Effective as of May 12, 2023, the Company (i) terminated the equity distributions agreements dated March 18, 2022, and (ii) entered into equity distribution agreements with three sales agents to sell up to $40,000,000 of its common stock from time-to-time in an at-the-market offering. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company did not sell any shares. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company sold 174,059 and 447,815 shares, respectively, at an average per share price of $22.22 and $22.50, respectively, for an aggregate sales price of $3,867,000 and $10,076,000, respectively, before commissions and fees of $48,000 and $131,000, respectively.

The Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “DRP”), which has been in effect since June 2022, among other things, provides stockholders with the opportunity to reinvest all or a portion of their cash dividends paid on the Company’s common stock in additional shares of its common stock, at a discount, determined in the Company’s sole discretion, of up to 5% from the market price for the common stock (as such price is calculated pursuant to the DRP). The discount from the market price is currently 3%. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we issued 35,470 and 111,322 shares in lieu of cash dividends of $684,000 and $2,117,000, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, 29,190 shares were issued in lieu of cash dividends of $622,000.

In 2022, the Company's board of directors adopted, and the stockholders' approved, the 2022 Incentive Plan (the "2022 Plan"). This plan permits the Company to grant: (i) stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares awards and any one or more of the foregoing, for up to a maximum of 1,000,000 shares; and (ii) cash settled dividend equivalent rights in tandem with the grant of restricted stock units and certain performance based awards. As of September 30, 2023, 408,746 shares are available for issuance pursuant to awards under the 2022 Plan. Awards to acquire 789,345 shares of common stock are outstanding under the 2020 Incentive Plan and the 2018 Incentive Plan (collectively the "Prior Plans") and no further awards may be made pursuant to the Prior Plans.

In July 2023 and June 2022, the Company issued restricted stock units (the "RSUs") to acquire up to 214,990 and 212,470 shares of common stock pursuant to the 2022 Incentive Plan, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, an aggregate of 637,835 of unvested restricted stock units are outstanding pursuant to the 2022 Plan and Prior Plans. Generally, the RSUs entitle the recipients, subject to continued service through the three-year vesting period to receive (i) the underlying shares if and to the extent certain performance and/or market conditions are satisfied at the vesting date, and (ii) an amount equal to the cash dividends that would have been paid during the three-year performance period with respect to the shares of common stock underlying the RSUs if, when, and to the extent, the related RSUs vest. The shares underlying the RSUs are not participating securities but are contingently issuable shares.

Expense is recognized on the RSUs which the Company expects to vest over the applicable vesting period. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded $651,000 and $457,000, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded $1,534,000 and $957,000, respectively, of compensation expense related to the amortization of unearned compensation with respect to the RSUs issued under the 2020 and 2022 Incentive Plans. At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $4,046,000 and $4,269,000 of compensation expense, respectively, has been deferred and will be charged to expense over the remaining vesting periods.

In January 2023 and 2022, the Company granted 163,914 and 158,973 shares, respectively, of restricted stock pursuant to the 2022 and 2020 Plan, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, an aggregate of 953,139 shares of unvested restricted stock are outstanding pursuant to the 2022 Plan and Prior Plans. The shares of restricted stock vest five years from the date of grant and under specified circumstances, including a change in control, may vest earlier. For financial statement purposes, the restricted stock is not included in the outstanding shares shown on the consolidated balance sheets until they vest, but is included in the earnings per share computation.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded $822,000 and $751,000, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded $2,542,000 and $2,226,000, respectively, of compensation expense related to the amortization of unearned compensation with respect to the restricted stock awards. At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $8,330,000 and $7,728,000, respectively, has been deferred as unearned compensation and will be charged to expense over the remaining vesting periods of these restricted stock awards. The weighted average remaining vesting period of these shares of restricted stock is 2.4 years.

In June 2023, the Board of Directors extended the term of the Company's share repurchase program from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2025 and increased the existing repurchase authorization from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 of shares.

In August 2023, the Board of Directors, after giving effect to repurchases of $3,250,000 of shares made since the June 2023 share repurchase authorization, increased the Company's share repurchase program by an additional $6,750,000 of shares to $10,000,000 of shares. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company repurchased 264,165 and 573,318 shares of common stock, respectively, at an average price per share of $18.74 and $18.81, respectively, for an aggregate cost of $4,950,000 and $10,786,000, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $5,966,000 of shares. From October 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 98,014 shares of common stock at an average price per share of $17.23 for an aggregate cost of $1,689,000. At October 31, 2023, the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $4,278,000 of shares of common stock

Basic earnings per share is determined by dividing net income applicable to common stockholders for the applicable period by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during such period. Net income is also allocated to the unvested restricted stock outstanding during each period, as the restricted stock is entitled to receive dividends and is therefore considered a participating security. The RSUs are excluded from the basic earnings per share calculation as they are not participating securities.

Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into shares of common stock or resulted in the issuance of shares of common stock that share in the earnings of the Company. Diluted earnings per share is determined by dividing net income applicable to common stockholders for the applicable period by the weighted average number of shares of common stock deemed to be outstanding during such period.

In calculating diluted earnings per share, the Company includes only those shares underlying the RSUs that it anticipates will vest based on management's estimates as of the end of the most recent quarter. The Company excludes any shares underlying the RSUs from such calculation if their effect would have been anti-dilutive. The following table provides a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of earnings per share calculations (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):