Stock-Based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The Company has several types of stock-based compensation - stock options, restricted stock, and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) - which are described in note 13 of the notes to consolidated financial statements in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The expense related to stock option and restricted stock awards is fixed. The expense related to RSUs fluctuates from period to period dependent, in part, on the Company's stock price and stock performance relative to its peers. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures, of $67,000 and $403,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $6.7 million and $6.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

On April 23, 2019, the Company's stockholders approved the Cousins Properties Incorporated 2019 Omnibus Incentive Stock Plan (the "2019 Plan"). The Company also maintains the Cousins Properties Incorporated 2009 Incentive Stock Plan (the "2009 Plan") and the Cousins Properties Incorporated 2005 Restricted Stock Unit Plan (the “RSU Plan”) although no further issuances are permitted under the 2009 plan or RSU Plan. Under the 2009 Plan, during the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company made restricted stock grants of 65,822 shares to key employees, which vest ratably over a three-year period. Under the RSU Plan, during the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company awarded two types of performance-based RSUs to key employees based on the following metrics: (1) Total Stockholder Return of the Company, as defined in the RSU Plan, as compared to the companies in the SNL US REIT Office index (“TSR RSUs”), and (2) the ratio of cumulative funds from operations per share to targeted cumulative funds from operations per share (“FFO RSUs”), as defined in the RSU Plan. The performance period for both awards is January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, and the targeted units awarded of TSR RSUs and FFO RSUs was 65,247 and 27,963, respectively. The ultimate payout of these awards can range from 0% to 200% of the targeted number of units depending on the achievement of the market and performance metrics described above. These RSU awards cliff vest on December 31, 2021 and are to be settled in cash with payment dependent on attainment of required service, market, and performance criteria. The number of RSUs vesting will be determined by the Compensation Committee, and the payout per unit will be equal to the average closing price on each trading day during the 30-day period ending on December 31, 2021. The Company expenses an estimate of the fair value of the TSR RSUs over the performance period using a quarterly Monte Carlo valuation. The FFO RSUs are expensed over the vesting period using the fair market value of the Company's stock at the reporting date multiplied by the anticipated number of units to be paid based on the current estimate of what the ratio is expected to be upon vesting. Dividend equivalents on the TSR RSUs and the FFO RSUs will also be paid based upon the percentage vested. The Company expects to make all future grants of restricted stock and restricted stock units under the 2019 Plan.

Under the 2019 Plan, during the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Company issued 37,166 shares of common stock to members of its board of directors in lieu of fees and recorded $1.4 million in general and administrative expense related to these issuances.