Note 15 - Stock Based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

15. Stock Based Compensation

We account for share-based awards in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), which requires the fair value of stock-based compensation awards to be amortized as an expense over the vesting period. Stock-based compensation awards are valued at fair value on the date of grant. The following table sets forth share-based award expense activity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2015		2014		2015		2014
	(Dollars in thousands)
Stock option grant expense	$	3,544	$	1,521	$	5,043	$	2,723
Restricted stock awards expense		454		683		1,546		2,031
Total stock based compensation	$	3,998	$	2,204	$	6,589	$	4,754

On May 18, 2015, the Company granted a non-qualified stock option to each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer for 1,000,000 shares of common stock under the Company’s 2011 Equity Incentive Plan. The terms of each option provide that, over a five year period, one third of the option shares will vest as of each of the third, fourth, and fifth anniversary dates of the grant of the option; provided that all unvested option shares will vest immediately in the event the closing price of the Company’s stock, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, in any 20 out of 30 consecutive trading days closes at a price equal to or greater than 120% of the closing price on the date of grant (the “market-based condition”). The option exercise price is equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, which was $28.45 and the expiration date of each option is May 18, 2025. In accordance with ASC 718, the market-based awards were assigned a fair value of $5.62 per share on the date of grant using a Monte Carlo simulation model. In accordance with the valuation model used, the total $11.2 million in expense will be recorded on a straight-line basis through the end of the 2016 second quarter. However, if at such time these options vest under the market-based condition prior to the end of the expected expense term, all remaining expense will be recognized immediately.