A summary of activity under Nucor’s stock option plans for the first quarter of 2022 is as follows (shares in thousands):

				Weighted-		Weighted-
				Average		Average	Aggregate
				Exercise		Remaining	Intrinsic
	Shares			Price		Contractual Life	Value
Number of shares under stock options:
Outstanding at beginning of year		1,186		$	55.58
Granted		-		$	-
Exercised		(310	)	$	53.51		$	20,040
Canceled		-		$	-
Outstanding at April 2, 2022		876		$	56.31	7.5 years	$	81,417
Stock options exercisable at April 2, 2022		213		$	56.46	5.7 years	$	19,761

Compensation expense for stock options was $0.5 million and $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of April 2, 2022, unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options was $2.6 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.8 years.

A summary of Nucor’s restricted stock unit (“RSU”) activity for the first quarter of 2022 is as follows (shares in thousands):

	Shares			Grant Date Fair Value
Restricted stock units:
Unvested at beginning of year		1,167		$	60.45
Granted		-		$	-
Vested		(14	)	$	60.40
Canceled		(3	)	$	66.00
Unvested at April 2, 2022		1,150		$	60.44

Compensation expense for RSUs was $9.0 million and $9.3 million in the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of April 2, 2022, unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested RSUs was $34.6 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.9 years.

A summary of Nucor’s restricted stock activity under the Nucor Corporation Senior Officers Annual Incentive Plan (a supplement to the Nucor Corporation 2014 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan, the “AIP”) and the Nucor Corporation Senior Officers Long-Term Incentive Plan (a supplement to the Nucor Corporation 2014 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan, the “LTIP”) for the first quarter of 2022 is as follows (shares in thousands):

				Grant Date
	Shares			Fair Value
Restricted stock units and restricted stock awards:
Unvested at beginning of year		107		$	57.17
Granted		465		$	128.62
Vested		(341	)	$	119.52
Canceled		-		$	-
Unvested at April 2, 2022		231		$	109.02

Compensation expense for common stock and common stock units awarded under the AIP and the LTIP is recorded over the performance measurement and vesting periods based on the anticipated number and market value of shares of common stock and common stock units to be awarded. Compensation expense for anticipated awards based upon Nucor’s financial performance, exclusive of amounts payable in cash, was $17.0 million and $10.2 million in the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of April 2, 2022, unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock awards was $8.7 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.4 years.