SHARE-BASED AND OTHER COMPENSATION PROGRAMS

AXA and AXA Financial sponsor various share-based compensation plans for eligible employees, financial professionals and non-officer directors of AXA Financial and its subsidiaries, including the Company. AB also sponsors its own unit option plans for certain of its employees.

Compensations costs for 2015, 2014 and 2013 for share-based payment arrangements as further described herein are as follows:



	2015		2014		2013
	(In Millions)
Performance Units/Shares	$	18	$	10	$	43
Stock Options	1		1		2
AXA Shareplan	16		10		13
AB Stock Options	—		—		(4		)
AB Restricted Units	174		171		286
Other Compensation plans⁽¹⁾	2		—		—
Total Compensation Expenses	$	211	$	192	$	340


(1)	Other compensation plans include Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock and AXA Miles.

U.S. employees are granted AXA ordinary share options under the Stock Option Plan for AXA Financial Employees and Associates (the “Stock Option Plan”) and are granted AXA performance shares under the AXA International Performance Share Plan (the “Performance Share Plan”). Prior to 2013, they were granted performance units under the AXA Performance Unit Plan.

Non-officer directors of AXA Financial and certain subsidiaries (including AXA Equitable) are granted restricted AXA ordinary shares (prior to 2011, AXA ADRs) and unrestricted AXA ordinary shares (prior to March 15, 2010, AXA ADRs) annually under The Equity Plan for Directors. They also were granted stock options in years prior to 2014.

Performance Units and Performance Shares

2015 Grant. On June 19, 2015, under the terms of the 2015 Performance Share Plan, AXA awarded approximately 1.7 million unearned performance shares to employees of AXA Equitable. The extent to which 2015-2017 cumulative performance targets measuring the performance of AXA and the insurance related businesses of AXA Financial Group are achieved will determine the number of performance shares earned, which may vary in linear formula between 0% and 130% of the number of performance shares at stake. The performance shares earned during this performance period will vest and be settled on the fourth anniversary of the award date. The plan will settle in shares to all participants. In 2015, the expense associated with the June 19, 2015 grant of performance shares were $8 million.

Settlement of 2012 Grant in 2015. On April 2, 2015, cash distributions of approximately $53 million were made to active and former AXA Equitable employees in settlement of 2,273,008 performance units earned under the terms of the AXA Performance Unit Plan 2012.

2014 Grant. On March 24, 2014, under the terms of the 2014 Performance Share Plan, AXA awarded approximately 2 million unearned performance shares to employees of AXA Equitable. The extent to which 2014-2016 cumulative performance targets measuring the performance of AXA and the insurance-related businesses of AXA Financial Group are achieved will determine the number of performance shares earned, which may vary in linear formula between 0% and 130% of the number of performance shares at stake. The first tranche of the performance shares will vest and be settled on the third anniversary of the award date; the second tranche of these performance shares will vest and be settled on the fourth anniversary of the award date. The plan will settle in shares to all participants. In 2015 and 2014, the expense associated with the March 24, 2014 grant of performance shares was approximately $4 million and $9 million, respectively.

Settlement of 2011 Grant in 2014. On April 3, 2014, cash distributions of approximately $26 million were made to active and former AXA Equitable employees in settlement of 986,580 performance units earned under the terms of the AXA Performance Unit Plan 2011.

2013 Grant. On March 22, 2013, under the terms of the 2013 Performance Share Plan, AXA awarded approximately 2.2 million unearned performance shares to employees of AXA Equitable. 119.58% of the unearned performance shares were earned based on the performance of AXA and the insurance-related business of AXA Financial Group. The earned performance shares will vest and be settled on the third anniversary of the award date. The plan will settle in shares to all participants. In 2015, 2014 and 2013, the expense associated with the March 22, 2013 grant of performance shares was approximately $7 million, $2 million and $11 million, respectively.

50% Settlement of 2010 Grant in 2013. On April 4, 2013, cash distributions of approximately $7 million and share distributions of approximately $49,000 were made to active and former AXA Equitable employees in settlement of 390,460 performance units, representing the remaining 50 percent of the number of performance units earned under the terms of the AXA Performance Unit Plan 2010. Cash distributions of approximately $9 million in settlement of approximately 539,000 performance units, representing the first 50 percent of the performance units earned under the terms of the AXA Performance Unit Plan 2010 were distributed in April 2012.

For 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized compensation costs of $18 million, $10 million and $43 million, respectively, for performance shares and units earned to date. The fair values of awards made under these programs are measured at the grant date by reference to the closing price of the AXA ordinary share, and the result, as adjusted for achievement of performance targets and pre-vesting forfeitures, generally is attributed over the shorter of the requisite service period, the performance period, if any, or to the date at which retirement eligibility is achieved and subsequent service no longer is required for continued vesting of the award. Remeasurements of fair value for subsequent price changes until settlement are made only for performance unit awards as they are settled in cash. The fair value of performance units earned and reported in Other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $0 and $58 million, respectively. Approximately 2 million outstanding performance shares are at risk to achievement of 2016 performance criteria, primarily representing all of the performance shares granted June 19, 2015 and the second tranche of performance shares granted March 24, 2014, for which cumulative average 2015-2017 and 2014-2016 performance targets will determine the number of performance shares earned under those awards, respectively.

Stock Options

2015 Grant. On June 19, 2015, 442,885 options to purchase AXA ordinary shares were granted to employees of AXA Equitable under the terms of the Stock Option Plan at an exercise price of 22.90 euros. All of those options have a five-year graded vesting schedule, with one-third vesting on each of the third, fourth, and fifth anniversaries of the grant date. Of the total options awarded on June 19, 2015, 244,597 are further subject to conditional vesting terms that require the AXA ordinary share price to outperform the Euro Stoxx Insurance Index over a specified period. All of the options granted on June 19, 2015 have a ten-year term. The weighted average grant date fair value per option award was estimated at 1.58 euros using a Black-Scholes options pricing model with modification to measure the value of the conditional vesting feature. Key assumptions used in the valuation included expected volatility of 23.68%, a weighted average expected term of 8.2 years, an expected dividend yield of 6.29% and a risk-free interest rate of 0.92%. The total fair value of these options (net of expected forfeitures) of approximately $1 million is charged to expense over the shorter of the vesting term or the period up to the date at which the participant becomes retirement eligible. In 2015, the Company recognized expenses associated with the June 19, 2015 grant of options of approximately $333,000.

2014 Grant. On March 24, 2014, 395,720 options to purchase AXA ordinary shares were granted to employees of AXA Equitable under the terms of the Stock Option Plan at an exercise price of 18.68 euros All of those options have a five-year graded vesting schedule, with one-third vesting on each of the third, fourth, and fifth anniversaries of the grant date. Of the total options awarded on March 24, 2014, 214,174 are further subject to conditional vesting terms that require the AXA ordinary share price to outperform the Euro Stoxx Insurance Index over a specified period. All of the options granted on March 24, 2014 have a ten-year term. The weighted average grant date fair value per option award was estimated at $2.89 using a Black-Scholes options pricing model with modification to measure the value of the conditional vesting feature. Key assumptions used in the valuation included expected volatility of 29.24%, a weighted average expected term of 8.2 years, an expected dividend yield of 6.38% and a risk-free interest rate of 1.54%. The total fair value of these options (net of expected forfeitures) of approximately $1 million is charged to expense over the shorter of the vesting term or the period up to the date at which the participant becomes retirement eligible. In 2015 and 2014, the Company recognized expenses associated with the March 24, 2014 grant of options of approximately $216,000 and $345,000, respectively.

2013 Grant On March 22, 2013, approximately 457,000 options to purchase AXA ordinary shares were granted to employees of AXA Equitable under the terms of the Stock Option Plan at an exercise price of 13.81 euros. All of those options have a four-year graded vesting schedule, with one-third vesting on each of the second, third, and fourth anniversaries of the grant date. Approximately 246,000 of the total options awarded on March 22, 2013 are further subject to conditional vesting terms that require the AXA ordinary share price to outperform the Euro Stoxx Insurance Index over a specified period. All of the options granted on March 22, 2013 have a ten-year term. The weighted average grant date fair value per option award was estimated at $1.79 using a Black-Scholes options pricing model with modification to measure the value of the conditional vesting feature. Key assumptions used in the valuation included expected volatility of 31.27%, a weighted average expected term of 7.7 years, an expected dividend yield of 7.52% and a risk-free interest rate of 1.34%. The total fair value of these options (net of expected forfeitures) of $818,597 is charged to expense over the shorter of the vesting term or the period up to the date at which the participant becomes retirement eligible. In 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized expenses associated with the March 22, 2013 grant of options of approximately $71,000, $131,000 and $357,000, respectively.

Shares Authorized

There is no limitation in the Stock Option Plan or the Equity Plan for Directors on the number of shares that may be issued pursuant to option or other grants.

A summary of the activity in the AXA, AXA Financial and AB option plans during 2015 follows:



	Options Outstanding
	AXA Ordinary Shares					AXA ADRs⁽³⁾				AB Holding Units
	Number Outstanding (In 000’s)		Weighted Average Exercise Price			Number Outstanding (In 000’s)		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Number Outstanding (In 000’s)		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Options Exercisable at January 1, 2015	16,837.9		€	21.39		1,105.2		$	25.53	5,942.4		$	45.03
Options granted	444.0		€	22.90		—		$	—	29.1		$	31.74
Options exercised	(4,196.7	)	€	18.26		(510.7	)	$	25.33	(541.1	)	$	17.06
Options forfeited, net	(483.1	)	€	22.75		(553.5	)	$	25.59	(23.1	)	$	89.95
Options expired/reinstated	—		—			—		—		(8.8	)	$	45.45
Options Outstanding at December 31, 2015	12,602.1		€	21.39		41.0		$	27.28	5,398.5		$	47.59
Aggregate Intrinsic Value⁽¹⁾			—		⁽²⁾			$	245.3			—
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years)	3.0					2.36				2.90
Options Exercisable at December 31, 2015	10,074.6		€	22.50		40.9		$	27.28	4,736.7		43.04
Aggregate Intrinsic Value⁽¹⁾			—					$	245.3			—
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years)	2.48					2.36				2.90


(1)	Aggregate intrinsic value, presented in millions, is calculated as the excess of the closing market price on December 31, 2015 of the respective underlying shares over the strike prices of the option awards.


(2)	The aggregate intrinsic value on options outstanding, exercisable and expected to vest is negative and is therefore presented as zero.


(3)	AXA ordinary shares will be delivered to participants in lieu of AXA ADRs at exercise or maturity.

Cash proceeds received from exercises of stock options in 2015 was $13 million. The intrinsic value related to exercises of stock options during 2015, 2014 and 2013 were approximately $200,000, $3 million and $14 million respectively, resulting in amounts currently deductible for tax purposes of approximately $70,000, $1 million, and $5 million, respectively, for the periods then ended. In 2015, 2014 and 2013, windfall tax benefits of approximately $70,000, $1 million and $5 million, respectively, resulted from exercises of stock option awards.

At December 31, 2015, AXA Financial held 2,262 AXA ordinary shares in treasury at a weighted average cost of $24.86 per share, which were designated to fund future exercises of outstanding stock options.

For the purpose of estimating the fair value of stock option awards, the Company applies the Black-Scholes model and attributes the result over the requisite service period using the graded-vesting method. A Monte-Carlo simulation approach was used to model the fair value of the conditional vesting feature of the awards of options to purchase AXA ordinary shares. Shown below are the relevant input assumptions used to derive the fair values of options awarded in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.



	AXA Ordinary Shares									AB Holding Units
	2015			2014			2013			2015			2014			2013
Dividend yield	6.29		%	6.38		%	7.52		%	7.1		%	8.4		%	8.0-8.3 %
Expected volatility	23.68		%	29.24		%	31.27		%	32.1		%	48.9		%	49.7-49.8 %
Risk-free interest rates	0.92		%	1.54		%	1.34		%	1.5		%	1.5		%	0.8-1.7%
Expected life in years	8.2			8.2			7.7			6.0			6.0			6.0
Weighted average fair value per option at grant date	$	1.73		$	2.89		$	1.79		$	4.13		$	4.78		$	5.44

For 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized compensation costs (credits) for stock options of $1 million, $1 million and $(2) million, respectively. As of December 31, 2015, approximately $1 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock option awards, net of estimated pre-vesting forfeitures, is expected to be recognized by the Company over a weighted average period of 2.48 years.

Restricted Awards

Under The Equity Plan for Directors, AXA Financial grants non-officer directors of AXA Financial and certain subsidiaries (including AXA Equitable) restricted AXA ordinary shares Likewise, AB awards restricted AB Holding units to independent members of its General Partner. In addition, under its Century Club Plan, awards of restricted AB Holding units that vest ratably over three years are made to eligible AB employees whose primary responsibilities are to assist in the distribution of company-sponsored mutual funds.

AXA Equitable has also granted restricted AXA ordinary share units (“RSUs”) to certain executives. The RSUs are phantom AXA ordinary shares that, once vested, entitle the recipient to a cash payment based on the average closing price of the AXA ordinary share over the twenty trading days immediately preceding the vesting date.

For 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, the Company recognized compensation costs of $174 million, $171 million and $286 million for outstanding restricted stock and RSUs. The fair values of awards made under these programs are measured at the grant date by reference to the closing price of the unrestricted shares, and the result generally is attributed over the shorter of the requisite service period, the performance period, if any, or to the date at which retirement eligibility is achieved and subsequent service no longer is required for continued vesting of the award. Remeasurements of fair value for subsequent price changes until settlement are made only for RSUs. At December 31, 2015, approximately 19.8 million restricted AXA ordinary shares and AB Holding unit awards remain unvested. At December 31, 2015, approximately $36 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to these unvested awards, net of estimated pre-vesting forfeitures, is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.20 years.

The following table summarizes restricted AXA ordinary share activity for 2015. In addition, approximately 44,333 RSUs were granted during 2015 with graded vesting over a 3-year service period.



	Shares of Restricted Stock	Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested as of January 1, 2015	51,460	$	15.37
Granted	10,578	$	23.25
Vested	28,028	$	14.63
Unvested as of December 31, 2015	34,010	$	18.43

Restricted AXA Ordinary shares vested in 2015, 2014 and 2013 had aggregate vesting date fair values of approximately $1 million, $1 million and $1 million, respectively.

Unrestricted Awards

Under the Equity Plan for Directors, AXA Financial provides a stock retainer to non-officer directors of AXA Financial and certain subsidiaries (including AXA Equitable). Pursuant to the terms of the retainer, the non-officer directors receive AXA ordinary shares valued at $55,000 each year, paid on a semi-annual basis. These shares are not subject to any vesting requirement or other restriction. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized compensation expense of approximately $327,800, $350,300, and $350,000 for these unrestricted share awards.

AXA Shareplan

2015 AXA Shareplan. In 2015, eligible employees and financial professionals of participating AXA Financial subsidiaries were offered the opportunity to purchase newly-issued AXA stock, subject to plan limits, under the terms of AXA Shareplan 2015. Eligible employees and financial professionals could have reserved a share purchase during the reservation period from August 31, 2015 through September 14, 2015 and could have canceled their reservation or elected to make a purchase for the first time during the retraction/subscription period from October 22, 2015 through October 27, 2015. The U.S. dollar purchase price was determined by applying the U.S. dollar/Euro forward exchange rate on October 21, 2015 to the discounted formula subscription price in Euros. “Investment Option A” permitted participants to purchase AXA ordinary shares at a 20% formula discounted price of $20.17 per share. “Investment Option B” permitted participants to purchase AXA ordinary shares at a 8.57% formula discounted price of $23.05 per share on a leveraged basis with a guaranteed return of initial investment plus a portion of any appreciation in the undiscounted value of the total shares purchased. For purposes of determining the amount of any appreciation, the AXA ordinary share price will be measured over a fifty-two week period preceding the scheduled end date of AXA Shareplan 2015 which is July 1, 2020. All subscriptions became binding and irrevocable on October 27, 2015.

The Company recognized compensation expense of $16 million, $10 million and $13 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013 in connection with each respective year’s offering of AXA stock under the AXA Shareplan, representing the aggregate discount provided to AXA Equitable participants for their purchase of AXA stock under each of those plans, as adjusted for the post-vesting, five-year holding period. AXA Equitable participants in AXA Shareplan 2015, 2014 and 2013 primarily invested under Investment Option B for the purchase of approximately 5 million, 5 million and 5 million AXA ordinary shares, respectively.

AXA Miles Program 2012

On March 16, 2012, under the terms of the AXA Miles Program 2012, AXA granted 50 AXA Miles to every employee and eligible financial professional of AXA Group for the purpose of enhancing long-term employee-shareholder engagement. Each AXA Mile represents a phantom share of AXA stock that will convert to an actual AXA ordinary share at the end of a four-year vesting period provided the employee or financial professional remains in the employ of the company or has retired from service. Half of each AXA Miles grant, or 25 AXA Miles, were subject to an additional vesting condition that required improvement in at least one of two AXA performance metrics in 2012 as compared to 2011. This vesting condition has been satisfied. The total fair value of these AXA Miles awards of approximately $6 million, net of expected forfeitures, is charged to expense over the shorter of the vesting term or the period up to the date at which the participant becomes retirement eligible and is updated to reflect changes in respect of the expectation for meeting the predefined performance conditions. In 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, the expense associated with the March 16, 2012 grant of AXA Miles was approximately $281,000, $295,000 and $278,000.

AB Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans

AB maintains several unfunded long-term incentive compensation plans for the benefit of certain eligible employees and executives. The AB Capital Accumulation Plan was frozen on December 31, 1987 and no additional awards have been made, however, ACMC, LLC (“ACMC”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of AXA Equitable, is obligated to make capital contributions to AB in amounts equal to benefits paid under this plan as well as other assumed contractual unfunded deferred compensation arrangements covering certain executives. Prior to changes implemented by AB in fourth quarter 2011, as further described below, compensation expense for the remaining active plans was recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable vesting period. Prior to 2009, participants in these plans designated the percentages of their awards to be allocated among notional investments in Holding units or certain investment products (primarily mutual funds) sponsored by AB. Beginning in 2009, annual awards granted under the Amended and Restated AB Incentive Compensation Award Program were in the form of restricted Holding units.

In fourth quarter 2011, AB implemented changes to AB’s employee long-term incentive compensation award. AB amended all outstanding year-end deferred incentive compensation awards of active employees (i.e., those employees employed as of December 31, 2011), so that employees who terminate their employment or are terminated without cause may continue to vest, so long as the employees do not violate the agreements and covenants set forth in the applicable award agreement, including restrictions on competition, employee and client solicitation, and a claw-back for failing to follow existing risk management policies. This amendment resulted in the immediate recognition in the fourth quarter of the cost of all unamortized deferred incentive compensation on outstanding awards from prior years that would otherwise have been expensed in future periods.

In addition, awards granted in 2012 contain the same vesting provisions and, accordingly, the Company’s annual incentive compensation expense reflect 100% of the expense associated with the deferred incentive compensation awarded in each year. This approach to expense recognition closely matches the economic cost of awarding deferred incentive compensation to the period in which the related service is performed.

AB engages in open-market purchases of AB Holding L.P. (“AB Holding”) units (“Holding units”) to help fund anticipated obligations under its incentive compensation award program, for purchases of Holding units from employees and other corporate purposes. During 2015 and 2014, AB purchased 8.5 million and 3.6 million Holding units for $218 million and $93 million respectively. These amounts reflect open-market purchases of 5.8 million and 0.3 million Holding units for $151 million and $7 million, respectively, with the remainder relating to purchases of Holding units from employees to allow them to fulfill statutory tax withholding requirements at the time of distribution of long-term incentive compensation awards, offset by Holding units purchased by employees as part of a distribution reinvestment election.

During 2015, AB granted to employees and eligible directors 7.4 million restricted AB Holding unit awards (including 7.0 million granted in December for 2015 year-end awards). During 2014, AB granted to employees and eligible directors 7.6 million restricted AB Holding awards (including 6.6 million granted in December 2013 for 2014 year-end awards). Prior to third quarter 2014, AB funded these awards by allocating previously repurchased Holding units that had been held in its consolidated rabbi trust.

During 2015 and 2014, AB Holding issued 0.5 million and 1.1 million Holding units, respectively, upon exercise of options to buy AB Holding units. AB Holding used the proceeds of $9 million and $19 million, respectively, received from employees as payment in cash for the exercise price to purchase the equivalent number of newly-issued Holding units.

Effective July 1, 2013, management of AB and AB Holding retired all unallocated Holding units in AB’s consolidated rabbi trust. To retire such units, AB delivered the unallocated Holding units held in its consolidated rabbi trust to AB Holding in exchange for the same amount of AB units. Each entity then retired its respective units. As a result, on July 1, 2013, each of AB’s and AB Holding’s units outstanding decreased by approximately 13.1 million units. AB and AB Holding intend to retire additional units as AB purchases Holding units on the open market or from employees to allow them to fulfill statutory tax withholding requirements at the time of distribution of long-term incentive compensation awards, if such units are not required to fund new employee awards in the near future. If a sufficient number of Holding units is not available in the rabbi trust to fund new awards, AB Holding will issue new Holding units in exchange for newly-issued AB units, as was done in December 2013.

The Company recorded compensation and benefit expenses in connection with these long-term incentive compensation plans of AB totaling $173 million, $173 million and $156 million for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The cost of the 2015 awards made in the form of restricted Holding units was measured, recognized, and disclosed as a share-based compensation program.

On July 1, 2010, the AB 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2010 Plan”), as amended, was established, under which various types of Holding unit-based awards have been available for grant to its employees and eligible directors, including restricted or phantom restricted Holding unit awards, Holding unit appreciation rights and performance awards, and options to buy Holding units. The 2010 Plan will expire on June 30, 2020 and no awards under the 2010 Plan will be made after that date. Under the 2010 Plan, the aggregate number of Holding units with respect to which awards may be granted is 60 million, including no more than 30 million newly-issued Holding units. As of December 31, 2015, 302,443 options to buy Holding units had been granted and 47.2 million Holding units net of forfeitures, were subject to other Holding unit awards made under the 2010 Plan. Holding unit-based awards (including options) in respect of 12.5 million Holding units were available for grant as of December 31, 2015.