Stock Incentive Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

14. Stock Incentive Plans

In May 2016, our shareholders approved the 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2016 Plan”), which authorizes up to 10,000,000 shares of common stock to be issued at the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Awards granted after May 5, 2016 are issued out of the 2016 Plan. The awards granted under the Amended and Restated 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan continue to vest and options expire ten years from the date of grant. Our non-employee directors, officers and key employees are eligible to participate in the 2016 Plan. The 2016 Plan allows for the issuance of, among other things, stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, deferred stock units, and dividend equivalent rights. Vesting periods for options, deferred stock units, and restricted shares generally range from three to five years.

Under our long-term incentive plan, certain restricted stock awards are market and performance based. We will grant a target number of restricted stock units, with the ultimate award determined by the total shareholder return and operating performance metrics, measured in each case over a measurement period of two to three years. Awards vest over two to three years after the end of the performance period with a portion vesting immediately at the end of the performance periods. The expected term represents the period from the grant date to the end of the performance period. Compensation expense for these performance grants is measured based on the probability of achievement of certain performance goals and is recognized over both the performance period and vesting period. For the portion of the grant for which the award is determined by the operating performance metrics, the compensation cost is based on the grant date closing price and management’s estimate of corporate achievement of the financial metrics. If the estimated number of performance based restricted stock to be earned changes, an adjustment will be recorded to recognize the accumulated difference between the revised and previous estimates. For the portion of the grant determined by the total shareholder return, management used a Monte Carlo model to assess the fair value and compensation cost.

The following table summarizes compensation expense (a component of general and administrative expenses) recognized for the periods presented (in thousands):


		Year Ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
Stock options	$	10	$	266	$	698
Restricted stock		19,092		28,603		30,146
	$	19,102	$	28,869	$	30,844

Stock Options

We have not granted stock options since the year ended December 31, 2012 but some remain outstanding. As of December 31, 2016, there was no unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options. Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2017 have an aggregate intrinsic value of $1,346,000.

Restricted Stock

The fair value of the restricted stock is equal to the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and is amortized over the vesting periods. As of December 31, 2017, there was $31,709,000 of total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of three years. The following table summarizes information about non-vested restricted stock incentive awards as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017:

	Restricted Stock
	Number of	Weighted-Average
	Shares	Grant Date
	(000's)	Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2016	987	$	58.98
Vested	(477)		63.15
Granted	247		69.78
Terminated	(59)		63.20
Non-vested at December 31, 2017	698	$	61.00