Share-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Share-Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation

10.      Share-Based Compensation

The Company provides compensation benefits to certain key employees under several share-based plans providing for performance-accelerated restricted share unit (PARS) awards, and to non-employee directors under a non-employee directors compensation plan. The Company has no stock options currently outstanding. As of September 30, 2019, the Company's equity compensation plans had a total of 844,029 shares authorized and available for future issuance.

Performance-Accelerated Restricted Share Unit (PARS) Awards

A PARS award represents the right to receive a specified number of shares of Company common stock if and when the award vests. A PARS award is not stock and does not give the recipient any rights as a shareholder until it vests and is paid out in shares of stock. PARS awards currently outstanding have a five-year vesting period, with accelerated vesting if certain targets based on market conditions are achieved. In these cases, if it is probable that the performance condition will be met, the Company recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the shorter performance period; otherwise, it will recognize compensation cost over the longer service period. Compensation cost for the outstanding PARS awards is being recognized over the shorter performance period, as it is probable the performance condition will be met. The PARS award grants were valued at the stock price on the date of grant. Pretax compensation expense related to the PARS awards for continuing operations was $4.3 million, $4.1 million and $4.4 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The following summary presents information regarding outstanding PARS awards as of the specified dates, and changes during the specified periods:

	FY 2019			FY 2018			FY 2017
		Estimated			Estimated			Estimated
		Weighted			Weighted			Weighted
	Shares	Avg. Price		Shares	Avg. Price		Shares	Avg. Price
Nonvested at October 1,	315,544	$	47.23	335,825	$	40.35	427,438	$	35.40
Granted	84,862		74.77	104,320		56.06	110,422		51.16
Vested	(113,402)		37.00	(121,301)		35.59	(202,035)		35.78
Cancelled	(6,000)		45.20	(3,300)		53.86	—		—
Nonvested at September 30,	281,004	$	59.72	315,544	$	47.23	335,825	$	40.35

Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors

Through the first quarter of 2018 the Company's Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors provided to each non-employee director a retainer of 900 common shares per quarter. Beginning in the second quarter of 2018, the quarterly retainer was replaced by an annual retainer of Company stock having a grant date market value of $180,000. Non-employee director grants were valued at the NYSE closing price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant and were issued from the Company’s treasury stock. Compensation expense related to the non-employee director grants was $1.1 million, $1.1 million and $1.0 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Total Share-Based Compensation

The total share-based compensation cost that has been recognized in results of operations and included within SG&A from continuing operations was $5.4 million, $5.2 million and $5.4 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The total income tax benefit recognized in results of operations for share-based compensation arrangements was $1.1 million, $1.3 million and $1.8 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of September 30, 2019, there was $9.6 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to share-based compensation arrangements. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.0 years.