10.	Share-Based Compensation

The Company’s 2017 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2017 Plan”) was approved by the Company’s stockholders on May 16, 2017. The 2017 Plan permits the granting of stock options, which are granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the date of the grant, and other stock-based awards, including appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock unit, performance shares and dividend equivalents. As of May 16, 2017, no further grants will be made under the Company’s 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2007 Plan”), but outstanding awards under the 2007 Plan prior to such date will continue to be unaffected in accordance with their terms.

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation,” which requires the Company to recognize compensation expense for stock-based awards, measured at the fair value of the awards at the grant date. The Company recognized expense of $0.7 million and $0.6 million during the three-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $0.7 million and $1.1 million during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Share based compensation expense was lower in 2017 primarily due to a large amount of forfeitures related to the former Chief Executive Officer’s departure from the Company.

The Company granted approximately 128,000 options during the three-month period ended June 30, 2017 and no options during the three-month period ended June 30, 2016. The Company granted approximately 128,000 and 100,000 options during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The weighted-average fair value of stock options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 was estimated at $2.68 and $2.07 per option, respectively, using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model based on the following assumptions:

Expected Volatility: The Company utilizes a volatility factor based on the Company’s historical stock prices for a period of time equal to the expected term of the stock option utilizing weekly price observations. For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company utilized a weighted-average volatility factor of 39%.

Expected Term: For the six months ended June 30, 2017, and 2016, the Company utilized a weighted-average expected term factor of 6.3 years and 6.5 years, respectively.

Risk-Free Interest Rate: The risk-free interest rate factor utilized is based upon the implied yields currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues over the expected term of the stock options. For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company utilized a weighted-average risk-free interest rate factor of 2.1%.

Expected Dividends: The Company utilized a weighted average expected dividend rate of 3.3% and 3.6% to value options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The Company granted approximately 351,000 and 90,000 restricted stock units during the three-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and approximately 405,000 and 100,000 restricted stock units during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The weighted-average fair value of restricted stock units granted during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 was estimated at $9.87 and $7.77 per unit, respectively, using the value of stock in the open market on the date of grant.

On June 10, 2017, the Company granted 700,000 performance units to our Chief Executive Officer whose total value was determined to be $175,000 and will be expensed over the vesting period. The maximum shares of common stock that the participant could receive upon his performance units vesting is 77,778 shares. The performance units are earned based upon the Company’s stock price during 30 consecutive trading days within a specified date range of approximately two years. The performance units are settled in the Company’s common stock subsequent to this specified date range and vest approximately three years from the date of the grant. The estimated grant date fair value and compensation expense of each performance share is determined on the date of grant by using the Monte Carlo valuation model.

The fair value of the stock-based awards, including the performance units, granted is recorded as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods of the awards.

There were approximately 282,000 and 51,000 options exercised during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company received $1.1 million and $0.3 million in cash from employees and directors exercising options during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The intrinsic value of options exercised during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 was $1.8 million and $0.1 million, respectively.