Stock-Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

11. Stock-Based Compensation

The Company normally issues most of its annual stock-based compensation awards during the first quarter. Stock-based compensation has historically been issued in the form of options, stock appreciation rights (SARs) and nonvested stock. During the past several years, including the first quarter of 2012, stock-based compensation has been issued solely in the form of nonvested stock awards. The stock-based compensation expense that has been charged against income was $1.4 million and $1.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

The 2012 stock awards generally vest in 5 to 7 years and contain restrictions as to transferability, sale, pledging, or assigning, among others, prior to the end of the vesting period. Dividend and voting rights are conferred upon grant. A summary of the status of the Company's nonvested share awards as of March 31, 2012, and changes during the three month period then ended, is presented below.




	Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2012	653,782		$35.48
Granted	207,985		38.47
Vested	(30,626	)	38.79
Forfeited	(514	)	36.23
Nonvested at March 31, 2012	830,627		$36.11

In previous years, SARs and stock options have also been granted, with exercise prices equal to the market price of the Company's stock at the date of grant. SARs, which the Company granted in 2006 through 2009, vest on a graded basis over 4 years of continuous service and have 10-year contractual terms. All SARs must be settled in stock under provisions of the plan. Stock options, which were granted in 2005 and previous years, vest on a graded basis over 3 years of continuous service and also have 10-year contractual terms. In determining compensation cost, the Black-Scholes option-pricing model is used to estimate the fair value of SARs and options on date of grant.

A summary of option activity during the first three months of 2012 is presented below.




(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at January 1, 2012	1,352,644		$30.26
Granted
Forfeited
Expired	(849	)		19.61
Exercised	(241,078	)	26.22
Outstanding at March 31, 2012	1,110,717		$31.15		2.0 years	$	10,412

A summary of SAR activity during the first three months of 2012 is presented below.




(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price	Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at January 1, 2012	1,739,126		$37.83
Granted
Forfeited
Expired
Exercised	(12,766	)	35.63
Outstanding at March 31, 2012	1,726,360		$37.84	4.9 years	$	4,622

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of components of a stock option or other award plan under which equity-based compensation is awarded to employees, typically comprised of the amount of unearned compensation (deferred compensation cost), compensation expense, and changes in the quantity and fair value of the shares (or other type of equity) granted, exercised, forfeited, and issued and outstanding pertaining to that plan. Disclosure may also include nature and general terms of such arrangements that existed during the period and potential effects of those arrangements on shareholders, effect of compensation cost arising from equity-based payment arrangements on the income statement, method of estimating the fair value of the goods or services received, or the fair value of the equity instruments granted, during the period, cash flow effects resulting from equity-based payment arrangements and, for registrants that accelerate vesting of out of the money share options, reasons for the decision to accelerate.

+ References+ Details