Stock-Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

The Corporation grants equity awards to employees in the form of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs or PSUs under its Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation Plan ("Employee Equity Plan"). Recent grants of equity awards under the Employee Equity Plan have generally been limited to RSUs and PSUs. In addition, employees may purchase stock under the Corporation’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The fair value of equity awards granted to employees is recognized as compensation expense over the period during which employees are required to provide service in exchange for such awards. Compensation expense for PSUs is also recognized over the period during which employees are required to provide service in exchange for such awards, however, compensation expense may vary based on the expectations for actual performance relative to defined performance measures.

The Corporation also grants equity awards to non-employee members of its board of directors and subsidiary bank boards of directors under the 2011 Directors’ Equity Participation Plan, which was amended and approved by shareholders as the Amended and Restated Directors’ Equity Participation Plan in 2019 ("Directors’ Plan"). Under the Directors’ Plan, the Corporation can grant equity awards to non-employee holding company and subsidiary bank directors in the form of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs or common stock. Recent grants of equity awards under the Directors’ Plan have been limited to RSUs.

Equity awards under the Employee Equity Plan are generally granted annually and become fully vested over or after a three-year vesting period. The vesting period for non-performance-based awards represents the period during which employees are required to provide service in exchange for such awards. Equity awards under the Directors' Plan are generally granted annually and become fully vested after a one-year vesting period. Certain events, as defined in the Employee Equity Plan and the Directors' Plan, result in the acceleration of the vesting of equity awards.

Fair values for RSUs and a majority of PSUs are based on the trading price of the Corporation’s stock on the date of grant and earn dividend equivalents during the vesting period, which are forfeitable if the awards do not vest. The fair value of certain PSUs are estimated through the use of the Monte Carlo valuation methodology as of the date of grant.

As of March 31, 2021, the Employee Equity Plan had 9.3 million shares reserved for future grants through 2023, and the Directors’ Plan had approximately 176,000 shares reserved for future grants through 2029.

The following table presents compensation expense and the related tax benefits for equity awards recognized in the consolidated statements of income:


	Three months ended March 31
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Compensation expense	$	1,902	$	1,619
Tax benefit	(414)		(344)
Stock-based compensation expense, net of tax benefit	$	1,488	$	1,275