SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY, STOCK PLANS AND PREFERRED STOCK

Stock Based Compensation Plans

The Company follows the FASB's guidance on Stock Compensation to account for stock-based payments granted to employees and non-employee directors.

Overview of Plans

In December 2005, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors adopted the 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2005 Plan”). The 2005 Plan allows the Company to issue stock options and other share and cash based awards. Under the 2005 Plan, 700,000 shares of the Company's common stock have been reserved for issuance upon exercise of equity awards granted thereunder. All grants under this plan expire 10 years from the date the grants were authorized by the Board of Directors.

In June 2008, the Company adopted the Advocat Inc. 2008 Stock Purchase Plan for Key Personnel (“Stock Purchase Plan”). The Stock Purchase Plan provides for the granting of rights to purchase shares of the Company's common stock to directors and officers and 150,000 shares of the Company's common stock has been reserved for issuance under the Stock Purchase Plan. The Stock Purchase Plan allows participants to elect to utilize a specified portion of base salary, annual cash bonus, or director compensation to purchase restricted shares or restricted share units (“RSU's”) at 85% of the quoted market price of a share of the Company's common stock on the date of purchase. The restriction period under the Stock Purchase Plan is generally two years from the date of purchase and during which the shares will have the rights to receive dividends, however, the restricted share certificates will not be delivered to the shareholder and the shares cannot be sold, assigned or disposed of during the restriction period and are subject to forfeiture. In June 2016, our shareholders approved an amendment to the Stock Purchase Plan to increase the number of shares of our common stock authorized under the Plan from 150,000 shares to 350,000 shares. No grants can be made under the Stock Purchase Plan after April 25, 2028.

In April 2010, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors adopted the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2010 Plan”), followed by approval by the Company's shareholders in June 2010. The 2010 Plan allows the Company to issue stock appreciation rights, stock options and other share and cash based awards. In June 2017, our shareholders approved an amendment to the Long-Term Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of our common stock authorized under the Plan from 380,000 shares to 680,000 shares. No grants can be made under the 2010 Plan after May 31, 2027.

Equity Grants and Valuations

During 2017 and 2016, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors approved grants totaling approximately 88,000 and 83,000, respectively, shares of restricted common stock to certain employees and members of the Board of Directors. These restricted shares vest one-third on the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. Unvested shares may not be sold or transferred. During the vesting period, dividends accrue on the restricted shares, but are paid in additional shares of common stock upon vesting, subject to the vesting provisions of the underlying restricted shares. The restricted shares are entitled to the same voting rights as other common shares. Upon vesting, all restrictions are removed.

The Company recorded non-cash stock-based compensation expense from continuing operations for equity grants and RSU's issued under the Plans of $1,027,000, $1,012,000, and $1,152,000 during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. Such amounts are included as components of general and administrative expense or operating expense based upon the classification of cash compensation paid to the related employees. As of December 31, 2017, there was $593,000 in unrecognized compensation costs related to stock-based compensation to be recognized over the applicable remaining vesting periods. The Company estimated the total recognized and unrecognized compensation for all options and SOSARs using the Black-Scholes-Merton equity grant valuation model. Restricted stock awards are valued using the market price on the grant date.

The table below shows the weighted average assumptions the Company used to develop the fair value estimates under its option valuation model:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2017	2016	2015
Expected volatility (range)	N/A⁽¹⁾	N/A⁽¹⁾	44%-49%
Risk free interest rate (range)	N/A⁽¹⁾	N/A⁽¹⁾	1.52%-1.87%
Expected dividends	N/A⁽¹⁾	N/A⁽¹⁾	2.15%
Weighted average expected term (years)	N/A⁽¹⁾	N/A⁽¹⁾	6

___________


(1)	The Company did not issue any options or other equity grants that would require application of the Black-Scholes-Merton equity grant valuation model during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. All equity grants during these periods were restricted common shares which are valued using an intrinsic valuation method based on market price.

In computing the fair value estimates using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model, the Company took into consideration the exercise price of the equity grants and the market price of the Company's stock on the date of grant. The Company used an expected volatility that equals the historical volatility over the most recent period equal to the expected life of the equity grants. The risk free interest rate is based on the U.S. treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The Company used the expected dividend yield at the date of grant, reflecting the level of annual cash dividends currently being paid on its common stock.

In computing the fair value of these equity grants, the Company estimated the equity grants' expected term based on the average of the vesting term and the original contractual terms of the grants.

The table below describes the resulting weighted average grant date fair values calculated as well as the intrinsic value of options exercised under the Company's equity awards during each of the following years:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2017⁽¹⁾		2016⁽¹⁾		2015
Weighted average grant date fair value	$	—	$	—	$	3.78
Total intrinsic value of exercises	$	2,000	$	3,000	$	249,000

___________


(1)	The Company did not issue any options or other equity grants that would require application of the Black-Scholes-Merton equity grant valuation model during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. All equity grants during this period were restricted common shares which are valued using an intrinsic valuation method based on market price.

The following table summarizes information regarding stock options and SOSAR grants outstanding as of December 31, 2017:



	Weighted
	Average			Intrinsic			Intrinsic
Range of	Exercise		Grants	Value-Grants		Grants	Value-Grants
Exercise Prices	Prices		Outstanding	Outstanding		Exercisable	Exercisable
$10.21 to $10.88	$	10.63	44,000	$	—	44,000	$	—
$2.37 to $6.21	$	5.56	167,000	$	741,000	167,000	$	741,000
			211,000			211,000

As of December 31, 2017, the outstanding equity grants have a weighted average remaining life of 3.25 and those outstanding equity grants that are exercisable have a weighted average remaining life of 3.25 years. During the year ended December 31, 2017, approximately 1,000 stock option and SOSAR grants were exercised under these plans. All of the equity grants exercised were net settled. The net proceeds from equity grants exercised in 2017 was $(94,000).

Summarized activity of the equity compensation plans is presented below:



			Weighted
	SOSARs/		Average
	Options		Exercise Price
Outstanding, December 31, 2016	231,000		$	6.97
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(1,000	)	3.91
Expired or cancelled	(19,000	)	10.73
Outstanding, December 31, 2017	211,000		$	6.64

Exercisable, December 31, 2017	211,000		$	6.64



			Weighted
			Average
	Restricted		Grant Date
	Shares		Fair Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2016	153,000		$	9.47
Granted	88,000		9.98
Dividend Equivalents	4,000		10.26
Vested	(77,000	)	9.06
Cancelled	(4,000	)	10.10
Outstanding December 31, 2017	164,000		$	9.95

Summarized activity of the Restricted Share Units for the Stock Purchase Plan is as follows:



			Weighted
			Average
	Restricted		Grant Date
	Share Units		Fair Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2016	54,000		$	11.1
Granted	26,000		9.98
Dividend Equivalents	1,000		10.26
Vested	(37,000	)	12.11
Cancelled	—		—
Outstanding December 31, 2017	44,000		$	9.59

Series A Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue up to 200,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. The Company's Board of Directors is authorized to establish the terms and rights of each series, including the voting powers, designations, preferences, and other special rights, qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof.