Stock Based Compensation

The Company's 2018 Equity Compensation Plan ("2018 Plan") was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company on February 20, 2018, and approved by shareholders on May 15, 2018, at the Company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The 2018 Plan provides for the granting of restricted stock awards and incentive and non-statutory options to employees and directors on a periodic basis, at the discretion of the Board of Directors or a Board designated committee. The 2018 Plan authorizes the issuance of up to 675,000 shares of common stock. The 2018 Plan replaced the Company's stock incentive plan that was approved by the shareholders at the 2008 Annual Meeting and expired in February 2018 (the "2008 Plan").

Stock Options

Accounting guidance requires that compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions be recognized in the financial statements with measurement based upon the fair value of the equity or liability instruments issued.

A summary of stock option transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is as follows:



	Option Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	50,985		$	24.09
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(35,310	)	24.37
Forfeited	—		—
Expired	(1,650	)	33.33
Outstanding at September 30, 2018	14,025		$	22.28	0.30 years	$	234
Exercisable at September 30, 2018	14,025		$	22.28	0.30 years	$	234

The fair value of options is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and expensed over the options' vesting period. No stock options have been granted since 2009. As of September 30, 2018, there were no unrecognized compensation expenses related to nonvested stock option grants.

Restricted Stock

The Company from time-to-time grants shares of restricted stock to key employees and non-employee directors. These awards help align the interests of these employees and directors with the interests of the shareholders of the Company by providing economic value directly related to increases in the value of the Company's common stock. The value of the stock awarded is established as the fair value of the stock at the time of the grant. The Company recognizes expense, equal to the total value of such awards, ratably over the vesting period of the stock grants. The majority of the restricted stock granted cliff vests at the end of a 36-month period beginning on the date of the grant. The remainder vests one-third each year beginning on the date of the grant. Nonvested restricted stock activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is summarized in the following table.



Restricted Stock	Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Value
Nonvested at December 31, 2017	46,501		$	26.28
Granted	18,192		39.52
Vested	(10,718	)	21.93
Forfeited	(483	)	34.70
Nonvested at September 30, 2018	53,492		$	31.58

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there was $820,000 and $538,000, respectively, in unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested restricted stock granted under the 2008 Plan. The weighted average period over which this cost is expected to be recognized is 1.24 years. The share based compensation expense for nonvested restricted stock was $437,000 and $418,000 during the first nine months of 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company offers its outside directors alternatives with respect to director compensation. For 2018, the regular quarterly board retainer will be received in the form of shares of immediately vested, but restricted stock with a market value of $7,500. Monthly meeting fees can be received as $725 per meeting in cash or $900 in immediately vested, but restricted stock. Only outside directors receive board fees. The Company issued 10,865 and 9,891 shares and recognized share based compensation expense of $422,000 and $357,000 during the first nine months of 2018 and 2017, respectively.