Stock-Based Compensation

6 Months Ended

Oct. 23, 2021

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

The table below summarizes the total stock-based compensation expense we recognized for all outstanding grants in our consolidated statement of income:


	Quarter Ended				Six Months Ended
(Unaudited, amounts in thousands)	10/23/2021		10/24/2020		10/23/2021		10/24/2020
Equity-based awards expense	$	3,894	$	4,120	$	6,354	$	6,167
Liability-based awards expense (1)	61		754		(623)		1,338
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	3,955	$	4,874	$	5,731	$	7,505

(1)Liability-based awards are comprised primarily of deferred stock units granted to non-employee directors. Compensation expense for these awards is based on the market price of our common stock on the grant date and is remeasured each reporting period based on the market value of our common shares on the last day of the reported period.

Stock Options. We granted 252,996 stock options to employees during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 and we have stock options outstanding from previous grants. We account for stock options as equity-based awards because when they are exercised, they will be settled in common shares. We recognize compensation expense for stock options over the vesting period equal to the fair value on the date our Compensation Committee approved the awards. The vesting period for our stock options ranges from one to four years, with accelerated vesting upon retirement. The vesting date for retirement-eligible employees is the later of the date they meet the criteria for retirement or the end of the fiscal year in which the grant was made. We accelerate the expense for options granted to retirement-eligible employees over the vesting period, with expense recognized from the grant date through their retirement eligibility date or over the ten months following the grant date, whichever period is longer. We have elected to recognize forfeitures as an adjustment to compensation expense in the same period as the forfeitures occur.

We estimate the fair value of the employee stock options at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires management to make certain assumptions. The fair value of stock options granted during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 was calculated using the following assumptions:

(Unaudited)

Fiscal 2022 grant

Assumption

Risk-free interest rate

0.82

U.S. Treasury issues with term equal to expected life at grant date

Dividend rate

1.58

Estimated future dividend rate and common share price at grant date

Expected life

5.0 years

Contractual term of stock option and expected employee exercise trends

Stock price volatility

42.16

Historical volatility of our common shares

Fair value per option

12.29

Restricted Stock. We granted 114,963 shares of restricted stock to employees during the first six months of fiscal 2022. We issue restricted stock at no cost to the employees, and the shares are held in an escrow account until the vesting period ends. If a recipient's employment ends during the escrow period (other than through death or disability), the shares are returned at no cost to the Company. We account for restricted stock awards as equity-based awards because when they vest, they will be settled in common shares. The weighted-average fair value of the restricted stock that was awarded in the first six months of fiscal 2022 was $38.43 per share, the market value of our common shares on the date of grant. We have elected to recognize forfeitures as an adjustment to compensation expense in the same period as the forfeitures occur. We recognize compensation expense for restricted stock over the vesting period equal to the fair value on the date our Compensation Committee approved the awards. Restricted stock awards vest at 25% per year, beginning one year from the grant date over a term of four years.

Restricted Stock Units. During the second quarter of fiscal 2022, we granted 29,910 restricted stock units to our non-employee directors. These restricted stock units vest when the director leaves the board. We account for these restricted stock units as equity-based awards because when they vest, they will be settled in shares of our common stock. We measure and recognize compensation expense for these awards based on the market price of our common shares on the date of the grant, which was $35.11.

Performance Shares. During the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we granted 125,021 performance-based shares. We also have performance-based share awards outstanding from previous grants. Payout of the fiscal 2022 grant depends on our financial performance (50%) and a market-based condition based on the total return our shareholders receive on their investment in our stock relative to returns earned through investments in other public companies (50%). The performance share opportunity ranges from 50% of the employee’s target award if minimum performance requirements are met to a maximum of 200% of the target award based on the attainment of certain financial and shareholder-return goals over a specific performance period, which is generally three fiscal years. Grants of performance-based shares during fiscal 2021 were weighted the same as those granted during fiscal 2022 while grants of performance-based shares during fiscal 2020 were weighted (80%) on financial performance and (20%) on market-based conditions.

We account for performance-based shares as equity-based awards because when they vest, they will be settled in common shares. We have elected to recognize forfeitures as an adjustment to compensation expense in the same period as the forfeitures occur. For shares that vest based on our results relative to the performance goals, we expense as compensation cost the fair value of the shares as of the day we granted the awards recognized over the performance period, taking into account the probability that we will satisfy the performance goals. The fair value of each share of the awards we granted in fiscal 2022 that vest based on attaining performance goals was $36.13, the market value of our common shares on the date we granted the awards less the dividends we expect to pay before the shares vest. For shares that vest based on market conditions, we use a Monte Carlo valuation model to estimate each share’s fair value as of the date of grant. The Monte Carlo valuation model uses multiple simulations to evaluate our probability of achieving various stock price levels to determine our expected performance ranking relative to our peer group. For shares that vest based on market conditions, we expense compensation cost over the vesting period regardless of whether the market condition is ultimately satisfied. Based on the Monte Carlo model, the fair value as of the grant date of the fiscal 2022 grant of shares that vest based on market conditions was $51.85.