Earnings Per Common Share and Share Awards

Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income attributable to the Company by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income attributable to the Company by the combination of dilutive potential common stock, comprised of shares issuable under the Company’s share-based compensation plans and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Dilutive common share equivalents include the dilutive effect of in-the-money share-based awards, which are calculated based on the average share price for each period using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, when share-based awards are exercised, (a) the exercise price of a share-based award; and (b) the amount of compensation cost, if any, for future services that the Company has not yet recognized.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31:



For the Years Ended December 31,	2017		2016		2015
Net income attributable to the Company	$	25,706,502	$	19,523,118	$	12,533,905
Weighted average common shares outstanding – Basic	1,886,354		1,907,675		1,984,360
Incremental shares outstanding assuming the exercise of dilutive stock options and SARs (share-settled)	9,517		7,382		5,439
Weighted average common shares outstanding – Diluted	1,895,871		1,915,057		1,989,799
Basic earnings per common share	$	13.63	$	10.23	$	6.32
Diluted earnings per common share	$	13.56	$	10.19	$	6.30

There were 4,500 potential shares excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share in 2017. There were no potential shares excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share in 2016 and 2015.

The Company historically has adopted employee stock award plans under which restricted stock, and options or stock appreciation rights ("SARs") of the Company's stock may be granted to key employees or directors of the Company at a price not less than the market value on the date of grant. There is currently one active plan from which the Company may grant share-based awards. The awards eligible to be granted under the active plan are limited to SARs, and the maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock of the Company available pursuant to the plan for the grant of SARs is 250,000 shares.

A summary of share-based award transactions for all share-based award plans follows:



	Number Of Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding as of January 1, 2015	21,000		$	51.30	3.64	$	453,510
SARs granted	4,500		73.00
SARs exercised	(2,000	)	47.88
Options exercised	(1,500	)	36.79
Outstanding as of December 31, 2015	22,000		$	57.04	3.93	$	945,055
SARs granted	4,500		93.87
SARs exercised	(2,000	)	32.00
Outstanding as of December 31, 2016	24,500		$	65.85	3.85	$	836,640
SARs granted	4,500		192.71
SARs exercised	(4,000	)	36.38
Outstanding as of December 31, 2017	25,000		$	93.40	3.98	$	2,623,720

Exercisable as of December 31, 2017	23,875		$	88.72	3.87	$	2,617,375

Unvested as of December 31, 2017	1,125		$	192.71	6.38	$	6,345

The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying awards and the quoted price of the Company’s common stock at December 31, 2017. The intrinsic values of SARs exercised during 2017, 2016 and 2015 were approximately $473,000, $117,000 and $104,000, respectively.

There were no options outstanding at December 31, 2017. The following table summarizes information about SARs outstanding at December 31, 2017:



					SARs Outstanding at Year-End				SARs Exercisable at Year-End
Range of Exercise Prices					Number Outstanding	Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted Average Exercise Price		Number Exercisable	Weighted Average Exercise Price
$	40.00	—	$	49.99	1,000	0.38	$	41.50	1,000	$	41.50
50.00		—	59.99		3,000	1.37	50.50		3,000	50.50
60.00		—	69.99		4,500	3.39	68.70		4,500	68.70
70.00		—	79.99		7,500	3.58	72.44		7,500	72.44
90.00		—	99.99		4,500	5.38	93.87		4,500	93.87
190.00		—	199.99		4,500	6.38	192.71		3,375	192.71
$	40.00	—	$	199.99	25,000	3.98	$	93.40	23,875	$	88.72

In 2017, 4,500 SARs vested with a fair value of $219,315.

During the second quarters of 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company issued share-settled SARs to the directors of the Company. SARs give the holder the right to receive stock equal to the appreciation in the value of shares of stock from the grant date for a specified period of time, and as a result, are accounted for as equity instruments. The fair value of each award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model with the weighted average assumptions noted in the table shown below. Expected volatilities are based on both the implied and historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company uses historical data to project SAR exercises and pre-exercise forfeitures within the valuation model. The expected term of awards represents the period of time that SARs granted are expected to be outstanding. The interest rate assumed for the expected life of the award is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. The weighted average fair values for the SARs issued during 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $55.40, $28.75 and $31.16, respectively, and were estimated using the weighted average assumptions shown in the table below.



	2017	2016	2015
Expected Life in Years	7.0	7.0	7.0
Volatility	26.2%	28.9%	40.7%
Interest Rate	2.0%	1.7%	2.0%
Yield Rate	0.8%	0.7%	0.4%

There was approximately $219,000, $132,000 and $138,000 of compensation expense relating to SARs or options vesting on or before December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, included in salaries, employee benefits and payroll taxes in the Consolidated Statements of Income. As of December 31, 2017, there was approximately $62,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Company’s stock award plans. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 3 months.

The estimated weighted average grant-date fair value of SARs granted for the years ended December 31 was as follows:



For the Years Ended December 31,	2017		2016		2015
Exercise price equal to market price on date of grant:
Weighted average market price	$	192.71	$	93.87	$	73.00
Weighted average grant-date fair value	$	55.40	$	28.75	$	31.16

There have been no stock options or SARs granted where the exercise price was less than the market price on the date of grant.