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SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND EQUITY COMPENSATION
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]  
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND EQUITY COMPENSATION SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND EQUITY COMPENSATION
 
During the six months ended March 31, 2024, the Company paid two quarterly cash dividends of $0.15 per share each. During 2023, the Board of Directors approved two quarterly cash dividends of $0.10 per share and two quarterly cash dividends of $0.125 per share, totaling $0.45. Additionally, on April 19, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend of $2.00 per share, paid on May 19, 2023, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 9, 2023. The Company currently intends to pay dividends each quarter; however, payment of dividends is determined by the Board of Directors at its discretion based on various factors, and no assurance can be provided as to the payment of future dividends. Dividends paid on shares in the ESOP were used to offset ESOP compensation expense. For all dividends, a dividend payable is established for the holders of restricted shares; such dividends will be released upon vesting of the underlying restricted shares.
On May 7, 2024, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share, payable on June 20, 2024 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 29, 2024.

On January 29, 2016, shareholders approved the Griffon Corporation 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Original Incentive Plan") pursuant to which, among other things, awards of performance shares, performance units, stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units, deferred shares and other stock-based awards may be granted. On January 31, 2018, shareholders approved Amendment No. 1 to the Original Incentive Plan pursuant to which, among other things, 1,000,000 shares were added to the Original Incentive Plan; on January 30, 2020, shareholders approved Amendment No. 2 to the Original Incentive Plan, pursuant to which 1,700,000 shares were added to the Original Incentive Plan; on February 17, 2022, shareholders approved the Amended and Restated 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended Incentive Plan”), which amended and restated the Original Incentive Plan and pursuant to which, among other things, 1,200,000 shares were added to the Original Incentive Plan; and on March 20, 2024, shareholders approved an amendment to add 2,600,000 shares to the Amended Incentive Plan. Options granted under the Amended Incentive Plan may be either “incentive stock options” or nonqualified stock options, generally expire ten years after the date of grant and are granted at an exercise price of not less than 100% of the fair market value at the date of grant. The maximum number of shares of common stock available for award under the Amended Incentive Plan is 8,850,000 (600,000 of which may be issued as incentive stock options), plus (i) any shares that were reserved for issuance under the Original Incentive Plan as of the effective date of the Original Incentive Plan, and (ii) any shares underlying awards outstanding on such date under the 2011 Incentive Plan that were subsequently canceled or forfeited. As of March 31, 2024, there were 2,377,532 shares available for grant.

Compensation expense for restricted stock and restricted stock units is recognized ratably over the required service period based on the fair value of the grant, calculated as the number of shares or units granted multiplied by the stock price on the date of grant, and for performance shares, including performance units, the likelihood of achieving the performance criteria. The Company recognizes forfeitures as they occur. Compensation expense for restricted stock granted to four senior executives is calculated as the maximum number of shares granted, upon achieving certain performance criteria, multiplied by the stock price as valued by a Monte Carlo Simulation Model. Compensation cost related to stock-based awards with graded vesting, generally over a period of three to four years, is recognized using the straight-line attribution method and recorded within SG&A expenses.

The following table summarizes the Company’s compensation expense relating to all stock-based incentive plans:
For the Three Months Ended March 31,For the Six Months Ended March 31,
2024202320242023
Restricted stock$3,849 $5,296 $8,877 $10,834 
ESOP2,408 1,297 3,797 2,501 
Total stock-based compensation$6,257 $6,593 $12,674 $13,335 

During the first quarter of 2024, Griffon granted 174,104 shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units ("RSUs"). This includes 166,272 shares of restricted stock and 7,832 RSUs granted to 43 executives and key employees, subject to certain performance conditions, with a vesting period of thirty-six months and a total fair value of $8,225, or a weighted average fair value of $47.24 per share.

During the second quarter of 2024, Griffon granted 403,997 shares of restricted stock and RSUs. This includes 387,222 shares of restricted stock granted to four senior executives with a vesting period of thirty-three months and a two-year post-vesting holding period, subject to the achievement of certain performance conditions relating to required levels of return on invested capital and the relative total shareholder return of Griffon's common stock as compared to a market index. So long as the minimum performance conditions are attained, the amount of shares that can vest will range from a minimum of 64,539 to a maximum of 387,222, with the target number of shares being 129,074. The total fair value of these restricted shares, assuming achievement of the performance conditions at target, is $12,181, or a weighted average fair value of $94.37 per share. This also includes 16,775 shares of restricted stock granted to non-employee directors of Griffon with a vesting period of one-year and a fair value of $1,210, or a weighted average fair value of $72.13 per share. During the six months ended March 31, 2024, 570,269 shares granted were issued out of treasury stock.
On April 19, 2023, the Company's Board of Directors approved a $200,000 increase to Griffon's share repurchase program to $257,955 from the prior unused board authorizations of $57,955. Also, on November 15, 2023, Griffon announced that the Board of Directors approved an additional increase of $200,000 to its share repurchase authorization. Under the authorized share repurchase program, the Company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its common stock in the open market, including pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan, pursuant to an accelerated share repurchase program or issuer tender offer, or in privately negotiated transactions. Share repurchases during the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2024 totaled 1,803,424 shares and 3,437,878 shares of common stock, respectively, for a total of $117,384 and $187,024, respectively, or an average of $65.09 per share and $54.40 per share, respectively. This includes the repurchase of 1,500,000 shares of common shares by the Company on February 20, 2024 pursuant to a stock purchase and cooperation agreement executed by the Company and Voss Value Master Fund, L.P., Voss Value-Oriented Special Situations Fund, L.P and four separately managed accounts of which Voss Capital, LLC is the investment manager, in a private transaction. The purchase price per share was $65.50, for an aggregate purchase price of $98,250. As of March 31, 2024, $120,158 remains under these Board authorized repurchase programs.

During the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2024, 374,700 and 595,929 shares, respectively, with a market value of $22,722, or $60.64 per share and $34,326, or $57.60 per share, respectively, were withheld to settle employee taxes due upon the vesting of restricted stock, and were added to treasury stock.

During the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2024, $715 and $1,411, respectively, were accrued for excise taxes for share repurchases and vesting of restricted stock. As of March 31, 2024, $2,712 was accrued for excise taxes for share repurchases.