52 per share under this repurchase authorization. As of March 31, 2014, $4,525 remains under this $50,000 authorization.

On May 1, 2014, Griffon’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $50,000 of Griffon’s outstanding common stock. Under this repurchase program, the Company may purchase shares, depending upon market conditions, in open market or privately negotiated transactions, including pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan.

During the first quarter, 288,012 shares, with a market value of $3,764 or $13.07 per share, withheld to settle employee taxes due upon the vesting of restricted stock, were added to treasury stock. During the second quarter, 123,052 shares, with a market value of $1,502 or $12.21 per share, withheld to settle employee taxes due upon the vesting of restricted stock, were added to treasury.

In connection with the Northcote acquisition, Griffon entered into certain retention arrangements with Northcote management. Under these arrangements, on January 10, 2014, Griffon issued 44,476 shares of common stock to Northcote management for an aggregate purchase price of $584 or $13.13 per share, and for each share of common stock purchased, Northcote management received one restricted stock unit, included in the detail in the prior paragraph, that vests in three equal installments over 3 years, subject to the attainment of specified performance criteria.

On December 10, 2013, Griffon repurchased 4,444,444 shares of its common stock for $50,000 from GS Direct, L.L.C. (“GS Direct”), an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The repurchase was effected in a private transaction at a per share price of $11.25, an approximate 9.2% discount to the stock’s closing price on November 12, 2013, the day before announcement of the transaction. The transaction was exclusive of the Company’s August 2011 $50,000 authorized share repurchase program. After closing the transaction, GS Direct continued to hold approximately 5.56 million shares (approximately 10%) of Griffon’s common stock. GS Direct also agreed that, subject to certain exceptions, if it intends to sell its remaining shares of Griffon common stock at any time prior to December 31, 2014, it will first negotiate in good faith to sell such shares to the Company.

In December 2013, Griffon’s Board of Directors authorized the ESOP to purchase up to $10,000 of Griffon’s outstanding common stock, depending upon market conditions, in open market or privately negotiated transactions, including pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan. During the first quarter of 2014, the ESOP purchased 120,000 shares of common stock, for a total of $1,591 or $13.26 per share. During the second quarter of 2014, the ESOP purchased 629,977 shares of common stock, for a total of $8,409 or $13.35 per share. In total, during the six month ended March 31, 2014, the ESOP purchased 749,977 shares of common stock, for a total of $10,000 or $13.33 per share, exhausting the $10,000 authorization.