Stock-Based Compensation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation

At June 30, 2021, the Company had several stock-based compensation plans including stock option plans, various cash-settled liability plans, and an employee share purchase plan. These plans resulted in an expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 of $25 million and $49 million, respectively (three and six months ended June 30, 2020 - expense of $43 million and $54 million, respectively).

Stock option plan

Options issued prior to the share split described in Note 1 now each provide rights over five shares. For consistency, all number of options presented herein are calculated and shown on the basis of the number of shares subject to the options. In the six months ended June 30, 2021, under CP’s stock option plans, the Company issued 1,339,886 options at the weighted-average price of $87.64 per share, based on the closing price on the grant date. Pursuant to the employee plan, these options may be exercised upon vesting, which is between 12 months and 48 months after the grant date, and will expire after seven years.

Under the fair value method, the fair value of the stock options at grant date was approximately $26 million. The weighted-average fair value assumptions were approximately:

	For the six months ended June 30, 2021
Expected option life (years)(1)	4.75
Risk-free interest rate(2)	0.53%
Expected share price volatility(3)	27.14%
Expected annual dividends per share(4)	$0.760
Expected forfeiture rate(5)	2.61%
Weighted-average grant date fair value per option granted during the period	$19.05

(1)Represents the period of time that awards are expected to be outstanding. Historical data on exercise behaviour or, when available, specific expectations regarding future exercise behaviour were used to estimate the expected life of the option.

(2)Based on the implied yield available on zero-coupon government issues with an equivalent term commensurate with the expected term of the option.

(3)Based on the historical volatility of the Company’s share price over a period commensurate with the expected term of the option.

(4)Determined by the current annual dividend at the time of grant. The Company does not employ different dividend yields throughout the contractual term of the option.

(5)The Company estimates forfeitures based on past experience. This rate is monitored on a periodic basis.

Performance share unit plans

During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company issued 426,402 Performance Share Units ("PSUs") with a grant date fair value of approximately $37 million and 12,694 Performance Deferred Share Units ("PDSUs") with a grant date fair value, including the value of expected future matching units, of approximately $1 million. PSUs and PDSUs attract dividend equivalents in the form of additional units based on dividends paid on the Company’s Common Shares, and vest approximately three years after the grant date, contingent upon CP’s performance ("performance factor"). The fair value of these PSUs and PDSUs is measured periodically until settlement. Vested PSUs are settled in cash. Vested PDSUs are settled in cash pursuant to the Deferred Share Unit ("DSU") Plan and are eligible for a 25% match if the holder has not exceeded their share ownership requirements, and are paid out only when the holder ceases their employment with CP.

The performance period for PSUs and PDSUs issued in the six months ended June 30, 2021 is January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023 and the performance factors are Return on Invested Capital ("ROIC"), Total Shareholder Return ("TSR") compared to the S&P/TSX 60 Index, and TSR compared to Class I railways.

The performance period for PSUs issued in 2018 was January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. The performance factors for 626,400 PSUs were ROIC, TSR compared to the S&P/TSX Capped Industrial Index, and TSR compared to the S&P 1500 Road and Rail Index. The resulting payout was 200% of the outstanding units multiplied by the Company's average share price calculated using the last 30 trading days preceding December 31, 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, payouts occurred on 570,056 total outstanding awards, including dividends reinvested, totalling $98 million. The performance factors for the remaining 184,875 PSUs were annual revenue for the fiscal year 2020, diluted earnings per share for the fiscal year 2020, and share price appreciation.

Deferred share unit plan

During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company granted 53,391 DSUs with a grant date fair value of approximately $5 million. DSUs vest over various periods of up to 36 months and are only redeemable for a specified period after employment is terminated. The expense for DSUs is recognized over the vesting period for both the initial subscription price and the change in value between reporting periods.