Note 4 - Stock Options and Other Stock Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Text Block]

4. Stock Options and Other Stock Plans

In April 2000, the shareholders approved the Union Pacific Corporation 2000 Directors Plan (Directors Plan) whereby 2,200,000 shares of our common stock were reserved for issuance to our non-employee directors. Under the Directors Plan, each non-employee director, upon his or her initial election to the Board of Directors, received a grant of 4,000 retention shares or retention stock units. In July 2018, the Board of Directors eliminated the retention grant for directors newly elected in 2018 and all future years. As of December 31, 2023, 16,000 restricted shares were outstanding under the Directors Plan.

The Union Pacific Corporation 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (2013 Plan) was approved by shareholders in May 2013. The 2013 Plan reserved 78,000,000 shares of our common stock for issuance, plus any shares subject to awards made under previous plans as of February 28, 2013, that are subsequently cancelled, expired, forfeited, or otherwise not issued under previous plans. Under the 2013 Plan, non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, retention shares, stock units, and incentive bonus awards may be granted to eligible employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries. Non-employee directors are not eligible for awards under the 2013 Plan. As of December 31, 2023, 1,090,770 stock options and 245,107 retention shares and stock units were outstanding under the 2013 Plan. We no longer grant any stock options or other stock or unit awards under this plan.

The Union Pacific Corporation 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (2021 Plan) was approved by shareholders in May 2021. The 2021 Plan reserved 23,000,000 shares of our common stock for issuance, plus any shares subject to awards made under previous plans as of December 31, 2020, that are subsequently cancelled, expired, forfeited, or otherwise not issued under previous plans. Under the 2021 Plan, non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, retention shares, stock units, and incentive bonus awards may be granted to eligible employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries. Non-employee directors are not eligible for awards under the 2021 Plan. As of December 31, 2023, 981,484 stock options and 1,059,344 retention shares were outstanding under the 2021 Plan. 

The Union Pacific Corporation 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2021 ESPP) was approved by shareholders in May 2021. The 2021 ESPP reserved 10,000,000 shares of our common stock for issuance. Under the 2021 ESPP, eligible employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries may elect to purchase shares with a Company match award. Non-employee directors are not eligible for awards under the 2021 ESPP. As of December 31, 2023, 754,708 shares were issued under the 2021 ESPP.

Pursuant to the above plans 31,979,909; 33,185,971; and 34,011,624 shares of our common stock were authorized and available for grant at December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation – We have several stock-based compensation plans where employees receive nonvested stock options, nonvested retention shares, and nonvested stock units. We refer to the nonvested shares and stock units collectively as “retention awards”. Employees also are able to participate in our ESPP. 

Information regarding stock-based compensation expense appears in the table below:

Millions	2023		2022		2021
Stock-based compensation expense, before tax:
Stock options	$	16	$	14	$	15
Retention awards		71		68		66
ESPP		20		17		7
Total stock-based compensation expense, before tax	$	107	$	99	$	88
Excess income tax benefits from equity compensation plans	$	11	$	21	$	26

Stock Options – Stock options are granted at the closing price on the date of grant, have 10-year contractual terms, and vest no later than 3 years from the date of grant. None of the stock options outstanding at December 31, 2023, are subject to performance or market-based vesting conditions.

The table below shows the annual weighted-average assumptions used for Black-Scholes valuation purposes:

Weighted-Average Assumptions	2023			2022			2021
Risk-free interest rate		3.9	%		1.6	%		0.4	%
Dividend yield		2.6	%		1.9	%		1.9	%
Expected life (years)		4.5			4.4			4.6
Volatility		29.3	%		28.7	%		28.3	%
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted	$	48.31		$	51.92		$	39.97

The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant; the expected dividend yield is calculated as the ratio of dividends paid per share of common stock to the stock price on the date of grant; the expected life is based on historical and expected exercise behavior; and expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of our stock price over the expected life of the stock option.

A summary of stock option activity during 2023 is presented below:

	Options (thous.)		Weighted-Average Exercise Price			Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (yrs.)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (millions)
Outstanding at January 1, 2023		1,974		$	169.64		6.0		$	86
Granted		351			202.81		N/A			N/A
Exercised		(233	)		118.29		N/A			N/A
Forfeited or expired		(20	)		218.46		N/A			N/A
Outstanding at December 31, 2023		2,072		$	180.56		5.9		$	135
Vested or expected to vest at December 31, 2023		2,053		$	180.23		5.9		$	134
Options exercisable at December 31, 2023		1,423		$	164.48		4.8		$	115

At December 31, 2023, there was $16 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.0 year. Additional information regarding stock option exercises appears in the following table:

Millions	2023			2022			2021
Intrinsic value of stock options exercised	$	23		$	53		$	84
Cash received from option exercises		27			27			58
Treasury shares repurchased for employee payroll taxes		(5	)		(8	)		(15	)
Income tax benefit realized from option exercises		5			8			16
Aggregate grant-date fair value of stock options vested	$	14		$	13		$	14

Retention Awards – Retention awards are granted at no cost to the employee, vest over periods lasting up to 4 years, and dividends and dividend equivalents are paid to participants during the vesting periods.

Changes in our retention awards during 2023 were as follows:

	Shares (thous.)		Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2023		1,069		$	196.47
Granted		297			202.88
Vested		(317	)		165.34
Forfeited		(53	)		206.43
Nonvested at December 31, 2023		996		$	207.76

At December 31, 2023, there was $82 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested retention awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.4 years.

Performance Stock Unit Awards – In February 2023, our Board of Directors approved performance stock unit grants. The basic terms of these performance stock units are identical to those granted in February 2022, including the annual return on invested capital (ROIC) and operating income growth (OIG) performance targets. The OIG performance targets compare to companies in the S&P 100 Industrials Index plus the Class I railroads. We define ROIC as net operating profit adjusted for interest expense (including interest on average operating lease liabilities) and taxes on interest divided by average invested capital adjusted for average operating lease liabilities. 

The February 2023 stock units awarded to executives are subject to continued employment for 37 months, the attainment of certain levels of ROIC, and the relative three-year OIG. We expense two-thirds of the fair value of the units that are probable of being earned based on our forecasted ROIC over the three-year performance period, and with respect to the third year of the plan, we expense the remaining one-third of the fair value subject to the relative three-year OIG. We measure the fair value of performance stock units based upon the closing price of the underlying common stock as of the date of grant. Dividend equivalents are accumulated during the service period and paid to participants only after the units are earned.

Changes in our performance stock unit awards during 2023 were as follows:

	Shares (thous.)		Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2023		594		$	199.82
Granted		251			202.81
Vested		(78	)		189.29
Unearned		(127	)		186.11
Forfeited		(23	)		218.31
Nonvested at December 31, 2023		617		$	204.50

At December 31, 2023, there was $13 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested performance stock unit awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.8 years. This expense is subject to achievement of the performance measures established for the performance stock unit grants.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan - Our ESPP started in July 2021. Employee and Company contributions are used to issue treasury shares the month after employee contributions are withheld based on the settlement date closing price. The Company matches 40% contributed by the employee up to a maximum employee contribution of 5% of monthly salary (limited to $15,000 annually). We expense the Company contributions in the month the employee services were rendered (i.e., the month the employee contributions were withheld).