Stockholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders’ Equity

In May 2006, the Company adopted the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (2006 Plan), which was amended by Amendment No. 1 dated May 9, 2007.  The primary purpose of the 2006 Plan is to encourage ownership in the Company by key personnel, whose long-term service is considered essential to the Company’s continued success.  The 2006 Plan reserves 6,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance to employees, directors, or consultants.  The maximum aggregate number of shares that may be issued under the 2006 Plan through the exercise of incentive stock options (Options) is 4,500,000.  Pursuant to the Deferred Stock Unit Compensation Plan, a sub plan under the 2006 Plan, a participant may elect to defer settlement of their outstanding unvested awards until such time as elected by the participant.

The Company has elected to grant nonvested stock units (NSUs) annually to key personnel.  The NSUs granted entitle the employee recipients to receive shares of common stock in the Company upon vesting of the NSUs.  The vesting of most NSUs is subject to achievement of certain performance targets.  For the majority of NSUs granted in 2013, if the performance goal is achieved, these awards will vest in equal one-third installments at the end of each of the three years after the performance goal is achieved.  For NSUs granted in 2012, the performance target was not met and, therefore, the awards will not vest.  On a quarterly basis, the Company grants fully-vested shares of its common stock to each of its outside directors.  The fair value of such shares is expensed on the date of issuance.

During the three months ended September 30, 2013, the Company granted 15,750 NSUs under the 2006 Plan, at a weighted-average grant-date fair value of $54.59 per share.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company granted 298,250 NSUs under the 2006 Plan, at a weighted-average grant-date fair value of $57.29 per share.  As of September 30, 2013, future unrecognized compensation cost for these awards, excluding estimated forfeitures was $13,000. As of September 30, 2013, the Company believed that the achievement of at least the threshold performance objective of these awards was probable, and therefore recognized compensation expense accordingly for these awards.

In June 2012, the Company approved a stock repurchase program to repurchase up to $200,000 of the Company’s common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements, and other factors.  The program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of common stock and the program may be suspended at any time at the Company’s discretion.  There was no stock repurchased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013.  As of September 30, 2013, the Company had repurchased approximately 2,765,000 shares under this program, for approximately $120,700, or an average price of $43.66 per share, leaving the remaining approved amount at approximately $79,300.