STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY [Abstract]

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

NOTE 3 – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The Company records stock-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation.” The Company’s results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 reflected the following stock-based compensation cost, and such compensation cost had the following effects on net earnings:

	Increase/(Decrease) for the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2016			2015
Cost of sales	$	260		$	212
Operating expenses		1,937			962
Net earnings		(1,393	)		(760	)

As required by ASC 718, the Company has made an estimate of expected forfeitures based on its historical experience and is recognizing compensation cost only for those stock-based compensation awards expected to vest.

The Company’s stock incentive plans allow for the granting of stock awards and options to purchase common stock. Both incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options can be awarded under the plans. No option will be exercisable for longer than ten years after the date of grant. The Company has approved and reserved a number of shares to be issued upon exercise of the outstanding options that is adequate to cover all exercises. As of March 31, 2016, the plans had 3,420,241 shares available for future awards. Compensation expense for stock options and stock awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, generally three years for stock options, four years for employee restricted stock awards, three years for employee performance share awards, and four years for non-employee director restricted stock awards. Certain awards provide for accelerated vesting if there is a change in control (as defined in the plans) or other qualifying events.

Option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 is summarized below:

For the three months ended March 31, 2016	Shares (000s)			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding as of December 31, 2015		1,017		$	37.29	$	23,927
Granted		333			60.71
Exercised		(39	)		34.11
Forfeited		-			-
Outstanding as of March 31, 2016		1,311		$	43.36	$	24,481		6.7
Exercisable as of March 31, 2016		781		$	32.98	$	22,692		4.9

For the three months ended March 31, 2015	Shares (000s)			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding as of December 31, 2014		1,470		$	27.35	$	57,742
Granted		197			58.52
Exercised		(192	)		16.52
Forfeited		(1	)		45.08
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		1,474		$	32.93	$	33,736		6.2
Exercisable as of March 31, 2015		1,040		$	24.75	$	31,849		4.9

ASC 718 requires companies to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions: dividend yields of 0.5% and 0.6%; expected volatilities of 34% and 33%; risk-free interest rates of 1.2% and 1.8%; and expected lives of 5.0 and 5.5 years, in each case for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Company used a projected expected life for each award granted based on historical experience of employees’ exercise behavior. Expected volatility is based on the Company’s historical volatility levels. Dividend yields are based on the Company’s historical dividend yields. Risk-free interest rates are based on the implied yields currently available on U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life.

Other information pertaining to option activity during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 was as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2016			2015
Weighted-average fair value of options granted		$	18.46		$	18.42
Total intrinsic value of stock options exercised ($000s)		$	1,015		$	8,039

Non-vested restricted stock activity for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 is summarized below:

Three months ended March 31, 2016	Shares (000s)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested balance as of December 31, 2015		150		$	47.46
Granted		18			60.85
Vested		(25	)		29.06
Forfeited		-			-
Non-vested balance as of March 31, 2016		143		$	52.41

Three months ended March 31, 2015	Shares (000s)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested balance as of December 31, 2014		134		$	38.13
Granted		19			58.52
Vested		(10	)		14.37
Forfeited		-			-
Non-vested balance as of March 31, 2015		143		$	42.53

Non-vested performance share activity for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 is summarized below:

Three months ended March 31, 2016	Shares (000s)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair V alue
Non-vested balance as of December 31, 2015		20	$	58.77
Granted		21		63.15
Vested		-		-
Forfeited		-		-
Non-vested balance as of March 31, 2016		41	$	61.03

Three months ended March 31, 2015	Shares (000s)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested balance as of December 31, 2014		-	$	-
Granted		24		58.78
Vested		-		-
Forfeited		-		-
Non-vested balance as of March 31, 2015		24	$	58.78

The performance share (“PS”) awards provide the recipients the right to receive a certain number of shares of the Company’s common stock in the future, subject to an (1) EBITDA performance  hurdle, where vesting is dependent upon the Company achieving a certain EBITDA percentage growth over the performance period, and (2) relative total shareholder return (TSR) where vesting is dependent upon the Company’s TSR performance over the performance period relative to a comparator group consisting of the Russell 2000 index constituents. Expense is measured based on the fair value at the date of grant utilizing a Black-Scholes methodology to produce a Monte-Carlo simulation model which allows for the incorporation of the performance hurdles that must be met before the PS vests. The assumptions used in the fair value determination were risk free interest rates of 0.88% and 1.00%; dividend yields of 0.6% and 0.5%; volatilities of 32% and 34%; and initial TSR’s of -6.6% and -6.9%, in each case for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Expense is based on the estimated number of shares expected to vest, assuming the requisite service period is rendered and the probable outcome of the performance condition is achieved.  The estimate is revised if subsequent information indicates that the actual number of shares likely to vest differs from previous estimates. Expense is ultimately adjusted based on the actual achievement of service and performance targets. The PS will cliff vest 100% at the end of the third year following the grant in accordance with the performance metrics set forth.

As of March 31, 2016 and 2015, there was $14,017 and $10,622, respectively, of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the plans. As of March 31, 2016, the unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 2 years. The Company estimates that share-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2016 will be approximately $7,400.

REPURCHASE OF COMMON STOCK

The Company has an approved stock repurchase program. The total authorization under this program is 3,763,038 shares. Since the inception of the program in June 1999, a total of 2,135,650 shares have been purchased, of which no shares remained in treasury at March 31, 2016. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, a total of 9,727 shares have been purchased at an average cost of $63.27 per share. The Company intends to acquire shares from time to time at prevailing market prices if and to the extent it deems it advisable to do so based on its assessment of corporate cash flow, market conditions and other factors.