Stock-Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Jan. 28, 2022

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock-Based Compensation

11 Stock-Based Compensation

Compensation costs related to stock-based compensation awards were as follows:

	Three Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands)	January 28, 2022		January 29, 2021
Stock option awards	$	1,828	$	2,058
Performance share awards	1,621		827
Restricted stock unit awards	1,147		960
Unrestricted common stock awards	629		671
Total compensation cost for stock-based compensation awards	$	5,225	$	4,516

Stock Option Awards

Under The Toro Company Amended and Restated 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the "2010 plan"), stock options are granted with an exercise price equal to the closing price of the company’s common stock on the date of grant, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange. Options are generally granted to executive officers, other employees, and non-employee members of the company’s Board of Directors ("Board") on an annual basis in the first quarter of the company’s

fiscal year but may also be granted throughout the fiscal year in connection with hiring, mid-year promotions, leadership transition, or retention, as needed and applicable. Options generally vest one-third each year over a three-year period and have a ten-year term but in certain circumstances, the vesting requirement may be modified such that options granted to certain employees vest in full on the three-year anniversary of the date of grant and have a ten-year term. Compensation cost equal to the grant date fair value determined under the Black-Scholes valuation method is generally recognized for these awards over the vesting period. Compensation cost recognized for other employees not considered executive officers and non-employee Board members is net of estimated forfeitures, which are determined at the time of grant based on historical forfeiture experience. Stock options granted to executive officers and other employees are subject to accelerated expensing if the option holder meets the retirement definition set forth in the 2010 plan. In that case, the fair value of the options is expensed in the fiscal year of grant because generally, if the option holder is employed as of the end of the fiscal year in which the options are granted, such options will not be forfeited but continue to vest according to their schedule following retirement. Similarly, if a non-employee Board member has served on the company's Board for ten full fiscal years or more, the awards will not be forfeited but continue to vest according to their schedule following retirement. Therefore, the fair value of the options granted is fully expensed on the date of the grant.

The fair value of each stock option is estimated on the date of grant using various inputs and assumptions under the Black-Scholes valuation method. The expected life is a significant assumption as it determines the period for which the risk-free interest rate, stock price volatility, and dividend yield must be applied. The expected life is the average length of time in which executive officers, other employees, and non-employee Board members are expected to exercise their stock options, which is primarily based on historical exercise experience. The company groups executive officers and non-employee Board members for valuation purposes based on similar historical exercise behavior. Expected stock price volatility is based on the daily movement of the company’s common stock over the most recent historical period equivalent to the expected life of the option. The risk-free interest rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury rate over the expected life at the time of grant. The expected dividend yield is estimated over the expected life based on the company’s historical cash dividends paid, expected future cash dividends and dividend yield, and expected changes in the company’s stock price.

The table below illustrates the weighted-average valuation assumptions used under the Black-Scholes valuation method for options granted in the first three months of the following fiscal periods:

	Fiscal 2022	Fiscal 2021
Expected life of option in years	6.19	6.21
Expected stock price volatility	23.76%	23.26%
Risk-free interest rate	1.30%	0.55%
Expected dividend yield	0.93%	0.86%
Per share weighted-average fair value at date of grant	$22.58	$19.38

Performance Share Awards

Under the 2010 plan, the company grants performance share awards to executive officers and other employees under which they are entitled to receive shares of the company’s common stock contingent on the achievement of performance goals of the company, which are generally measured over a three-year period. The number of shares of common stock a participant receives can be increased (up to 200 percent of target levels) or reduced (down to zero) based on the level of achievement of performance goals and will vest at the end of a three-year period. Performance share awards are generally granted on an annual basis in the first quarter of the company’s fiscal year. Compensation cost is recognized for these awards on a straight-line basis over the vesting period based on the per share fair value, which is equal to the closing price of the company's common stock on the date of grant, and the probability of achieving each performance goal. The per share weighted-average fair value of performance share awards granted during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 and 2021 was $98.41 and $90.59, respectively.

Restricted Stock Unit Awards

Under the 2010 plan, restricted stock unit awards are generally granted to certain employees who are not executive officers. Occasionally, restricted stock unit awards may be granted, including to executive officers, in connection with hiring, mid-year promotions, leadership transition, or retention. Restricted stock unit awards generally vest one-third each year over a three-year period, or vest in full on the three-year anniversary of the date of grant. Compensation cost equal to the grant date fair value, net of estimated forfeitures, is recognized for these awards over the vesting period. The grant date fair value is equal to the closing price of the company's common stock on the date of grant multiplied by the number of shares subject to the restricted stock unit awards and estimated forfeitures are determined on the grant date based on historical forfeiture experience. The per share weighted-average fair value of restricted stock unit awards granted during the first three months of fiscal 2022 and 2021 was $99.94 and $91.51, respectively.

Unrestricted Common Stock AwardsDuring the first quarter of fiscal 2022 and 2021, 6,453 and 8,070 shares, respectively, of fully vested unrestricted common stock awards were granted to certain Board members as a component of their compensation for their service on the Board and were recorded within selling, general and administrative expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Additionally, our Board members may elect to convert a portion or all of their calendar year annual retainers otherwise payable in cash into shares of the company's common stock.