Stock-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

14. Stock-Based Compensation

In May 2018, the Company adopted the NBT Bancorp Inc. 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Stock Plan”) replacing the 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan which automatically expired in April 2018. Under the terms of the Stock Plan, equity-based awards are granted to directors and employees to increase their direct proprietary interest in the operations and success of the Company. The Stock Plan assumed all prior equity-based incentive plans and any new equity-based awards are granted under the terms of the Stock Plan. Restricted shares granted under the Plan typically vest after three or five years for employees and three years for non-employee directors. Restricted stock units granted under the Stock Plan may have different terms and conditions. Performance shares and units granted under the Stock Plan for executives may have different terms and conditions. Since 2011, the Company primarily grants restricted stock unit awards. Stock option grants since that time were reloads of existing grants which terminate ten years from the date of the grant. Under terms of the Stock Plan, stock options are granted to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at a price equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of the grant. Shares issued as a result of stock option exercises and vesting of restricted shares and stock unit awards are funded from the Company’s treasury stock.

The Company has outstanding restricted stock granted from various plans at December 31, 2019. The Company recognized $4.2 million, $3.9 million and $3.5 million in stock-based compensation expense related to these stock awards for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Tax benefits recognized with respect to restricted stock awards and stock units were $1.1 million, $1.2 million and $2.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock units totaled $5.5 million at December 31, 2019 and will be recognized over 1.8 years on a weighted average basis. Shares issued are funded from the Company’s treasury stock. The following table summarizes information for unvested restricted stock units outstanding as of December 31, 2019:

	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested at January 1, 2019		546,054		$	28.39
Forfeited		(10,886	)		31.06
Vested		(121,774	)		25.66
Granted		142,046			33.04
Unvested at December 31, 2019		555,440		$	30.11

The following table summarizes information concerning stock options outstanding:

(In thousands, except share and per share data)	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (in Years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at January 1, 2019		66,900		$	23.07
Exercised		(32,505	)		22.31
Expired		(1,250	)		25.38
Outstanding at December 31, 2019		33,145		$	23.73		1.86	$	558,066

Exercisable at December 31, 2019		33,145		$	23.73		1.86	$	558,066

Total stock-based compensation expense for stock option awards totaled $1 thousand, $11 thousand and $18 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Cash proceeds, tax benefits and intrinsic value related to total stock options exercised is as follows:

	Years ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Proceeds from stock options exercised	$	725	$	999	$	3,083
Tax benefits related to stock options exercised		123		173		650
Intrinsic value of stock options exercised		490		692		1,699
Fair value of shares vested during the year		13		16		329

The Company has 988,494 securities remaining available to be granted as part of the Plan at December 31, 2019.