SHARE BASED COMPENSATION

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

At September 30, 2021, the Company had two share based compensation plans in existence, the 2005 Omnibus Stock Plan (“Omnibus Stock Plan”) and the 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“Omnibus Incentive Plan”). The Omnibus Stock Plan expired during the second quarter of 2015 but has outstanding options that may still be exercised. The Omnibus Incentive Plan is described in the following paragraph.

The Company’s Omnibus Incentive Plan was approved on May 6, 2015 and provides for the granting of incentive stock options, non-qualifying stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock grants, restricted stock units and performance share units to selected directors and employees on a periodic basis at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Omnibus Incentive Plan authorizes the issuance of up to 1,500,000 shares of common stock, of which 790,800 are available for issuance at September 30, 2021, has a term of 10 years, and is administered by a committee of at least three directors appointed by the Board of Directors. Options granted under the plan have an exercise price which may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of the grant and must be exercised within seven or 10 years from the date of grant depending on the terms of the grant agreement. The exercise price of stock options must be paid for in full in cash or shares of common stock, or a combination of both. The board committee has the discretion when making a grant of stock options to impose restrictions on the shares to be purchased upon the exercise of such options. The Company generally issues authorized but previously unissued shares to satisfy option exercises.

The dividend yield is based on estimated future dividend yields. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual term of the share option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. Expected volatilities are generally based on historical volatilities. The expected term of share options granted is generally derived from historical experience.

Compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the respective stock option, restricted stock, restricted stock unit grant or performance share units. The Company recognized compensation expense of $1.3 million and $1.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and of $3.6 million and $2.8 million, for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, related to the awards of stock options, restricted stock grants, restricted stock unit grants and performance share unit grants. There was no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options as of September 30, 2021. The total of unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit grants, and performance share unit grants was approximately $9.4 million as of September 30, 2021. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.30 years.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company granted 128,557 restricted shares, restricted stock units and performance share units, of which 32,728 units are subject to achievement of certain performance conditions measured over a three-year performance period and 95,829 restricted shares or units are subject to a three year vesting schedule. The Company did not grant any stock options under the Omnibus Incentive Plan during the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

A summary of share option activity for the period indicated is reflected in the following table:


	Number of Common Shares	Weighted Average Exercise Share Price		Weighted Average Contractual Remaining Life (Years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2021	430,038	$	14.97	3.0 years	$	6,828
Granted	—	$	—

Exercised	(193,602)	$	13.35		$	5,356
Forfeited	—	$	—
Expired	—	$	—
Balance at September 30, 2021	236,436	$	16.30	2.5 years	$	6,311

Exercisable at September 30, 2021	236,436	$	16.30	2.5 years	$	6,311

A summary of the activity for the Company’s restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance share units for the period indicated is presented in the following table:


	Number of Common Shares/Units	Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Non-vested at January 1, 2021	391,683	$	29.50
Granted	128,557	$	41.05
Vested	(119,228)	$	31.48
Forfeited/ cancelled	(6,859)	$	34.33
Non-vested at September 30, 2021	394,153	$	32.62