An operating partnership unit ("OP Unit") and a share of our common stock have essentially the same economic characteristics as they receive the same per unit profit distributions of the Operating Partnership. On the one-year anniversary of issuance, an OP Unit may be tendered for redemption for cash; however, we have sole and absolute discretion, and sufficient authorized common stock, to exchange OP Units for shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis instead of cash.

On May 16, 2019, the Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. Empire State Realty OP, L.P. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (“2019 Plan”) was approved by our shareholders. The 2019 Plan provides for grants to directors, employees and consultants of our company and operating partnership, including options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance awards, dividend equivalents and other equity-based awards. An aggregate of approximately 11.0 million shares of our common stock are authorized for issuance under awards granted pursuant to the 2019 Plan. We will not issue any new equity awards under the First Amended and Restated Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. and Empire State Realty OP, L.P. 2013 Equity Incentive Plan ("2013 Plan", and collectively with the 2019 Plan, "the Plans"). The shares of Class A common stock underlying any awards under the 2019 Plan and the 2013 Plan that are forfeited, canceled or otherwise terminated, other than by exercise, will be added back to the shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. Shares tendered or held back upon exercise of a stock option or settlement of an award under the 2019 Plan or the 2013 Plan to cover the exercise price or tax withholding and shares subject to a stock appreciation right that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of the stock appreciation right upon exercise thereof, will not be added back to the shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. In addition, shares of Class A common stock repurchased on the open market will not be added back to the shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan.

Long-term incentive plan ("LTIP") units are a special class of partnership interests in the Operating Partnership. Each LTIP unit awarded will be deemed equivalent to an award of one share of stock under the Plans, reducing the availability for other equity awards on a one-for-one basis. The vesting period for LTIP units, if any, will be determined at the time of issuance. Under the terms of the LTIP units, the Operating Partnership will revalue for tax purposes its assets upon the occurrence of certain specified events, and any increase in valuation from the time of grant until such event will be allocated first to the holders of LTIP units to equalize the capital accounts of such holders with the capital accounts of OP unitholders.

LTIP units subject to time based vesting, whether vested or not, receive the same per unit distributions as OP Units, which equal per share dividends (both regular and special) on our common stock. Performance based LTIP units receive 10% of such distributions currently, unless and until such LTIP units are earned based on performance, at which time they will receive the accrued and unpaid 90% and will commence receiving 100% of such distributions thereafter.

On December 31, 2019 our board authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million of our Class A common stock and the Operating Partnership’s Series ES, Series 250 and Series 60 operating partnership units from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. On December 11, 2020, our board approved a new authorization for the repurchase of up to $500 million of such securities from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Under the repurchase program, we may purchase our Class A common stock and the Operating Partnership’s Series ES, Series 250 and Series 60 operating partnership units in accordance with applicable securities laws from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing, manner, price and amount of any repurchases will be determined by us at our discretion and will be subject to stock price, availability, trading volume and general market conditions. The authorization does not obligate us to acquire any particular amount of securities, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at our discretion without prior notice.

As of December 31, 2020, there were 4,664,038 Series 2019 Preferred Units ("Series 2019 Preferred Units") and 1,560,360 Series 2014 Private Perpetual Preferred Units ("Series 2014 Preferred Units"). The Series 2019 Preferred Units have a liquidation preference of $13.52 per unit and are entitled to receive cumulative preferential annual cash distributions of $0.70 per unit payable in arrears on a quarterly basis. The Series 2019 Preferred Units are not redeemable at the option of the holders and are redeemable at our option only in the case of specific defined events. The Series 2014 Preferred Units which have a liquidation preference of $16.62 per unit and are entitled to receive cumulative preferential annual cash distributions of $0.60 per unit payable in arrears on a quarterly basis. The Series 2014 Preferred Units are not redeemable at the option of the holders and are redeemable at our option only in the case of specific defined events.

The following table summarizes the dividends paid on our Class A common stock and Class B common stock for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018:

Record Date

Payment Date

Amount per Share

June 19, 2020

June 30, 2020

$0.105

March 16, 2020

March 31, 2020

$0.105

December 23, 2019

December 31, 2019

$0.105

September 16, 2019

September 30, 2019

$0.105

June 14, 2019

June 28, 2019

$0.105

March 15, 2019

March 29, 2019

$0.105

December 17, 2018

December 31, 2018

$0.105

September 14, 2018

September 28, 2018

$0.105

June 15, 2018

June 29, 2018

$0.105

March 15, 2018

March 30, 2018

$0.105

Total dividends paid to common securityholders during 2020, 2019 and 2018 were $37.2 million, $75.2 million and $70.9 million, respectively. Total distributions paid to OP unitholders, excluding inter-company distributions, during 2020, 2019 and 2018 totaled $23.7 million, $50.8 million and $54.7 million, respectively. Total distributions paid to Preferred unitholders during 2020, 2019 and 2018 were $4.2 million, $1.7 million, and $0.9 million, respectively.

Earnings and profits, which determine the tax treatment of distributions to securityholders, will differ from income reported for financial reporting purposes due to the differences for federal income tax purposes, including, but not limited to, treatment of revenue recognition, compensation expense, and basis of depreciable assets and estimated useful lives used to compute depreciation. The 2020 dividends of $0.21 per share are classified for income tax purposes 100% as taxable ordinary dividends eligible for the Section 199A deduction and 0% as a return of capital. The 2019 dividends of $0.42 per share are classified for income tax purposes 31.4% as taxable ordinary dividends eligible for the Section 199A deduction and 68.6% as a return of capital. The 2018 dividends of $0.42 per share are classified for income tax purposes 83.8% as taxable ordinary dividends eligible for the Section 199A deduction and 16.2% as a return of capital.

The Plans provide for grants to directors, employees and consultants consisting of stock options, restricted stock, dividend equivalents, stock payments, performance shares, LTIP units, stock appreciation rights and other incentive awards.. An aggregate of 11.0 million shares of our common stock are authorized for issuance under awards granted pursuant to the 2019 Plan, and as of December 31, 2020, approximately 8.5 million shares of common stock remain available for future issuance under the Plans.

In December and August 2020, we granted Grant H. Hill and R. Paige Hood, respectively, our new non-employee directors, a total of 31,117 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting with a fair market value of $0.2 million. These awards vest ratably on each of the first three anniversaries of May 15, 2020, subject generally to their continued service on our Board of Directors.

In May 2020, we made grants of LTIP units under the 2019 Plan. At such time, we granted our non-employee directors a total of 171,153 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting with fair market values of $1.1 million. These awards vest ratably over three years from the date of the grant, subject generally to the director's continued service on our Board of Directors. We also granted Christina Chiu, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, a total of 82,199 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting and 116,927 LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting, with fair market values of $0.5 million for the time-based vesting awards and $0.5 million for the market-based vesting awards. We also granted certain other employees a total of 63,229 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting with a fair market value of $0.4 million. The awards subject to time-based vesting vest ratably over three or four years from the date of grant, subject

generally to the grantee's continued employment. The first installment vests on the respective grant dates in May 2021 and the remainder will vest thereafter in two or three equal annual installments. The vesting of the LTIP units subject to market-based vesting is based on the achievement of relative total stockholder return hurdles over a three-year performance period, commencing on May 7, 2020. Following the completion of the three-year performance period, our Compensation and Human Capital Committee will determine the number of LTIP units to which the grantee is entitled based on our performance relative to the performance hurdles set forth in the LTIP unit award agreements the grantee entered into in connection with the award grant. These units then vest in two installments, with the first installment vesting on May 7, 2023 and the second installment vesting on May 7, 2024, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment on those dates.

In March 2020, we made grants of LTIP units to executive officers under the 2019 Plan. At such time, we granted to executive officers a total of 745,155 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting and 3,358,767 LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting, with fair market values of $5.6 million for the time-based vesting awards and $14.0 million for the 22 market-based vesting awards. In March 2020, we made grants of LTIP units and restricted stock to certain other employees under the 2019 Plan. At such time, we granted to certain other employees a total of 113,971 LTIP units and 158,806 shares of restricted stock that are subject to time-based vesting and 502,475 LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting, with fair market values of $2.3 million for the time-based vesting awards and $2.3 million for the market-based vesting awards. The awards subject to time-based vesting vest ratably over four years from January 1, 2020, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment. The first installment vests on January 1, 2021 and the remainder will vest thereafter in three equal annual installments. The vesting of the LTIP units subject to market-based vesting is based on the achievement of relative total stockholder return hurdles over a three-year performance period, commencing on January 1, 2020. Following the completion of the three-year performance period, our Compensation and Human Capital Committee will determine the number of LTIP units to which the grantee is entitled based on our performance relative to the performance hurdles set forth in the LTIP unit award agreements the grantee entered into in connection with the award grant. These units then vest in two installments, with the first installment vesting on January 1, 2023 and the second installment vesting on January 1, 2024, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment on those dates.

For awards granted in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, our named executive officers could elect to receive their annual incentive bonus in any combination of (i) cash or vested LTIP's at the face amount of such bonus or (ii) time-vesting LTIP's which would vest over three years, subject to continued employment, at 125% of such face amount (the "bonus election program"). In March 2020, we made grants of LTIP units to executive officers under the 2019 Plan in connection with the 2019 bonus election program. We granted to executive officers a total of 624,380 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting with a fair market value of $4.4 million. Of these LTIP units, 23,049 LTIP units vested immediately on the grant date and 601,331 LTIP units vest ratably over three years from January 1, 2020, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment. The first installment vests on January 1, 2021 and the remainder will vest thereafter in two equal annual installments.

In COVID-19 disrupted markets during the first quarter of 2020, the LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting were undervalued on initial appraisal, and the resulting number of LTIP units issued in March 2020 was reduced on final appraisal to match the original board-approved dollar value. In June 2020, we reduced the grants of LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting which were awarded to executive officers and certain other employees by 666,933 LTIP units with fair market values of $2.8 million and 99,630 LTIP units with fair market values of $0.5 million, respectively.

In October and May 2019, we made grants of LTIP units to our non-employee directors under the 2019 Plan. At such times, we granted a total of 76,718 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting with fair market values of $1.1 million. The awards vest ratably over three years from the date of the grant, subject generally to the director's continued service on our Board of Directors.

In March 2019, we made grants of LTIP units to executive officers under the 2013 Plan. At such time, we granted to executive officers a total of 461,693 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting and 1,806,520 LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting, with fair market values of $6.4 million for the time-based vesting awards and $12.8 million for the market-based vesting awards. In March 2019 we made grants of LTIP units and restricted stock to certain other employees under the 2013 Plan. At such time, we granted to certain other employees a total of 61,432 LTIP units and 69,358 shares of restricted stock that are subject to time-based vesting and 113,383 LTIP units that are subject to market-based vesting, with fair market values of $2.0 million for the time-based vesting awards and $0.9 million for the market-based vesting awards. The awards subject to time-based vesting vest ratably over four years from January 1, 2019, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment. The first installment vests on January 1, 2020 and the remainder will vest thereafter in three equal annual installments. The vesting of the LTIP units subject to market-based vesting is based on the achievement of relative total stockholder return hurdles over a three-year performance period, commencing on January 1, 2019. Following the completion of the three-year performance period, our compensation committee will determine the number of LTIP units to which the grantee

is entitled based on our performance relative to the performance hurdles set forth in the LTIP unit award agreements the grantee entered into in connection with the award grant. These units then vest in two installments, with the first installment vesting on January 1, 2022 and the second installment vesting on January 1, 2023, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment on those dates.

In March 2019, we made grants of LTIP units to executive officers under the 2013 Plan in connection with the 2018 bonus election program. We granted to executive officers a total of 334,952 LTIP units that are subject to time-based vesting with a fair market value of $4.6 million. Of these LTIP units, 26,056 LTIP units vested immediately on the grant date and 308,896 LTIP units vest ratably over three years from January 1, 2019, subject generally to the grantee's continued employment. The first installment vests on January 1, 2020 and the remainder will vest thereafter in two equal annual installments.

Share-based compensation for time-based equity awards is measured at the fair value of the award on the date of grant and recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the shorter of (i) the stated vesting period, which is generally three or four years, or (ii) the period from the date of grant to the date the employee becomes retirement eligible, which may occur upon grant. Prior to amendment of the 2019 Plan on July 13, 2020, an employee is retirement eligible when the employee attains the (i) age of 60 and (ii) the date on which the employee has first completed ten years of continuous service with us or our affiliates. On July 13, 2020, the board amended the 2019 Plan such that the retirement eligibility age was raised from 60 to 65 starting with grant awards issued after such amendment date, and amended certain grant agreements for equity awards issued in early 2020 such that the new retirement age would apply to such 2020 awards issued prior to July 13, 2020. Share-based compensation for market-based equity awards is measured at the fair value of the award on the date of grant and recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over three or four years depending on retirement eligibility.

For the market-based LTIP units, the fair value of the awards was estimated using a Monte Carlo Simulation model. Our stock price, along with the prices of the comparative indexes, is assumed to follow the Geometric Brownian Motion Process. Geometric Brownian motion is a common assumption when modeling in financial markets, as it allows the modeled quantity (in this case, the stock price) to vary randomly from its current value and take any value greater than zero. The volatilities of the returns on our stock price and the comparative indexes were estimated based on implied volatilities and historical volatilities using a six-year look-back period. The expected growth rate of the stock prices over the performance period is determined with consideration of the risk free rate as of the grant date. For LTIP unit awards that are time-based, the fair value of the awards was estimated based on the fair value of our stock at the grant date discounted for the restriction period during which the LTIP units cannot be redeemed or transferred and the uncertainty regarding if, and when, the book capital account of the LTIP units will equal that of the common units. For restricted stock awards that are time-based, we estimate the stock compensation expense based on the fair value of the stock at the grant date.

LTIP units and restricted stock issued during the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 were valued at $28.3 million, $27.9 million and $23.6 million, respectively. The weighted-average per unit or share fair value was $5.44, $9.56 and $8.54 for grants issued in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The per unit or share granted in 2020 was estimated on the respective dates of grant using the following assumptions: an expected life from 2.0 to 5.5 years, a dividend rate of 3.70%, a risk-free interest rate from 0.16% to 0.50%, and an expected price volatility from 19.0% to 26.0%. The per unit or share granted in 2019 was estimated on the respective dates of grant using the following assumptions: an expected life from 2.0 to 5.3 years, a dividend rate of 2.40%, a risk-free interest rate from 2.48% to 2.63%, and an expected price volatility from 17.0% to 22.0%. The per unit or share granted in 2018 was estimated on the respective dates of grant using the following assumptions: an expected life of 2.8 years, a dividend rate of 2.30%, a risk-free interest rate of 2.50% and an expected price volatility of 20.0%. No other stock options, dividend equivalents, or stock appreciation rights were issued or outstanding in 2020, 2019 and 2018.

The following is a summary of restricted stock and LTIP unit activity for the year ended December 31, 2020:


	Restricted Stock	LTIP Units	Weighted Average Grant Fair Value
Unvested balance at December 31, 2019	118,918	5,986,569	$	9.73
Vested	(58,326)	(1,052,692)	14.04
Granted	161,449	5,042,810	5.44
Forfeited or unearned	(4,341)	(2,226,403)	7.55
Unvested balance at December 31, 2020	217,700	7,750,284	$	6.94

The LTIP unit and restricted stock award agreements will immediately vest when a grantee attains the (i) age of 60 or 65, as applicable, and (ii) the date on which the grantee has first completed ten years of continuous service with us or our affiliates. For award agreements that qualify, we recognize noncash compensation expense on the grant date for the time-based awards and ratably over the vesting period for the market-based awards, and accordingly, we recognized $2.6 million, $2.0 million and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Unrecognized compensation expense was $1.4 million at December 31, 2020, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.1 years.

For the remainder of the LTIP unit and restricted stock awards, we recognize noncash compensation expense ratably over the vesting period, and accordingly, we recognized $22.9 million, $18.8 million and $17.0 million in noncash compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Unrecognized compensation expense was $26.5 million at December 31, 2020, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.2 years.

Earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 is computed as follows (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):


	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
Numerator - Basic:
Net income (loss)	$	(22,889)	$	84,290	$	117,253
Private perpetual preferred unit distributions	(4,197)		(1,743)		(936)
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	10,374		(33,102)		(50,714)
Earnings allocated to unvested shares	(60)		(45)		(38)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - basic	$	(16,772)	$	49,400	$	65,565

Numerator - Diluted:
Net income (loss)	$	(22,889)	$	84,290	$	117,253
Private perpetual preferred unit distributions	(4,197)		(1,743)		(936)
Earnings allocated to unvested shares	(60)		(45)		(38)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - diluted	$	(27,146)	$	82,502	$	116,279

Denominator:
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic	175,169		178,340		167,571
Operating partnership units	108,657		119,458		129,687
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock-based compensation plans	11		—		1

Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted	283,837		297,798		297,259

Earnings per share - basic	$	(0.10)	$	0.28	$	0.39
Earnings per share - diluted	$	(0.10)	$	0.28	$	0.39