SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Common Stock and 401(k) Retirement Income Plan

The Company has a 401(k) retirement income plan (the “Plan”) for its employees. The Plan allows for employee contributions and matching Company contributions up to 4% or 6% of the employee's contributed amount based upon years of service.

The following table reflects the Company’s matching contributions to the Plan during the three months ended January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014:



	Three months ended
(in thousands)	January 2, 2016		December 27, 2014
Cash	$	393	$	295

Stock Repurchase Program

On August 14, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a program (the "Program") to repurchase up to $100 million of the Company’s common stock on or before August 14, 2017. The Company has entered into a written trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act, to facilitate repurchases under the Program. The Program may be suspended or discontinued at any time and is funded using the Company's available cash. Under the Program, shares may be repurchased through open market and/or privately negotiated transactions at prices deemed appropriate by management. The timing and amount of repurchase transactions under the Program depend on market conditions as well as corporate and regulatory considerations. During the three months ended January 2, 2016, the Company repurchased a total of 1.2 million shares of common stock at a cost of $12.8 million. The stock repurchases were recorded in the periods they were delivered, and the payment of $12.8 million was accounted for as treasury stock in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company records treasury stock purchases under the cost method using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Upon reissuance of treasury stock, amounts in excess of the acquisition cost are credited to additional paid-in capital. If the Company reissues treasury stock at an amount below its acquisition cost and additional paid-in capital associated with prior treasury stock transactions is insufficient to cover the difference between acquisition cost and the reissue price, this difference is recorded against retained earnings.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

The following table reflects accumulated other comprehensive income reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 2, 2016 and October 3, 2015:



	As of
(in thousands)	January 2, 2016			October 3, 2015
Loss from foreign currency translation adjustments	$	(1,291	)	$	(161	)
Unrecognized actuarial loss Switzerland pension plan, net of tax	(561		)	(590		)
Switzerland pension plan curtailment	(346		)	(346		)
Unrealized loss on hedging	(98		)	—
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(2,296	)	$	(1,097	)

Equity-Based Compensation

As of January 2, 2016, the Company had seven equity-based employee compensation plans (the “Employee Plans”) and three director compensation plans (the “Director Plans”) (collectively, the “Plans”). Under these Plans, market-based share awards (collectively, “market-based restricted stock”), time-based share awards (collectively, “time-based restricted stock”), performance-based share awards (collectively, “performance-based restricted stock”), stock options, or common stock have been granted at 100% of the market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. As of January 2, 2016, the Company’s one active plan, the 2009 Equity Plan, had 2.9 million shares of common stock available for grant to its employees and directors.

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Market-based restricted stock entitles the employee to receive common shares of the Company on the award vesting date, if market performance objectives that measure relative total shareholder return (“TSR”) are attained. Relative TSR is calculated based upon the 90 -calendar day average price of the Company's stock as compared to specific peer companies that comprise the GICS (45301020) Semiconductor Index. TSR is measured for the Company and each peer company over a performance period, which is generally three years. Vesting percentages range from 0% to 200% of awards granted. The provisions of the market-based restricted stock are reflected in the grant date fair value of the award; therefore, compensation expense is recognized regardless of whether the market condition is ultimately satisfied. Compensation expense is reversed if the award is forfeited prior to the vesting date.

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In general, stock options and time-based restricted stock awarded to employees vest annually over a three-year period provided the employee remains employed by the Company. The Company follows the non-substantive vesting method for stock options and recognizes compensation expense immediately for awards granted to retirement eligible employees, or over the period from the grant date to the date retirement eligibility is achieved.

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In general, performance-based restricted stock (“PSU”) entitles the employee to receive common shares of the Company on the three-year anniversary of the grant date (if employed by the Company) if return on invested capital and revenue growth targets set by the Management Development and Compensation Committee (“MDCC”) of the Board of Directors on the date of grant are met. If return on invested capital and revenue growth targets are not met, performance-based restricted stock does not vest. Certain PSUs vest based on achievement of strategic goals over a certain time period or periods set by the MDCC. If the strategic goals are not achieved, the PSUs do not vest.

Equity-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014 was based upon awards ultimately expected to vest. In accordance with ASC No. 718, Stock Based Compensation, forfeitures have been estimated at the time of grant and were based upon historical experience. The Company reviews the forfeiture rates periodically and makes adjustments as necessary.

The following table reflects restricted stock and common stock granted during the three months ended January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014:



	Three months ended
(shares in thousands)	January 2, 2016	December 27, 2014
Market-based restricted stock	166	232
Time-based restricted stock	571	472
Common stock	—	13
Equity-based compensation in shares	737	717

The following table reflects total equity-based compensation expense, which includes restricted stock, stock options and common stock, included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations during the three months ended January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014:



	Three months ended
(in thousands)	January 2, 2016			December 27, 2014
Cost of sales	$	128		$	128
Selling, general and administrative (1)	(770		)	2,499
Research and development	704			808
Total equity-based compensation expense	$	62		$	3,435

(1) The selling, general and administrative expense for the three months ended January 2, 2016, includes the reversal of a $2.0 million expense due to the forfeiture of stock awards in connection with the October 2015 retirement of the Company's CEO.

The following table reflects equity-based compensation expense, by type of award, for the three months ended January 2, 2016 and December 27, 2014:



	Three months ended
(in thousands)	January 2, 2016			December 27, 2014
Market-based restricted stock	$	(1,381	)	$	1,350
Time-based restricted stock	1,486			1,869
Performance-based restricted stock	(43		)	33
Stock options	—			3
Common stock	—			180
Total equity-based compensation expense (1)	$	62		$	3,435

(1) The equity-based compensation expense for the three months ended January 2, 2016, includes the reversal of a $2.0 million expense due to the forfeiture of stock awards in connection with the October 2015 retirement of the Company's CEO.