On May 25, 2023, the shareholders of the Company adopted the BancFirst Corporation 2023 Restricted Stock Unit Plan (the "RSU Plan"). The RSU Plan was effective as of June 1, 2023 and for a period of ten years thereafter. The RSU Plan will continue in effect after such ten-year period until all matters relating to the payment of awards and administration of the RSU Plan have been settled. At March 31, 2024 there were 462,925 shares available for future grants. The restricted stock units ("RSU's") vest beginning two years from the date of grant at the rate of 20% per year for five years. The RSUs are settled and distributed as of each vesting date. The fair value of each RSU granted is equal to the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of grant.

The following table is a summary of the activity under the Company's RSU plan.



				Wgtd. Avg.
	Restricted			Grant Date
	Stock Units			Fair Value
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
Nonvested at December 31, 2023		32,075		$	87.23
Granted		6,500			88.49
Forfeited		(1,500	)		83.61
Nonvested at March 31, 2024		37,075			87.59

The Company has had the BancFirst Corporation Directors’ Deferred Stock Compensation Plan (the “Deferred Stock Compensation Plan”) since May 1999. As of March 31, 2024, there are 15,923 shares available for future issuance under the Deferred Stock Compensation Plan. The Deferred Stock Compensation Plan will terminate on December 31, 2024, if not extended. Under the plan, directors and members of the community advisory boards of the Company and its subsidiaries may defer up to 100% of their board fees. They are credited for each deferral with a number of stock units based on the current market price of the Company’s stock, which accumulate in an account until such time as the director or community board member terminates serving as a board member. Shares of common stock of the Company are then distributed to the terminating director or community board member based upon the number of stock units accumulated in his or her account. There were 5,022 and 17,392 shares of common stock distributed from the Deferred Stock Compensation Plan during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

A summary of the accumulated stock units under the Deferred Stock Compensation Plan is as follows:



	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Accumulated stock units		116,816		119,575
Average price	$	41.58	$	40.03

The Company terminated the BancFirst Corporation Stock Option Plan (the “Employee Plan”) on June 1, 2023. The remaining options will continue to vest and are exercisable beginning four years from the date of grant at the rate of 25% per year for four years, and expire no later than the end of fifteen years from the date of grant.

The Company terminated the BancFirst Corporation Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Option Plan (the “Non-Employee Directors’ Plan”) on June 1, 2023. The remaining options will continue to vest and are exercisable beginning one year from the date of grant at the rate of 25% per year for four years, and expire no later than the end of fifteen years from the date of grant.

The following table is a summary of the activity under both the Employee Plan and the Non-Employee Directors’ Plan:


						Wgtd. Avg.
				Wgtd. Avg.		Remaining	Aggregate
				Exercise		Contractual	Intrinsic
	Options			Price		Term	Value
	(Dollars in thousands, except option data)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
Outstanding at December 31, 2023		1,241,391		$	53.12
Options exercised		(28,638	)		24.73
Options canceled, forfeited, or expired		(8,500	)		94.68
Outstanding at March 31, 2024		1,204,253			53.50	9.56 Yrs.	$	41,580
Exercisable at March 31, 2024		542,253			36.58	6.65 Yrs.	$	27,898

The following table has additional information regarding options exercised under both the Employee Plan and the Non-Employee Directors’ Plan:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024		2023
	(Dollars in thousands)
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	1,831	$	352
Cash received from options exercised		708		221
Tax benefit realized from options exercised		440		85

The Company currently uses newly issued shares for stock option exercises, but reserves the right to use shares purchased under the Company’s Stock Repurchase Program (the “SRP”) in the future.

Although not required or expected, the Company may settle some options or restricted stock units in cash on a limited basis at the discretion of the Company. The Company had no cash settlements during the three months ended March 31, 2024 or March 31, 2023.

Stock-based compensation expense is charged to salaries and benefits expense on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

The components of stock-based compensation expense for all share-based compensation plans and related tax benefits are as follows:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024		2023
	(Dollars in thousands)
Stock-based compensation expense	$	715	$	382
Tax benefit		172		92
Stock-based compensation expense, net of tax	$	543	$	290

The Company will continue to amortize the unearned stock-based compensation expense over the remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately five years for unvested stock options and six years for unvested RSUs. The following table shows the unearned stock-based compensation expense for unvested stock options and unvested RSUs: