Stock-Based Compensation

Under our stock-based employee compensation plan, referred to as the Fuel Tech, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Incentive Plan), awards may be granted to participants in the form of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”), Performance Awards, Bonuses or other forms of share-based or non-share-based awards or combinations thereof. Participants in the Incentive Plan may be our directors, officers, employees, consultants or advisors (except consultants or advisors in capital-raising transactions) as the directors determine are key to the success of our business. There are a maximum of 4,400,676 shares that may be issued or reserved for awards to participants under the Incentive Plan. As of March 31, 2017, Fuel Tech had 1,289,670 shares available for share-based awards under the 2014 Plan.

We adopted the provisions of ASU 2016-09 as of January 1, 2017. Pursuant to this adoption, we recorded any excess tax benefits within income tax expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, where previously these were recorded as increases or decreases to additional paid-in capital. This change has been applied prospectively effective January 1, 2017, and therefore no adjustments were made to prior periods. Given the Company has a full valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets, there were no excess tax benefits to record for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. In addition, we have continued to account for forfeitures of awards based on an estimate of the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusting the estimate when it is no longer probable that the employee will fulfill the service condition. In accordance with the guidance, we retrospectively reported cash paid on behalf of employees for withholding shares for tax-withholding purposes as a financing activity in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Additionally, there were no excess tax benefits for the quarter-ended March 31, 2017. Any future excess tax benefits will be classified as an operating activity, applied prospectively. The adoption of this ASU did not result in a material change in our earnings, cash flows, or financial position.

Stock-based compensation is included in selling, general, and administrative costs in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. The components of stock-based compensation for the three month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2017			2016
Stock options and restricted stock units, net of forfeited	$	(10	)	$	461
Tax benefit of stock-based compensation expense	—			—
After-tax effect of stock-based compensation (1)	$	(10	)	$	461

(1) The decrease in stock-based compensation expense is due to the reversal of expense in the first quarter of 2017 associated with certain performance-based RSU grants which did not achieve specified performance criteria.

Stock Options

Stock options granted to employees under the Incentive Plans have a 10-year life and they vest as follows: 50% after the second anniversary of the award date, 25% after the third anniversary, and the final 25% after the fourth anniversary of the award date. Fuel Tech calculates stock compensation expense for employee option awards based on the grant date fair value of the award, less expected annual forfeitures, and recognizes expense on a straight-line basis over the four-year service period of the award. Stock options granted to members of our board of directors vest immediately. Stock compensation for these awards is based on the grant date fair value of the award and is recognized in expense immediately.

Fuel Tech uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the grant date fair value of employee stock options. The principal variable assumptions utilized in valuing options and the methodology for estimating such model inputs include: (1) risk-free interest rate – an estimate based on the yield of zero–coupon treasury securities with a maturity equal to the expected life of the option; (2) expected volatility – an estimate based on the historical volatility of Fuel Tech’s Common Stock for a period equal to the expected life of the option; and (3) expected life of the option – an estimate based on historical experience including the effect of employee terminations.

There was no stock option activity for Fuel Tech’s Incentive Plans for the three months ended March 31, 2017. The Company had 1,039,750 options outstanding and exercisable with a weighted-average exercise price of $8.39 at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. There is no aggregate intrinsic value for the stock options outstanding at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

As of March 31, 2017, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted under the Incentive Plans.

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock units (RSUs) granted to employees vest over time based on continued service (typically vesting over a period between two and four years). Such time-vested RSUs are valued at the date of grant using the intrinsic value method based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the grant date. Compensation cost, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.

In addition to the time vested RSUs described above, performance-based RSU agreements (the Agreements) are issued annually to our Executive Chairman; President/Chief Executive Officer; Senior Vice President, Fuel Conversion Marketing; Senior Vice President, Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer; and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. The Agreements provide each participating executive the opportunity to earn three types of awards with each award type specifying a targeted number of RSUs that may be granted to each executive based on either the individual performance of the executive or our relative performance compared to a peer group, as determined by the award type. The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the Committee) determines the extent to which, if any, RSUs will be granted based on the achievement of the applicable performance criteria specified in the Agreement. This determination will be made following the completion of the applicable performance period (each a Determination Date). Such performance based awards include the following:

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The first type of award is based on individual performance during the respective calendar year as determined by the Committee based on performance criteria specified in the Agreement. These awards will vest over a three year period beginning on the Determination Date. We estimated the fair value of these performance-based RSU awards on the date of the Agreement using the trading price of the Company’s stock and our estimate of the probability that the specified performance criteria will be met. The fair value measurement and probability estimate will be re-measured each reporting date until the Determination Date, at which time the final award amount will be known. For these job performance-based awards, we amortize compensation costs over the requisite service period, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, for each separately vesting tranche of the award.

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The second type of RSU award contains a targeted number of RSUs to be granted based on the Company’s revenue growth relative to a specified peer group during a period of two calendar years. These awards vest 67% on the second anniversary of the Agreement date and 33% on the third anniversary of the Agreement date. We estimated the fair value of these performance-based RSU awards on the Agreement date using the trading price of the Company’s stock on the date of determination and our estimate of the probability that the specified performance criteria will be met. For these revenue growth performance-based awards, we amortize compensation costs over the requisite service period, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, for each separately vesting tranche of the award.

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The third type of RSU award contains a targeted number of RSUs to be granted based on the total shareholder return (TSR) of the Company’s common stock relative to a specified peer group during a period of two calendar years. These awards vest 67% on the second anniversary of the Agreement date and 33% on the third anniversary of the Agreement date. We estimated the fair value of these market-based RSU awards on the Agreement date using a Monte Carlo valuation methodology and amortize the fair value over the requisite service period for each separately vesting tranche of the award. The principal variable assumptions utilized in valuing these RSUs under this valuation methodology include the risk-free interest rate, stock volatility, and correlations between our stock price and the stock prices of a peer group of companies.

At March 31, 2017, there is $1,051 of unrecognized compensation costs related to restricted stock unit awards to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.59 years.

A summary of restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2017 is as follows:



	Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested restricted stock units at January 1, 2017	1,463,796		$	2.82
Granted	—		—
Forfeited	(200,000	)	3.03
Vested	(113,332	)	4.28
Unvested restricted stock units at March 31, 2017	1,150,464		$	2.64

The fair value of restricted stock that vested during the three month period ending March 31, 2017 was $131.

Deferred Directors Fees

In addition to the Incentive Plans, Fuel Tech has a Deferred Compensation Plans for Directors (Deferred Plan). Under the terms of the Deferred Plan, Directors can elect to defer Directors’ fees for shares of Fuel Tech Common Stock that are issuable at a future date as defined in the agreement. In accordance with ASC 718, Fuel Tech accounts for these awards as equity awards. In the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, Fuel Tech recorded no stock-based compensation expense under the Deferred Plan.