Note J - Stock-Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

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

Note J:                      Stock-Based Compensation

Fuel Tech has a stock-based employee compensation plan, referred to as the Fuel Tech, Inc. Incentive Plan (Incentive Plan), under which 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 Fuel Tech’s directors, officers, employees, consultants or advisors (except consultants or advisors in capital-raising transactions) as the directors determine are key to the success of Fuel Tech’s business.  The amount of shares that may be issued or reserved for awards to participants under a 2004 amendment to the Incentive Plan is 12.5% of outstanding shares calculated on a diluted basis.  At March 31, 2013, Fuel Tech had approximately 155,000 equity awards available for issuance under the Incentive Plan.

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, 2013 and 2012 were as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31:
	2013			2012
Stock options and restricted stock units	$	329		$	193
Deferred directors fees		-			17
Total stock-based compensation expense		329			210
Tax benefit of stock-based compensation expense		(120	)		(72	)
After-tax effect of stock-based compensation	$	209		$	138

As of March 31, 2013, there was $4,485 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to all non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Incentive Plan.

Stock Options

Stock options granted to employees under the Incentive Plan 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.

Stock option activity for Fuel Tech’s Incentive Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2013 was as follows:

	Number of Options			Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding on January 1, 2013		1,914,000		$	11.38
Granted		-			-
Exercised		-			-
Expired or forfeited		(25,000	)	$	9.16
Outstanding on March 31, 2013		1,889,000		$	11.41		4.0		$	97
Exercisable on March 31, 2013		1,814,000		$	11.50		3.9		$	97

Non-vested stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2013 was as follows:

	Non-Vested Stock Options Outstanding			Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding on January 1, 2013		80,500			5.35
Granted		-			-
Vested		(3,000	)		5.18
Forfeited		(2,500	)		5.98
Outstanding on March 31, 2013		75,000			5.33

As of March 31, 2013, there was $115 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted under the Incentive Plan.  That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.7 years.

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock units (RSUs) granted to employees vest over time based on continued service (typically vesting over a period between one to three years in equal installments).  Such time-vested RSUs are valued at the date of grant using the intrinsic value method.  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, the Company entered into performance-based RSU agreements (the Agreements) with each of the Company’s President/Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Marketing & Sales, and Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations.  In 2013, the Company’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary was added as a participating executive.  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 the Company’s 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:

● 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 on the date of determination 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.

● 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.

● 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, 2013, there is $4,370 of unrecognized compensation costs related to restricted stock unit awards to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.7 years.

A summary of restricted stock unit activity for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested restricted stock units at December 31, 2012		752,024		$	6.21
Granted		476,000			4.75
Forfeited		(46,190	)		7.57
Vested		(81,529	)		4.62
Unvested restricted stock units at March 31, 2013		1,100,305		$	5.65

Deferred Directors Fees

In addition to the Incentive Plan, Fuel Tech has a Deferred Compensation Plan 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, 2013 and 2012, Fuel Tech recorded $0 and $17, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense under the Deferred Plan.