STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Notes)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

WESCO sponsors a stock-based compensation plan. On May 27, 2021, the Company's stockholders approved the WESCO International, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”). The 2021 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors.

The 2021 Plan was designed to be the successor plan to all prior stock-based compensation plans. Accordingly, no new awards may be granted under the Company’s 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the “1999 Plan”) or any other prior plan. Awards outstanding under any such prior plans will remain in full force and effect under such plans according to their respective terms. To the extent that any such award is forfeited, terminates, expires or lapses without being exercised, or is settled for cash, the shares subject to such award not delivered will again be available for awards under the 2021 Plan.

The maximum number of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be granted pursuant to awards under the 2021 Plan is 2,150,000, less any shares issued under the 1999 Plan after March 31, 2021 and until the annual stockholders meeting in May 2021. If any award granted under the 2021 Plan is forfeited, terminates, expires or lapses instead of being exercised, or is settled for cash, the shares subject to such award will again be available for grant under the 2021 Plan. Shares delivered by participants or withheld by the Company to pay all or a portion of the exercise price or withholding taxes with respect to stock option or stock appreciation right awards will not again be available for issuance. Shares delivered by participants or withheld by the Company to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations with respect to a full-value award (i.e., restricted shares or restricted stock units) will again be available for grant under the 2021 Plan.

WESCO’s stock-based employee compensation awards outstanding under the 1999 Plan are comprised of stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and performance-based awards. Compensation cost for all stock-based awards is measured at fair value on the date of grant and compensation cost is recognized, net of estimated forfeitures, over the service period for awards expected to vest. The fair value of stock-settled stock appreciation rights is determined using the Black-Scholes model. The fair value of restricted stock units and performance-based awards with performance conditions is determined by the grant-date closing price of WESCO’s common stock. The forfeiture assumption is based on WESCO’s historical employee behavior that is reviewed on an annual basis. No dividends are assumed. For stock-settled stock appreciation rights that are exercised and for restricted stock units and performance-based awards that vest, shares are issued out of WESCO's outstanding common stock.

Stock-settled stock appreciation rights vest ratably over a three-year period and terminate on the tenth anniversary of the grant date unless terminated sooner under certain conditions. Restricted stock unit awards granted in February 2020 and prior vest based on a minimum time period of three years. The special award described below vests in tranches. Restricted stock units awarded in 2021 vest ratably over a three-year period on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. Vesting of performance-based awards is based on a three-year performance period, and the number of shares earned, if any, depends on the attainment of certain performance levels. Outstanding awards would vest upon the consummation of a change in control transaction and performance-based awards would vest at the target level.

On July 2, 2020, a special award of restricted stock units was granted to certain officers of the Company. These awards vest in tranches of 30% on each of the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and 40% on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject, in each case, to continued employment through the applicable anniversary date.

Performance-based awards granted in 2021, 2020 and 2019 were based on two equally-weighted performance measures: the three-year average growth rate of WESCO's net income and the three-year cumulative return on net assets.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, WESCO granted the following stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and performance-based awards at the following weighted-average fair values:


	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2021		June 30, 2020		June 30, 2021		June 30, 2020
Stock-settled stock appreciation rights granted	3,398		—		139,592		262,091
Weighted-average fair value	$	38.62	$	—	$	33.19	$	13.86

Restricted stock units granted	6,861		—		307,583		211,450
Weighted-average fair value	$	86.91	$	—	$	77.12	$	48.32

Performance-based awards granted	3,020		—		122,812		158,756
Weighted-average fair value	$	86.91	$	—	$	76.76	$	48.67

The fair value of stock-settled stock appreciation rights was estimated using the following weighted-average assumptions:


	Three Months Ended			Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2021		June 30, 2020	June 30, 2021		June 30, 2020
Risk free interest rate	1.3	%	n/a	0.8	%	1.4	%
Expected life (in years)	7		n/a	7		5
Expected volatility	42	%	n/a	41	%	30	%

The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury Daily Yield Curve as of the grant date. The expected life is based on historical exercise experience and the expected volatility is based on the volatility of the Company's daily stock price over the expected life preceding the grant date of the award.

The following table sets forth a summary of stock-settled stock appreciation rights and related information for the six months ended June 30, 2021:


	Awards	Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (In years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (In thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2020	2,161,556	$	60.48
Granted	139,592	77.05
Exercised	(558,550)	54.65
Forfeited	(12,719)	52.57
Outstanding at June 30, 2021	1,729,879	63.76		5.9	$	69,154
Exercisable at June 30, 2021	1,359,501	$	64.73	5.1	$	53,041

For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the aggregate intrinsic value of stock-settled stock appreciation rights exercised during such period was $24.9 million.

The following table sets forth a summary of time-based restricted stock units and related information for the six months ended June 30, 2021:


	Awards	Weighted- Average Fair Value
Unvested at December 31, 2020	921,495	$	43.15
Granted	307,583	77.12
Vested	(226,943)	43.89
Forfeited	(25,134)	59.90
Unvested at June 30, 2021	977,001	$	53.23

The following table sets forth a summary of performance-based awards for the six months ended June 30, 2021:


	Awards	Weighted- Average Fair Value
Unvested at December 31, 2020	305,269	$	52.61
Granted	122,812	76.76
Vested	(22,371)	62.34
Forfeited	(27,802)	59.87
Unvested at June 30, 2021	377,908	$	59.35

Vesting of the 377,908 shares of performance-based awards in the table above is dependent upon the achievement of certain performance targets, including half that are dependent upon the three-year average growth rate of WESCO's net income and the other half that are based upon the three-year cumulative return on net assets. These awards are accounted for as awards with performance conditions; compensation cost is recognized over the performance period based upon WESCO's determination of whether it is probable that the performance targets will be achieved.

WESCO recognized $7.2 million and $4.9 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenses, for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. WESCO recognized $13.2 million and $9.5 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenses, for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, there was $55.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested stock-based compensation arrangements for all awards previously made of which approximately $14.8 million is expected to be recognized over the remainder of 2021, $23.9 million in 2022, $15.2 million in 2023 and $1.4 million in 2024.