Note 6.   Share-Based Payments

The Company maintains an equity incentive plan (the “2012 Equity Incentive Plan”) that provides for grants of stock options, restricted shares, stock-based performance units and certain other types of stock-based awards.  The Company also maintains an equity incentive plan (the “2007 Equity Incentive Plan”) and a stock incentive plan (the “1992 Incentive Stock Plan”) that previously provided for grants of stock options, restricted shares and certain other types of stock-based awards.  Under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, which has a ten-year term, the maximum number of shares available for grants or awards is an aggregate of 2,500,000.  There will be no further grants under the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan or the 1992 Incentive Stock Plan.  At June 30, 2014, there were 2,097,550 shares reserved for future issuance under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. All plans are administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

The option price for each stock option granted under any of the plans may not be less than the fair market value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant.  Outstanding stock options are generally exercisable in one-third increments upon the attainment of pre-defined levels of appreciation in the market value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock.  In addition, options generally vest in one-third increments after three, four and five years, respectively, from the grant date (but, in any event, not until the attainment of the market value thresholds).  The options expire on the earlier of ten 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 generally settles employee stock option exercises with treasury shares.  With respect to outstanding restricted share grants, for grants made prior to fiscal 2013, generally one-half of the shares vest on the third anniversary of the grant, with the remaining one-half of the shares vesting in one-third increments upon attainment of pre-defined levels of appreciation in the market value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock.  For grants made in fiscal 2013, 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 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.

For the three-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, total stock-based compensation cost totaled $1,667 and $1,396, respectively.  For the nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, total stock-based compensation cost totaled $4,906 and $4,153, respectively.  The associated future income tax benefit recognized was $650 and $545 for the three-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $1,913 and $1,620 for the nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the amount of cash received from the exercise of stock options was $217 and $432, respectively.  For the nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the amount of cash received from the exercise of stock options was $2,045 and $956, respectively. In connection with these exercises, the tax benefits realized by the Company were $1 and $32 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $186 and $98 for the nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

The transactions for restricted stock for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 were as follows:

As of June 30, 2014, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock was $6,387 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.7 years.

The transactions for shares under options for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 were as follows:

No options vested during the three-month and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.  The intrinsic value of options (which is the amount by which the stock price exceeded the exercise price of the options on the date of exercise) exercised during the nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 was $510 and $291, respectively.

The transactions for non-vested options for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 were as follows:

 

The fair value of each restricted stock grant is estimated on the date of grant using a binomial lattice valuation model.  The following table indicates the assumptions used in estimating fair value of restricted stock for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013.

The risk free interest rate is based on United States Treasury yields at the date of grant. The dividend yield is based on the most recent dividend payment and average stock price over the 12 months prior to the grant date.  Expected volatilities are based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price.  The expected term represents an estimate of the average period of time for restricted shares to vest.  The option characteristics for each grant are considered separately for valuation purposes.

Under the Company’s Director Fee Plan, directors (except for the Chairman of the Board) who are not also officers of the Company each receive, as an annual retainer fee, either cash or shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock with a value equal to $60.  The annual retainer fee paid to a non-employee Chairman of the Board is $130.  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 value of deferred shares is recorded in other liabilities.  A total of 17,005 shares had been deferred under the Director Fee Plan at June 30, 2014.  Additionally, directors who are not also officers of the Company each receive an annual stock-based grant (non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights and/or restricted shares) with a value of $100.  A total of 22,300 stock options have been granted under the plan.  At June 30, 2014, 11,800 options were outstanding and vested. Additionally, 120,503 shares of restricted stock have been granted under the plan, 37,457 of which were unvested at June 30, 2014.  A total of 300,000 shares have been authorized to be issued under the Director Fee Plan.