Stock-based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Stock-Based Compensation

11. Stock-Based Compensation

For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the Company’s net income, as reported, includes $5.3 million, $6.2 million, and $7.9 million, respectively, of stock-based compensation costs as recorded in salaries and employee benefits on the Consolidated Statements of Income, including the benefit or expense of phantom stock awards, and $1.5 million, $1.6 million, and $2.0 million, respectively, of income tax benefits related to the stock-based compensation plans.

The 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“2014 Omnibus Plan”) became effective on May 20, 2014 after adoption by the Board of Directors and approval by the stockholders. The 2014 Omnibus Plan authorizes the issuance of 1,100,000 shares. To the extent that an award under the 2014 Omnibus Plan is cancelled, expired, forfeited, settled in cash, settled by issuance of fewer shares than the number underlying the award, or otherwise terminated without delivery of shares to a participant in payment of the exercise price or taxes relating to an award, the shares retained by or returned to the Company will be available for future issuance under the 2014 Omnibus Plan. On May 31, 2017, stockholders approved an amendment to the 2014 Omnibus Plan (the “Amendment”) authorizing an additional 672,000 shares available for future issuance. In addition, to increasing the number of shares for future grants, the Amendment eliminated, in the case of stock options and SARs, the ability to recycle shares used to satisfy the exercise price or taxes for such awards. On May 18, 2021, stockholders approved an additional 1,100,000 shares available for future issuance. Including the additional shares authorized from the Amendment, 746,910 shares were available for future issuance under the 2014 Omnibus Plan at December 31, 2023. To fund restricted stock unit awards or option exercises, shares are issued from treasury stock, if available; otherwise, new shares are issued. Options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards granted under the 2014 Omnibus Plan are generally subject to a minimum vesting period of three years with stock options having a 10-year maximum contractual term. Other awards do not have a contractual term of expiration. The Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) is authorized to grant awards that vest upon a participant’s retirement. These amounts are included in stock-based compensation expense at the time of the participant’s retirement eligibility.

The Company has a long-term incentive compensation program for certain Company executive officers that includes grants of performance-based restricted stock units (“PRSUs”) in addition to time-based restricted stock units (“RSU”). Under the terms of the PRSU Agreement, the number of PRSUs that may be earned depends on the extent to which performance goals for the award are achieved over a three-year performance period, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The number of PRSUs that may be earned ranges from 0% to 150% of the target award, with no PRSUs earned for below threshold-level performance, 50% of PRSUs earned for threshold-level performance, 100% of PRSUs earned for target-level performance, and 150% of PRSUs earned for maximum-level performance. As of December 31, 2023, PRSU’s granted in 2023 are being accrued at target, PRSU’s granted in 2022 are being accrued at below target and PRSU’s granted in 2021 are accrued at above target. The different levels of accrual are commensurate with the projected Company’s performance for the respective grant.

The Company uses the fair value of the common stock on the date of award to measure compensation cost for restricted stock unit awards. Compensation cost is recognized over the vesting period of the award using the straight-line method. There were 235,850, 212,811, and 238,985 RSU's granted for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and 79,050, 63,250, and 94,185 PRSU’s granted for the year ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The following table summarizes the Company’s RSU and PRSU awards under the 2014 Omnibus Plan for the year ended December 31, 2023:

	RSU Awards			PRSU Awards
		Weighted-Average			Weighted-Average
		Grant-Date			Grant-Date
	Shares	Fair Value		Shares	Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2022	275,588	$	22.30	68,800	$	20.90
Granted	235,850		19.84	79,050		19.99
Vested	(228,292)		21.19	(70,280)		20.79
Forfeited	(2,985)		22.15	—		—
Non-vested at December 31, 2023	280,161	$	21.14	77,570	$	20.08
Vested but unissued at December 31, 2023	259,003	$	20.79	127,290	$	20.08

As of December 31, 2023, there was $4.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to RSU and PRSU awards granted under the 2014 Omnibus Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.6 years. The total fair value of awards vested for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were $5.8 million, $7.6 million, and $5.9 million, respectively. The vested but unissued RSU awards consist of awards made to employees and directors who are eligible for retirement. The vested but unissued PRSU awards consist of awards made to employees who are eligible for retirement. According to the terms of these awards, which provide for vesting upon retirement, these employees and directors have no risk of forfeiture. These shares will be issued at the original contractual vesting and settlement dates.

Phantom Stock Plan: The Company maintains a non-qualified phantom stock plan as a supplement to its profit sharing plan for officers who have achieved the designated level and completed one year of service. Awards are made under this plan on certain compensation not eligible for contributions made under the profit sharing plan, due to the terms of the profit sharing plan and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). Employees receive awards under this plan proportionate to the amount they would have received under the profit sharing plan, but for limits imposed by the profit sharing plan and the Internal Revenue Code. The awards are made as cash awards, and then converted to common stock equivalents (phantom shares) at the then current fair value of the Company’s common stock. Dividends are credited to each employee’s account in the form of additional phantom shares each time the Company pays a dividend on its common stock. In the event of a change of control (as defined in this plan), an employee’s interest is converted to a fixed dollar amount and deemed to be invested in the same manner as their interest in the Bank’s non-qualified deferred compensation plan. Employees vest under this plan 20% per year for the first 5 years of employment and are 100% vested thereafter. Employees also become 100% vested upon a change of control. Employees receive their vested interest in this plan in the form of a cash lump sum payment or installments, as elected by the employee, after termination of employment. The Company adjusts its liability under this plan to the fair value of the shares at the end of each period.

The following table summarizes the Company’s Phantom Stock Plan at or for the year ended December 31, 2023:

Phantom Stock Plan	Shares	Fair Value		Weighted-Average Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2022	158,410	$	19.38
Granted	23,665			$	17.38
Distributions	(1,228)			$	16.95
Outstanding at December 31, 2023	180,847	$	16.48
Vested at December 31, 2023	180,847	$	16.48

The Company recorded stock-based compensation (benefit) expense for the phantom stock plan of ($0.3) million, ($0.6) million, and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The total fair value of distributions from the phantom stock plan were $21,000, $23,000, and $52,000 for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.