NOTE 22 – Employee Incentive, Deferred Compensation, and Retirement Plans

We maintain several incentive stock award plans that provide for the granting of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, performance award, stock units, and debentures to our employees. We are permitted to issue new shares under all stock award plans approved by shareholders or to reissue our treasury shares. Awards under our company’s incentive stock award plans are granted at market value at the date of grant. The awards generally vest ratably over a one- to eight-year vesting period.

All stock-based compensation plans are administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (“Compensation Committee”), which has the authority to interpret the plans, determine to whom awards may be granted under the plans, and determine the terms of each award. According to these plans, we are authorized to grant an additional 5.4 million shares at December 31, 2015.

Stock-based compensation expense included in compensation and benefits expense in the consolidated statements of operations for our company’s incentive stock award plans was $142.1 million, $111.6 million, and $124.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. The tax benefit related to stock-based compensation recognized in shareholders’ equity was $14.7 million, $19.9 million, and $12.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

On June 5, 2015, certain employees were granted restricted stock units of our company as retention. The fair value of the awards issued as retention was $23.8 million. The fair value of the awards is based upon the closing price of our company’s common stock on the date of grant. There are no continuing service requirements associated with these restricted stock units, and accordingly, they were expensed at date of grant. This charge is included in compensation and benefits in the consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2015.

Stock Options

We have substantially eliminated the use of stock options as a form of compensation. During the year ended December 31, 2015, no options were granted.

A summary of option activity under the plans as of December 31, 2014, and changes during the year then ended is presented below (in thousands, except exercise price and contractual terms):

	Options	Weighted- average exercise price		Weighted-average remaining contractual term	Aggregate intrinsic value
Outstanding December 31, 2014	126	$	31.61
Granted	—	—
Exercised	44	16.48
Forfeited	—	—
Expired	—	—
Outstanding December 31, 2015	82	$	39.88	1.62	$	1,156

At December 31, 2015, all outstanding options were exercisable. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2015, was not material, The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was $1.6 million and $2.8 million, respectively. Cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options were not material for the year ended December 31, 2015. Cash proceeds were $0.3 million and $3.6 million, for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Tax benefits realized from the exercise of stock options for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 were $0.6 million, $0.5 million, and $1.1 million, respectively.

Stock Units

A stock unit represents the right to receive a share of common stock from our company at a designated time in the future without cash payment by the employee and is issued in lieu of cash incentive, principally for deferred compensation and employee retention plans. The restricted stock units vest on an annual basis over the next one to eight years and are distributable, if vested, at future specified dates. At December 31, 2015, the total number of stock units outstanding was 18.5 million, of which 12.3 million were unvested.

A summary of unvested stock unit activity under the plans as of December 31, 2015, and changes during the year then ended is presented below (in thousands, except weighted-average fair value):

	Stock Units			Weighted-average grant date fair value
Unvested December 31, 2014		11,404		$	39.70
Granted		3,672			49.99
Vested		(2,313	)		45.64
Cancelled		(489	)		36.61
Unvested December 31, 2015		12,274		$	41.78

At December 31, 2015, there was unrecognized compensation cost for stock units of approximately $319 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.3 years.

Deferred Compensation Plans

The Wealth Accumulation Plan (the “Plan”) is provided to certain revenue producers, officers, and key administrative employees, whereby a certain percentage of their incentive compensation is deferred as defined by the Plan into company stock units and debentures. Participants may elect to defer a portion of their incentive compensation. Deferred awards generally vest over a one- to eight-year period and are distributable upon vesting or at future specified dates. Deferred compensation costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Elective deferrals are 100% vested.

Additionally, the Plan allows Stifel’s financial advisors who achieve certain levels of production, the option to defer a certain percentage of their gross commissions. As stipulated by the Plan, the financial advisors will defer 4% of their gross commissions. They have the option to: 1) defer 5% of their gross commissions into company stock units and may elect to defer an additional 1% of gross commissions into company stock units with a 25% matching contribution, or 2) defer up to 2% in mutual funds, which earn a return based on the performance of index mutual funds as designated by our company or a fixed income option. The mutual fund deferral option does not include a company match. Financial advisors have no ownership in the mutual funds. Included in the investments in the consolidated statements of financial condition are investments in mutual funds of $15.5 million and $18.1 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, that were purchased by our company to economically hedge, on an after-tax basis, its liability to the financial advisors who choose to base the performance of their return on the index mutual fund option. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the deferred compensation liability related to the mutual fund option of $12.4 million and $15.7 million, respectively, is included in accrued compensation in the consolidated statements of financial condition.

In addition, certain financial advisors, upon joining our company, may receive company stock units in lieu of transition cash payments. Deferred compensation related to these awards generally vests over a one- to eight-year period. Deferred compensation costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the deferral period.

Employee Profit Sharing Plan

Eligible employees of our company who have met certain service requirements may participate in the Stifel Financial Corp. Profit Sharing 401(k) Plan (the “Plan”). Employees are permitted within limitations imposed by tax law to make pre-tax contributions to the Plan. We may match certain employee contributions or make additional contributions to the Plan at our discretion. Our contributions to the Profit Sharing Plan were $7.7 million, $4.9 million, and $6.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.