Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

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SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS
 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS:

The Company maintains an equity incentive plan (the "2017 Equity Incentive Plan") that provides for grants of stock options, restricted shares, restricted share units, stock-based performance units and certain other types of stock-based awards. Under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, which has a ten-year term, the maximum number of shares available for grants or awards is an aggregate of 1,700,000.  At September 30, 2019, there were 1,700,000 shares reserved for future issuance under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, including 262,000 restricted share units that were granted during fiscal 2019. The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

With respect to outstanding restricted share grants, generally one-half of the shares vest on the third anniversary of the grant, one-quarter of the shares vest in one-third increments upon the attainment of pre-defined levels of adjusted earnings per share, and the remaining one-quarter of the shares vest in one-third increments upon attainment of pre-defined levels of appreciation in the market value of the Company's Class A Common Stock.  Additionally, restricted shares cannot vest until the first anniversary of the grant date.  Unvested restricted shares generally expire on the earlier of three or five years from the date of grant, upon employment termination, or within specified time limits following voluntary employment termination (with the consent of the Company), retirement or death.  The Company issues restricted shares from treasury shares.

With respect to the restricted share unit grants, units generally vest on the third anniversary of the grant date. The number of units that vest depend on certain time and performance thresholds. Approximately forty percent of the shares vest based on time, while the remaining vest based on pre-defined performance thresholds. The Company issues common stock from treasury shares once vested.

For the years ended September 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017, stock-based compensation cost totaled $7,729, $13,460 and $14,562, respectively. The years ended September 30, 2019, 2018, and 2017 included $1,849, $2,850, and $3,337 respectively, of stock-based compensation cost that was recognized at the time of grant for retirement-eligible employees. The associated future income tax benefit recognized was $1,535, $2,826 and $5,534 for the years ended September 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The transactions for restricted stock for the year ended September 30, 2019 were as follows:
 
Shares
 
Weighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Non-vested at September 30, 2018
554,233

 
$
55.71

Granted
262,200

 
42.21

Vested
(180,661
)
 
57.93

Expired or forfeited
(20,137
)
 
46.56

Non-vested at September 30, 2019
615,635

 
$
49.61



As of September 30, 2019, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock was $7,482 which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.9 years.

The Company maintains the 2019 Director Fee Plan, the Amended and Restated 2014 Director Fee Plan and the 1994 Director Fee Plan (collectively, the "Director Fee Plans").  The 2019 Director Fee Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on February 21, 2019. There will be no further fees or share-based awards granted under the Amended and Restated 2014 Director Fee Plan and the 1994 Director Fee Plan.  Under the 2019 Director Fee Plan, non-employee directors (except for the Chairman of the Board) each receive, as an annual retainer fee for fiscal 2019, either cash or shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock with a value equal to $85.  The annual retainer fee for fiscal 2019 paid to a non-employee Chairman of the Board is $185.  Where the annual retainer fee is provided in shares, each director may elect to be paid these shares on a current basis or have such shares credited to a deferred stock account as phantom stock, with such shares to be paid to the director subsequent to leaving the Board.  The total number of shares of stock that have been authorized to be issued under the 2019 Director Fee Plan or credited to a deferred stock compensation account for subsequent issuance is 150,000 shares of Common Stock (subject to adjustment upon certain events such as stock dividends or stock splits).  The value of deferred shares is recorded in other liabilities.  A total of 25,682 shares had been deferred under the Director Fee Plans at September 30, 2019.  Additionally, non-employee directors each receive an annual stock-based grant (non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights and/or restricted shares or units) with a value of $125 for fiscal year 2019.  196,266 restricted shares and restricted share units have been granted under the Director Fee Plans, 23,037 of which were issued under the 2019 Director Fee Plan. 34,542 restricted shares and restricted share units are unvested at September 30, 2019.