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STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS  
STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS

18. STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS

The Company uses the modified prospective method for accounting for stock-based compensation and recognized $45,000 of compensation expense for the year 2023, $50,000 in 2022 and $43,000 in 2021.

During 2021, the Company’s Board adopted, and its shareholders approved, the AmeriServ Financial, Inc. 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the Plan) authorizing the grant of options or restricted stock covering 600,000 shares of common stock. This Plan replaced the expired 2011 Stock Incentive Plan. Under the Plan, options or restricted stock can be granted (the Grant Date) to directors, officers, and employees that provide services to the Company and its affiliates, as selected by the compensation committee of the Board. The option price at which a granted stock option may be exercised will not be less than 100% of the fair market value per share of common stock on the Grant Date. The maximum term of any option granted under the Plan cannot exceed 10 years. Generally, options vest over a three-year period and become exercisable in equal installments over the vesting period. At times, options with a one year vesting period may also be issued.

A summary of the status of the Company’s Equity Incentive Plan at December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, and changes during the years then ended is presented in the table and narrative following:

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 

2023

2022

2021

    

    

WEIGHTED

    

    

WEIGHTED

    

    

WEIGHTED

AVERAGE

AVERAGE

AVERAGE

SHARES

EXERCISE PRICE

SHARES

EXERCISE PRICE

SHARES

EXERCISE PRICE

Outstanding at beginning of year

323,786

$

3.52

369,047

$

3.47

230,913

$

3.14

Granted

 

 

160,000

3.84

Exercised

 

(29,653)

3.19

(36,117)

2.96

 

(21,356)

2.68

Forfeited

 

(49,133)

3.17

(9,144)

3.62

 

(510)

3.23

Outstanding at end of year

 

245,000

3.64

323,786

3.52

 

369,047

3.47

Exercisable at end of year

 

200,002

3.59

223,784

3.38

 

206,713

3.18

Weighted average fair value of options granted in current year

 

  

$

  

$

 

  

$

1.78

A total of 200,002 of the 245,000 options outstanding at December 31, 2023 are exercisable and have exercise prices between $2.96 and $4.22, with a weighted average exercise price of $3.59 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 4.45 years. The remaining 44,998 options that are not yet exercisable have exercise prices between $3.83 and $3.84, with a weighted average exercise price of $3.84 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 7.14 years. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Binomial or Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions used for grants in 2021. No stock options or restricted stock were granted during 2023 and 2022.

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 

PRICING MODEL ASSUMPTION RANGES

    

2021

    

Risk-free interest rate

    

1.27 - 1.42

%  

Expected lives in years

 

10

 

Expected volatility

 

40.38 - 45.03

%  

Expected dividend rate

 

2.60 - 2.61

%  

The intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $24,000, $47,000, and $27,000 in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.