Stock-based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based Compensation

On January 14, 2019, the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Committee”) approved the issuance of performance conditioned appreciation-only long-term incentive plan units ("Performance Conditioned AO LTIP Units") pursuant to the 2010 Omnibus Share Plan to our named executive officers ("NEOs") in our 2019 proxy statement. Performance Conditioned AO LTIP Units are AO LTIP Units that require the achievement of certain performance conditions by a specified date or they are forfeited. The performance-based condition is met if Vornado common shares trade at or above 110% of the $64.48 grant price per share for any 20 consecutive days on or before the fourth anniversary following the date of grant. If the performance conditions are not met, the awards are forfeited. If the performance conditions are met, once vested, the awards may be converted into Class A Operating Partnership units in the same manner as AO LTIP Units until ten years from the date of grant. The fair value of the Performance Conditioned AO LTIP Units on the date of grant was $8,983,000, of which $7,481,000 was immediately expensed due to the acceleration of vesting for employees who are retirement eligible. The remaining $1,502,000 is being amortized into expense over a four-year period from the date of grant using a graded vesting attribution model.

On May 16, 2019, our shareholders approved the 2019 Omnibus Share Plan (the “Plan"), which replaces the 2010 Omnibus Share Plan. Under the Plan, the Committee may grant incentive and non-qualified Vornado stock options, restricted stock, restricted Operating Partnership units ("OP units"), out-performance plan awards ("OPPs"), appreciation-only long-term incentive plan units (“AO LTIP Units”) and Performance Conditioned AO LTIP Units to certain of our employees and officers. Awards may be granted up to a maximum 5,500,000 shares, if all awards granted are Full Value awards, as defined in the Plan, and up to 11,000,000 shares, if all of the awards granted are Not Full Value Awards, as defined in the Plan. Full Value Awards are awards of securities, such as restricted shares, that, if all vesting requirements are met, do not require the payment of an exercise price or strike price to acquire the securities. Not Full Value Awards are awards of securities, such as options, that do require the payment of an exercise price or strike price.

We account for all equity-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. Stock-based compensation expense, a component of "general and administrative" expense on our consolidated statements of income, was $5,871,000 and $5,545,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $48,045,000 and $26,190,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 included $16,211,000 from the accelerated vesting of previously issued OP units and Vornado restricted stock due to the removal of the time-based vesting requirement for participants who have reached 65 years of age. The right to sell such awards remains subject to original terms of grant. The increase in expense in the first quarter of 2019 was partially offset by lower stock-based compensation expense of $2,578,000 in each of the second and third quarter of 2019; and will be completely offset by lower stock-based compensation expense of $2,578,000 in the fourth quarter of 2019 and $8,477,000 thereafter.

Stock-based compensation expense also includes $1,413,000 and $6,729,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively, for OP units granted outside of the Plan to an executive officer in connection with his employment in reliance on the employment inducement exception to shareholder approval provided under the New York Stock Exchange Listing Rule 303A.08; and $988,000 and $1,317,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively, for OP units granted under the Plan to certain executive officers as a result of promotions. The award granted outside of the Plan has a grant date fair value of $25,500,000 and vests 20% on the grant date, 40% on the three-year anniversary of the date of grant, and 40% on the four-year anniversary of the date of grant. The awards granted under the Plan have an aggregate grant date fair value of $15,000,000 and cliff vest after four years. Compensation expense related to OP unit grants are recognized ratably over the vesting period. Additional non-cash expense associated with these awards will be $2,401,000 in the fourth quarter of 2019, $9,603,000 in each of 2020 and 2021, $7,718,000 in 2022 and $2,655,000 in 2023.