The Company accounts for share-based compensation under the provisions of ASC 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), which requires the Company to measure and recognize compensation expense for all share-based payments at fair value. Total share-based compensation expense included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for Fiscal 2021, Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019 was $38.2 million ($28.8 million, net of tax), $32.8 million ($24.6 million, net of tax), and $23.0 million ($17.9 million, net of tax), respectively.

ASC 718 requires recognition of compensation cost under a non-substantive vesting period approach for awards containing provisions that accelerate or continue vesting upon retirement. Accordingly, for awards with such provisions, the Company recognizes compensation expense over the period from the grant date to the date retirement eligibility is achieved, if that is expected to occur during the nominal vesting period. Additionally, for awards granted to retirement eligible employees, the full compensation cost of an award must be recognized immediately upon grant.

At January 29, 2022, the Company had awards outstanding under two share-based compensation plans, which are described below.

The 2020 Plan was approved by the stockholders on April 13, 2020. The 2020 Plan authorized 10.2 million shares for issuance, in the form of options, stock appreciation rights (“SARS”), restricted stock, restricted stock units, bonus stock and awards, performance awards, dividend equivalents and other stock-based awards. The 2020 Plan provides that for awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m), (i) the maximum number of shares awarded to any individual may not exceed 3.0 million shares per year for options and SARS and (ii) no more than 1.5 million shares may be granted with respect to each of restricted shares of stock and restricted stock units (subject to certain adjustments and exceptions provided therein). The 2020 Plan allows the Compensation Committee of the Board to determine which employees receive awards and the terms and conditions of the awards under the 2020 Plan. The 2020 Plan provides for grants to directors who are not officers or employees of the Company, which are not to exceed in value $750,000 in any single fiscal year. Through January 29, 2022, approximately 2.0 million shares of restricted stock and approximately 1.2 million shares of common stock had been granted under the 2020 Plan to employees and directors. Approximately 40% of the restricted stock awards are performance-based and are earned if the established performance goals are met. The remaining 60% of the restricted stock awards are time-based and 97% vest ratably over three years and 3% vest over a period of one to two years.

The 2017 Plan was approved by the stockholders on May 23, 2017. The 2017 Plan authorized 11.2 million shares for issuance, in the form of options, stock appreciation rights (“SARS”), restricted stock, restricted stock units, bonus stock and awards, performance awards, dividend equivalents and other stock-based awards. The 2017 Plan provides that for awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) (i) the maximum number of shares awarded to any individual may not exceed 3.0 million shares per year for options and SARS and (ii) no more than 1.5 million shares may be granted with respect to each of restricted shares of stock and restricted stock units (subject to certain adjustments and exceptions provided therein). The 2017 Plan allows the Compensation Committee of the Board to determine which employees receive awards and the terms and conditions of the awards under the 2017 Plan. The 2017 Plan provides for grants to directors who are not officers or employees of the Company, which are not to exceed in value $750,000 in any single fiscal year. Through January 30, 2021, approximately 7.7 million shares of restricted stock and approximately 3.5 million shares of common stock had been granted under the 2017 Plan to employees and directors. Approximately 80% of the restricted stock awards are performance-based and are earned if the established performance goals are met. The remaining 20% of the restricted stock awards are time-based and 98% vest ratably over three years and 2% vest over a period of one to two years. After April 13, 2020, no new awards may be granted under the 2017 Plan and all outstanding awards at that time continued in force and operation in accordance with their respective terms.

The Company has granted time-based stock options under the 2017 and 2020 Plans. Time-based stock option awards vest over the requisite service period of the award or to an employee’s eligible retirement date, if earlier.

A summary of the Company’s stock option activity under the 2017 and 2020 Plans for Fiscal 2021 follows:


	For the Year Ended January 29, 2022
				Weighted- Average		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual		Aggregate Intrinsic
	Options			Exercise Price		Term		Value
	(In thousands)					(In years)		(In thousands)
Outstanding - January 30, 2021		3,940		$	14.87
Granted		478		$	31.46
Exercised (1)		(771	)	$	16.33
Cancelled		—		$	—
Outstanding - January 29, 2022		3,647		$	16.74		4.3	$	24,980
Vested and expected to vest - January 29, 2022		2,513		$	16.62		3.1	$	13,231
Exercisable - January 29, 2022 (2)		1,788		$	16.28		1.6	$	10,949

(1)

Options exercised during Fiscal 2021 ranged in price from $8.62 to $21.41.

(2)

Options exercisable represent “in-the-money” vested options based upon the weighted average exercise price of vested options compared to the Company’s stock price on January 29, 2022.

The weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options granted during Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2020 was $11.68 and $3.06, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during Fiscal 2021, Fiscal 2020, and Fiscal 2019 was $12.8 million, $0.7 million and $0.8 million, respectively. Cash received from the exercise of stock options and the actual tax benefit realized from share-based payments was $13.1 million and $4.5 million, respectively, for Fiscal 2021. Cash received from the exercise of stock options and the actual tax benefit realized from share-based payments was $3.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for Fiscal 2020. Cash received from the exercise of stock options and the actual tax benefit realized from share-based payments was $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for Fiscal 2019.

The fair value of stock options was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:


	For the Years Ended
	January 29,	January 30,
Black-Scholes Option Valuation Assumptions	2022	2021
Risk-free interest rates (1)	0.9%	0.3 - 0.6%
Dividend yield	1.6%	3.5 - 6.0%
Volatility factors of the expected market price of the Company's common stock (2)	50.7%	43.1 - 48.7%
Weighted-average expected term (3)	4.5 years	4.4 years

(1)

Based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant with a term consistent with the expected life of our stock options.

(2)

Based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock.

(3)

Represents the period of time options are expected to be outstanding. The weighted average expected option terms were determined based on historical experience.

As of January 29, 2022, there was $6.5 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested stock option awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.9 years.

Time-based restricted stock awards are comprised of time-based restricted stock units. These awards vest over three years. Time-based restricted stock units receive dividend equivalents in the form of additional time-based restricted stock units, which are subject to the same restrictions and forfeiture provisions as the original award.

Performance-based restricted stock awards include performance-based restricted stock units. These awards cliff vest at the end of a three-year period based upon the Company’s achievement of pre-established goals throughout the term of the award. Performance-based restricted stock units receive dividend equivalents in the form of additional performance-based restricted stock units, which are subject to the same restrictions and forfeiture provisions as the original award.

The grant date fair value of some restricted stock awards is based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. A Monte-Carlo simulation was utilized for the remaining performance awards.

A summary of the activity of the Company’s restricted stock is presented in the following tables:


	Time-Based Restricted Stock Units					Performance- Based Restricted Stock Units
	For the year ended					For the year ended
	January 29, 2022					January 29, 2022
(Shares in thousands)	Shares			Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value		Shares			Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested - January 30, 2021		3,698		$	12.42		1,868		$	17.44
Granted		724			32.40		339			39.54
Vested		(1,483	)		14.92		(418	)		22.22
Cancelled/Forfeited		(237	)		14.20		(327	)		18.56
Non-vested - January 29, 2022		2,702		$	16.25		1,462		$	20.95

As of January 29, 2022, there was $25.8 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested time-based restricted stock unit awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.8 years. Based on current probable performance, there is $6.9 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to performance-based restricted stock unit awards which will be recognized as achievement of performance goals is probable over a one to three-year period.

As of January 29, 2022, the Company had 7.5 million shares available for all equity grants.