As of December 31, 2018, the Company has outstanding share-based awards under the Aflac Incorporated Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). Share-based awards are designed to reward employees for their long-term contributions to the Company and provide incentives for them to remain with the Company. The number and frequency of share-based awards are based on competitive practices, operating results of the Company, government regulations, and other factors.

The Plan, as amended on February 14, 2017, allows for a maximum number of shares issuable over its term of 75 million shares including 38 million shares that may be awarded in respect of awards other than options or stock appreciation rights. If any awards granted under the Plan are forfeited or are terminated before being exercised or settled for any reason other than tax forfeiture, then the shares underlying the awards will again be available under the Plan.

The Plan allows awards to Company employees for incentive stock options (ISOs), non-qualifying stock options (NQSOs), restricted stock, restricted stock units, and stock appreciation rights. Non-employee directors are eligible for grants of NQSOs, restricted stock, and stock appreciation rights. As of December 31, 2018, approximately 40.3 million shares were available for future grants under this plan. The ISOs and NQSOs have a term of 10 years, and the share-based awards generally vest upon time-based conditions or time and performance-based conditions. Time-based vesting generally occurs after three years. Performance-based vesting conditions generally include the attainment of goals related to Company financial performance. As of December 31, 2018, the only performance-based awards issued and outstanding were restricted stock awards.

Stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the amended Plan have an exercise price of at least the fair market value of the underlying stock on the grant date and have an expiration date no later than 10 years from the grant date. Time-based restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and stock options granted after January 1, 2017 generally vest on a ratable basis over three years, and awards granted prior to the amendment vest on a three-year cliff basis. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has the discretion to determine vesting schedules.



(In millions, except for per-share amounts)	2018			2017			2016
Impact on earnings from continuing operations		$	57		$	51		$	68
Impact on earnings before income taxes		57			51			68
Impact on net earnings		45			35			46
Impact on net earnings per share:
Basic		$	.06		$	.05		$	.06
Diluted		.06			.05			.06



(In thousands of shares)	Stock Option Shares			Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share
Outstanding at December 31, 2015		15,836			$	25.47
Granted in 2016		1,328			30.70
Canceled in 2016		(362	)		27.82
Exercised in 2016		(4,122	)		24.46
Outstanding at December 31, 2016		12,680			26.28
Granted in 2017		626			35.80
Canceled in 2017		(236	)		24.95
Exercised in 2017		(5,766	)		30.11
Outstanding at December 31, 2017		7,304			28.03
Granted in 2018		67			44.59
Canceled in 2018		(167	)		32.11
Exercised in 2018		(1,874	)		26.78
Outstanding at December 31, 2018		5,330			$	28.54

The Company estimates the fair value of each stock option granted using the Black-Scholes-Merton multiple option approach. Expected volatility is based on historical periods generally commensurate with the estimated terms of the options. The Company uses historical data to estimate option exercise and termination patterns within the model. Separate groups of employees that have similar historical exercise patterns are stratified and considered separately for valuation purposes. The expected term of options granted is derived from the output of the Company's option model and represents the weighted-average period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. The Company bases the risk-free interest rate on the Treasury note rate with a term comparable to that of the estimated term of the options. The weighted-average fair value of options at their grant date was $8.81 per share for 2018, compared with $7.64 for 2017 and $6.35 in 2016. The following table presents the assumptions used in valuing options granted during the years ended December 31.



(In thousands of shares)						Options Outstanding							Options Exercisable
	Range of Exercise Prices Per Share					Stock Option Shares Outstanding		Wgtd.-Avg. Remaining Contractual Life (Yrs.)		Wgtd.-Avg. Exercise Price Per Share			Stock Option Shares Exercisable		Wgtd.-Avg. Exercise Price Per Share
	$	11.07	-	$	24.28		1,181		1.8		$	20.76		1,181		$	20.76
	24.75		-	28.97			1,718		4.8		27.76			1,026		26.95
	29.04		-	31.21			1,226		5.8		30.77			1,221		30.77
	31.22		-	37.22			1,134		7.5		34.44			488		33.86
	38.76		-	44.59			71		9.3		44.21			1		38.76
	$	11.07	-	$	44.59		5,330		5.0		$	28.54		3,917		$	27.14

The aggregate intrinsic value in the following table represents the total pretax intrinsic value, and is based on the difference between the exercise price of the stock options and the quoted closing common stock price of $45.56 as of December 31, 2018, for those awards that have an exercise price currently below the closing price. As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate intrinsic value of stock options outstanding was $91 million, with a weighted-average remaining term of 5.0 years. The total number of in-the-money stock options exercisable as of December 31, 2018, was 3.9 million. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercisable at that same date was $72 million, with a weighted-average remaining term of 4.1 years.



(In millions)	2018			2017			2016
Total intrinsic value of options exercised		$	34		$	87		$	41
Cash received from options exercised		48			58			68
Tax benefit realized as a result of options exercised and restricted stock releases		25			74			45

Under the Plan, the Company grants selected executive officers performance-based restricted stock awards (PBRS) each February whose vesting is contingent upon meeting various performance goals. PBRS are generally granted at-the-money and contingently cliff vest over a period of three years, generally subject to continued employment. In February

2018, the Company granted 432 thousand performance-based stock awards, which are contingent on the achievement of the Company's financial performance metrics and its market-based conditions. On the date of grant, the Company estimated the fair value of restricted stock awards with market-based conditions using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The model discounts the value of the stock at the assumed vesting date based on a risk-free interest rate. Based on estimates of actual performance versus the vesting thresholds, the calculated fair value percentage pay-out estimate will be updated each quarter. Actual performance, including modification for relative total shareholder return, may result in the ultimate award of 0% to 200% percent of the initial number of PBRS issued, with the potential for no award if company performance goals are not achieved during the three-year period. PBRS subject to accelerated vesting at the date of retirement eligibility is recognized over the implicit service period.

The Company uses third-party analyses to assist in developing the assumptions used in, as well as calibrating, a Monte Carlo simulation model. The Company is responsible for determining the assumptions used in estimating the fair value of its share-based payment awards.

Key assumptions used to value PBRS granted during 2018 follows:



(In millions)	2018
Expected volatility (based on Aflac Inc. and peer group historical daily stock price)		16.48	%
Expected life from grant date (years)		2.9
Risk-free interest rate (based on U.S. Treasury yields at the date of grant)		2.29	%

The value of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units is based on the fair market value of our common stock at the date of grant. The following table summarizes restricted stock activity during the years ended December 31.



(In thousands of shares)	Shares			Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value Per Share
Restricted stock at December 31, 2015		3,630			$	29.21
Granted in 2016		1,756			30.84
Canceled in 2016		(152	)		30.33
Vested in 2016		(1,498	)		26.84
Restricted stock at December 31, 2016		3,736			30.88
Granted in 2017		1,118			36.48
Canceled in 2017		(202	)		32.23
Vested in 2017		(1,018	)		31.09
Restricted stock at December 31, 2017		3,634			32.40
Granted in 2018		1,121			44.27
Canceled in 2018		(105	)		34.39
Vested in 2018		(1,243	)		31.64
Restricted stock at December 31, 2018		3,407			$	36.52