COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK

NOTE 5 – COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK

Common Stock

The Company’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol, “UTL.”

The Company had 14,043,280, 14,065,230 and 14,107,741 shares of common stock outstanding at March 31, 2016, December 31, 2016 and March 31, 2017, respectively.

Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan – During the first quarter of 2017, the Company sold 7,581 shares of its common stock, at an average price of $44.64 per share, in connection with its Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan (DRP) and its 401(k) plans resulting in net proceeds of approximately $338,400. The DRP provides participants in the plan a method for investing cash dividends on the Company’s common stock and cash payments in additional shares of the Company’s common stock.

Stock Plan – The Company maintains the Unitil Corporation Second Amended and Restated 2003 Stock Plan (the Stock Plan). Participants in the Stock Plan are selected by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors to receive awards under the Stock Plan, including awards of restricted shares (Restricted Shares), or of restricted stock units (Restricted Stock Units). The Compensation Committee has the authority to determine the sizes of awards; determine the terms and conditions of awards in a manner consistent with the Stock Plan; construe and interpret the Stock Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into under the Stock Plan as they apply to participants; establish, amend, or waive rules and regulations for the Stock Plan’s administration as they apply to participants; and, subject to the provisions of the Stock Plan, amend the terms and conditions of any outstanding award to the extent such terms and conditions are within the discretion of the Compensation Committee as provided for in the Stock Plan. On April 19, 2012, the Company’s shareholders approved an amendment to the Stock Plan to, among other things, increase the maximum number of shares of common stock available for awards to plan participants.

The maximum number of shares available for awards to participants under the Stock Plan is 677,500. The maximum number of shares that may be awarded in any one calendar year to any one participant is 20,000. In the event of any change in capitalization of the Company, the Compensation Committee is authorized to make an equitable adjustment to the number and kind of shares of common stock that may be delivered under the Stock Plan and, in addition, may authorize and make an equitable adjustment to the Stock Plan’s annual individual award limit.

Restricted Shares

Outstanding awards of Restricted Shares fully vest over a period of four years at a rate of 25% each year. During the vesting period, dividends on Restricted Shares underlying the award may be credited to a participant’s account. The Company may deduct or withhold, or require a participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy any taxes required by federal, state, or local law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising in connection with an Award. For purposes of compensation expense, Restricted Shares vest immediately upon a participant becoming eligible for retirement, as defined in the Stock Plan. Prior to the end of the vesting period, the restricted shares are subject to forfeiture if the participant ceases to be employed by the Company other than due to the participant’s death.

On January 30, 2017, 34,930 Restricted Shares were issued in conjunction with the Stock Plan with an aggregate market value at the date of issuance of approximately $1.6 million. There were 94,880 and 94,706 non-vested shares under the Stock Plan as of March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The weighted average grant date fair value of these shares was $39.55 and $35.24, respectively. The compensation expense associated with the issuance of shares under the Stock Plan is being recognized over the vesting period and was $1.7 million and $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. At March 31, 2017, there was approximately $1.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost under the Stock Plan which is expected to be recognized over approximately 2.8 years. There were no forfeitures or cancellations under the Stock Plan during the three months ended March 31, 2017.

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted Stock Units earn dividend equivalents and will generally be settled by payment to each Director as soon as practicable following the Director’s separation from service to the Company. The Restricted Stock Units will be paid such that the Director will receive (i) 70% of the shares of the Company’s common stock underlying the restricted stock units and (ii) cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of 30% of the shares of the Company’s common stock underlying the Restricted Stock Units. The equity portion of Restricted Stock Units activity during the three months ended March 31, 2017 in conjunction with the Stock Plan are presented in the following table:

Restricted Stock Units (Equity Portion)
	Units		Weighted Average Stock Price
Restricted Stock Units as of December 31, 2016		43,345	$	33.40
Restricted Stock Units Granted		—		—
Dividend Equivalents Earned		351	$	44.59
Restricted Stock Units Settled		—		—
Restricted Stock Units as of March 31, 2017		43,696	$	33.49

There were 33,892 Restricted Stock Units outstanding as of March 31, 2016 with a weighted average stock price of $31.89. Included in Other Noncurrent Liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2017, March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2016 is $0.8 million, $0.6 million and $0.8 million, respectively, representing the fair value of liabilities associated with the portion of fully vested RSUs that will be settled in cash.

Preferred Stock

There was $0.2 million, or 1,893 shares, of Unitil Energy’s 6.00% Series Preferred Stock outstanding as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. There was $0.2 million, or 1,898 shares, of Unitil Energy’s 6.00% Series Preferred Stock outstanding as of March 31, 2016. There were less than $0.1 million of total dividends declared on Preferred Stock in each of the three month periods ended March 31, 2017 and March 31, 2016, respectively.