(6) Share-Based Compensation

Astro-Med has one equity incentive plan (the “Plan”) under which incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), restricted stock awards (“RSAs”) and other equity based awards may be granted to directors, officers and certain employees. An aggregate of 1,000,000 shares were authorized for awards under the Plan. At November 1, 2014, 205,164 shares were available for grant under the Plan. Options granted to employees vest over four years. The exercise price of each stock option will be established at the discretion of the Compensation Committee; however, any incentive stock options granted must be at an exercise price of not less than fair market value at the date of grant. In fiscal year 2013, a portion of the Company’s executive’s long-term incentive compensation was awarded in the form of RSUs (“2013 RSUs”). The 2013 RSUs were earned based on the Company achieving specific thresholds of net sales and annual operating income as established under the fiscal 2013 Domestic Management Bonus Plan and vested fifty percent on the first anniversary of the grant date and fifty percent on the second anniversary of the grant date provided that the grantee was employed on each vesting date by Astro-Med or an affiliate company. All such 2013 RSUs were earned and vested as of March 2014. In April 2013, the Company granted options and RSUs to officers (“2014 RSUs”). Each 2014 RSU will be earned and vest as follows: twenty-five percent of the 2014 RSU vests on the third anniversary of the grant date, fifty percent of the 2014 RSU vests upon the Company achieving its cumulative budgeted net sales target for fiscal years 2014 through 2016 (the “Measurement Period”), and twenty-five percent of the total 2014 RSU vests upon the Company’s achieving a target average annual ORONA (operating income return on net assets as calculated under the Domestic Management Bonus Plan) for the Measurement Period. The grantee may not sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of more than fifty percent of the common stock issued upon vesting of the RSU until the first anniversary of the vesting date.

The Plan provides for an automatic annual grant of ten-year options to purchase 5,000 shares of stock to each non-employee director upon the adjournment of each shareholders’ meeting. Each such option is exercisable at the fair market value as of the grant date and vests immediately prior to the next succeeding shareholders’ meeting. In addition to the automatic option grant under Plan, the Company has a Non-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program (the “Program”) which provides that each non-employee director is entitled to an annual cash retainer of $7,000 (the “Annual Cash Retainer”), plus $500 for each Board and committee meeting attended. In addition, effective August 1, 2014, the Chairman of the Board also receives an annual retainer of $6,000 and the Chair of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee each receive an annual retainer of $4,000 each (“Chair Retainer”). The non-employee director may elect for any fiscal year to receive all or a portion of the Annual Cash Retainer and/or Chair Retainer (collectively the “Cash Retainer”) in the form of common stock of the Company, which will be issued under the Plan. If a non-employee director elects to receive all or a portion of the Cash Retainer in the form of common stock, such shares shall be issued in four quarterly installments on the first day of each fiscal quarter, and the number of shares of common stock to be issued shall be based on the fair market value of such common stock on the date such installment is payable. The common stock received in lieu of such Cash Retainer will be fully vested. However, a non-employee director who receives common stock in lieu of all or a portion of the Cash Retainer may not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or otherwise encumber the common stock prior to the first anniversary of the date on which such shares were issuable. In the event of the death or disability of a nonemployee director, or a change in control of the Company, any shares of common stock issued in lieu of such Cash Retainer, shall no longer be subject to such restrictions on transfer.

In addition, under the Program, each non-employee director receives RSAs with a value equal to $20,000 (the “Equity Retainer”) upon adjournment of each annual shareholders meeting. If a non-employee director is first appointed or elected to the Board of Directors effective on a date other than at the annual shareholders meeting, on the date of such appointment or election, the director shall receive a pro rata award of restricted common stock having a value based on the number of days remaining until the next annual meeting. The Equity Retainer will vest on the earlier of 12 months after the grant date or the date immediately prior to the next annual meeting of the shareholders following the meeting at which such RSAs were granted. However, a non-employee director may not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or otherwise encumber the vested common stock prior to the second anniversary of the vesting date. In the event of the death or disability of a non-employee director, or a change in control of the Company, the RSAs shall immediately vest and shall no longer be subject to such restrictions on transfer.

We account for compensation cost related to share-based payments based on fair value of the stock options, RSUs and RSAs when awarded to an employee or director. We have estimated the fair value of each option on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Our estimate requires a number of complex and subjective assumptions including our stock price volatility, employee exercise patterns (expected life of the options), the risk-free interest rate and the Company’s dividend yield. The stock price volatility assumption is based on the historical weekly price data of our common stock over a period equivalent to the weighted average expected life of our options. Management evaluated whether there were factors during that period which were unusual and would distort the volatility figure if used to estimate future volatility and concluded that there were no such factors. In determining the expected life of the option grants, the Company has observed the actual terms of prior grants with similar characteristics and the actual vesting schedule of the grant and has assessed the expected risk tolerance of different option groups. The risk-free interest rate is based on the actual U.S. Treasury zero coupon rates for bonds matching the expected term of the option as of the option grant date. The dividend assumption is based upon the prior year’s average dividend yield. Reductions in compensation expense associated with the forfeited options are estimated at the date of grant, and this estimated forfeiture rate is adjusted periodically based on actual forfeiture experience. Our accounting for share-based compensation for RSUs and RSAs is also based on the fair value method. The fair value of the RSUs and RSAs is based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date of the RSU or RSA.

Share-based compensation expense was recognized as follows:


	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	November 1, 2014		November 2, 2013		November 1, 2014		November 2, 2013
(In thousands)
Stock Options	$	64	$	46	$	179	$	140
Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units		58		81		202		266

Total	$	122	$	127	$	381	$	406

Stock Options

The fair value of stock options granted during the nine months ended November 1, 2014 and November 2, 2013 was estimated using the following assumptions:


	Nine Months Ended
	November 1, 2014			November 2, 2013
Risk Free Interest Rate		1.6	%		0.8	%
Expected Volatility		26.8	%		38.3	%
Expected Life (in years)		5.0			5.0
Dividend Yield		2.0	%		2.6	%

The weighted average fair value per share for options granted was $2.43, $2.93 and $2.84, during the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2015, respectively, compared to $2.79 during the first and second quarters of fiscal 2014. No options were granted during the third quarter of fiscal 2014.

Aggregated information regarding stock options granted under the Plan for the nine months ended November 1, 2014 is summarized below:


	Number of Options			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in Years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at January 31, 2014		736,647		$	8.63		4.7	$	3,707,000
Granted		155,600			13.98
Exercised		(188,393	)		8.56
Expired or canceled		(10,787	)		9.07

Outstanding at November 1, 2014		693,067		$	9.84		5.9	$	2,485,570

Exercisable at November 1, 2014		449,493		$	8.62		4.2	$	2,088,870

As of November 1, 2014, there was $518,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested options, which will be recognized through August 2018.

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs)

Aggregated information regarding RSUs and RSAs granted under the Plan for the nine months ended November 1, 2014 is summarized below:


	RSAs & RSUs			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested at January 31, 2014		106,496		$	9.12
Granted		7,245			13.80
Vested		(35,662	)		8.75
Forfeited		(5,834	)		10.07

Unvested at November 1, 2014		72,245		$	9.70

As of November 1, 2014, there was $286,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested RSUs and RSAs which will be recognized through April 2016.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Astro-Med has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan allowing eligible employees to purchase shares of common stock at a 15% discount from fair value on the date of purchase. A total of 247,500 shares were reserved for issuance under this plan. During the quarters ended November 1, 2014 and November 2, 2013, there were 872 and 886 shares respectively, purchased under this plan. During the nine months ended November 1, 2014 and November 2, 2013, there were 2,464 and 3,152 shares respectively, purchased under this plan. As of November 1, 2014, 57,778 shares remain available.