SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Share-based Compensation [Abstract]

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

4. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

The Company provides compensation benefits to certain key employees under several share-based plans providing for performance-accelerated restricted shares (restricted shares), and to non-employee directors under a non-employee directors compensation plan.

Performance-Accelerated Restricted Share Awards

Pretax compensation expense related to the restricted share awards was $0.8 million and $3.1 million for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2016, respectively, and $0.9 million and $3.1 million for the corresponding periods of 2015. There were 435,438 non-vested shares outstanding as of June 30, 2016.

Non-Employee Directors Plan

Pretax compensation expense related to the non-employee director grants was $0.2 million and $0.6 million for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2016, respectively, and $0.2 million and $0.6 million for the corresponding periods of 2015.

The total share-based compensation cost that has been recognized in the results of operations and included within selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) was $1.0 million and $3.7 million for the three-and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2016, respectively, and $1.1 million and $3.7 million for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2015. The total income tax benefit recognized in results of operations for share-based compensation arrangements was $0.4 million and $1.3 million for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2016, respectively, and $0.4 million and $1.4 million for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2015. As of June 30, 2016, there was $5.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to share-based compensation arrangements. That cost is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of 1.3 years.