In February 2017, the Company’s shareholders approved the 2017 Incentive Stock and Awards Plan (the “2017 Stock Plan”). At December 31, 2023, the Company had reserved 2,449,335 shares of Common Stock available for issuance to provide for the exercise of outstanding stock options and the issuance of Common Stock under incentive compensation awards.

Under the 2017 Stock Plan, officers, directors, including non-employee directors, and employees of the Company may be granted stock options, stock appreciation rights (SAR), performance shares, performance units, shares of Common Stock, restricted stock, restricted stock units (RSU) or other stock-based awards. The 2017 Stock Plan provides for the granting of options to purchase shares of the Company’s Common Stock at not less than the fair market value of such shares on the date of grant. Stock options granted under the 2017 Stock Plan generally become exercisable in equal installments over a three-year period, beginning with the first anniversary of the date of grant of the option, unless a shorter or longer duration is established by the Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors at the time of the option grant. Stock options terminate not more than ten years from the date of grant. The exercise price of stock options and the market value of restricted stock unit awards are determined based on the closing market price of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. Except to the extent vesting is accelerated upon early retirement and except for performance shares and performance units, vesting is based solely on continued service as an employee of the Company. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense over the requisite service period for vesting of an award, or to an employee’s eligible retirement date, if earlier and applicable.

Information related to the Company’s equity-based compensation plans in effect as of December 31, 2023 was as follows:


Plan Category	Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options or Vesting of Share Awards		Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options		Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders		977,549	$	82.00		1,471,786
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders		—		—		—
		977,549	$	82.00		1,471,786

Total stock-based compensation expense was as follows (in millions):


	Year Ended December 31,						(transition period) Three Months Ended December 31,			Year Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2021			2021
Stock options	$	—		$	0.3		$	0.2		$	1.8
Stock awards (shares and units)		24.9			25.7			3.5			19.3
Performance share awards		7.0			2.6			0.5			6.1
Cash-settled stock appreciation rights		0.2			(0.8	)		0.3			1.1
Cash-settled restricted stock unit awards		0.7			0.9			0.4			1.5
Total stock-based compensation cost		32.8			28.7			4.9			29.8
Income tax benefit recognized for stock-based compensation		(4.4	)		(4.2	)		(0.8	)		(4.4	)
Stock-based compensation cost, net of tax	$	28.4		$	24.5		$	4.1		$	25.4

Stock Options — A summary of the Company’s stock option activity is as follows:


	Year Ended December 31,										(transition period) Three Months Ended December 31,					Year Ended September 30,
	2023					2022					2021					2021
	Options			Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Options			Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Options			Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Options			Weighted- Average Exercise Price
Outstanding, beginning of period		376,769		$	79.86		433,026		$	78.37		471,676		$	77.96		1,083,402		$	74.38
Granted		—			—		—			—		—			—		—			—
Forfeited		—			—		(4,170	)		90.28		(2,002	)		85.04		(8,065	)		81.40
Expired		(9,218	)		83.55		(4,583	)		84.67		—			—		(3,999	)		86.59
Exercised		(122,128	)		75.28		(47,504	)		64.90		(36,648	)		72.69		(599,662	)		71.38
Outstanding, end of period		245,423		$	82.00		376,769		$	79.86		433,026		$	78.37		471,676		$	77.96
Exercisable, end of period		245,423		$	82.00		376,769		$	79.86		364,403		$	76.13		251,049		$	74.73

Stock options outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2023 were as follows (in millions, except share and per share amounts):


Exercise Prices	Options		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
$60.01 - $80.00		76,831		4.9	$	66.09	$	3.3
$80.01 - $100.00		168,592		5.3	$	89.25		3.2
		245,423		5.2	$	82.00	$	6.5

The aggregate intrinsic values in the table above represent the total pre-tax intrinsic value (difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of 2023 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on December 31, 2023. This amount changes based on the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock.

The total intrinsic value of options exercised was $3.1 million in 2023, $1.8 million in 2022, $1.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021 and $22.6 million in fiscal 2021. The actual income tax benefit realized totaled $0.6 million in 2023, $0.4 million in 2022, $0.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021 and $3.5 million in fiscal 2021.

As of December 31, 2023, no unrecognized compensation cost remains related to outstanding stock options.

Stock Awards — A summary of the Company’s stock award activity is as follows:


	Year Ended December 31,										(transition period) Three Months Ended December 31,					Year Ended September 30,
	2023					2022					2021					2021
	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested, beginning of period		363,661		$	103.86		308,941		$	90.10		394,888		$	81.58		346,808		$	79.44
Granted		344,484			90.91		255,375			109.66		63,800			114.89		307,025			82.80
Forfeited		(43,602	)		97.85		(26,020	)		97.24		(4,428	)		86.08		(36,545	)		78.81
Vested		(202,114	)		95.85		(174,635	)		88.98		(145,319	)		77.97		(222,400	)		80.39
Nonvested, end of period		462,429		$	98.28		363,661		$	103.86		308,941		$	90.10		394,888		$	81.58

The total fair value of shares vested was $18.4 million in 2023, $16.3 million in 2022, $16.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021 and $21.0 million in fiscal 2021. The actual income tax benefit realized totaled $2.8 million in 2023, $2.5 million in 2022, $3.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021 and $2.0 million in fiscal 2021.

As of December 31, 2023, total unrecognized compensation cost related to stock awards was $16.3 million, net of estimated forfeitures, which the Company expects to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.1 years.

Performance Share Awards — A summary of the Company’s performance share awards activity is as follows. There was no activity related to performance share awards during the three months ended December 31, 2021:


	Year Ended December 31,										Year Ended September 30,
	2023					2022					2021
	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested, beginning of period		97,600		$	108.20		72,475		$	93.62		110,450		$	89.54
Granted		81,208			100.08		57,250			126.60		86,550			86.09
Forfeited		(9,733	)		111.50		(3,748	)		114.83		(52,099	)		90.03
Performance adjustments		8,479			81.06		369			107.45		63,843			80.45
Vested		(53,595	)		85.90		(28,746	)		103.47		(136,269	)		80.73
Nonvested, end of period		123,959		$	110.40		97,600		$	108.20		72,475		$	93.62

Performance share awards generally vest over a three-year service period following the grant date. Performance shares vest under three separate sets of measurement criteria. The first type vest only if the Company’s total shareholder return (TSR) over the three-year term of the awards compares favorably to that of a comparator group of companies. The second type vest only if the Company’s return on invested capital (ROIC) over the vesting period compares favorably to that of a comparator group of companies. The third type vest only if the Company’s actual results for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Environmental, Social and Governance (DEI/ESG) measures compare favorably to the targets set by the Company.

Potential payouts range from zero to 200% of the target awards and changes from target amounts are reflected as performance adjustments. Actual payouts for TSR performance share awards vesting in 2023, 2022, and fiscal 2021 were 108%, 83% and 185% of target levels, respectively. Actual payout for the ROIC performance share award vesting in 2023, 2022, and fiscal 2021 were 129%, 122%, and 200% of target levels, respectively. No payouts have occurred for the DEI/ESG awards as no awards have reached the end of the vesting period.

The total fair value of performance shares vested was $5.1 million in 2023, $2.3 million in 2022 and $15.4 million in fiscal 2021. The actual income tax benefit realized totaled $0.3 million in 2023, $0.1 million in 2022 and $0.5 million in fiscal 2021.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $8.8 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to performance share awards, which will be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.8 years.

The grant date fair values of the TSR performance share awards were estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model utilizing the following weighted-average assumptions:


	Year Ended December 31,						Year Ended September 30,
Total Shareholder Return Performance Shares Granted During	2023			2022			2021
Assumptions:
Expected term (in years)		2.86			2.86			2.87
Expected volatility		35.45	%		38.52	%		40.33	%
Risk-free interest rate		4.32	%		1.64	%		0.23	%

The Company used its historical stock prices as the basis for the Company’s volatility assumption. The assumed risk-free interest rates were based on U.S. Treasury rates in effect at the time of grant. The expected term was based on the vesting period. The weighted-average fair value used to record compensation expense for TSR performance share awards granted in 2023, 2022 and fiscal 2021 was $110.94, $146.99 and $94.86 per award, respectively. There were no TSR performance share awards granted during the three months ended December 31, 2021.

The grant date fair values of the ROIC awards were determined based on the Company’s stock price at the time of the grant and the anticipated awards expected to vest. Compensation expense is recorded ratably over the vesting period based on the amount of award that is expected to be earned under the plan formula, adjusted each reporting period based on current information.

The grant date fair values of the DEI/ESG awards were determined based on the Company’s stock price at the time of the grant and the anticipated awards expected to vest. Compensation expense is recorded ratably over the vesting period based on the amount of award that is expected to be earned under the plan formula, adjusted each reporting period based on current information.

Cash-Settled Stock Appreciation Rights — Prior to fiscal 2021, the Company granted employees cash-settled SARs. Each SAR award represented the right to receive cash equal to the excess of the per share price of the Company’s Common Stock on the date that a participant exercises such right over the grant date price of the Company’s Common Stock. Compensation cost for SARs is remeasured at each reporting period based on the estimated fair value on the date of grant using the Black Scholes option-pricing model, utilizing assumptions similar to stock option awards. The total value of SARs exercised was $0.3 million in 2023, $0.2 million in 2022, $0.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021 and $0.5 million in fiscal 2021.

Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Units — The Company granted employees 8,860 cash-settled RSUs in 2023, 11,850 cash-settled RSUs in 2022, 2,450 cash-settled RSUs in the three months ended December 31, 2021 and 14,550 cash-settled RSUs in fiscal 2021. Each RSU award provides recipients the right to receive cash equal to the value of a share of the Company’s Common Stock at predetermined vesting dates. Compensation cost for RSUs is remeasured at each reporting period and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period. The total value of RSUs vested was $0.9 million in 2023, $0.7 million in 2022, $1.1 million in the three months ended December 31, 2021 and $0.7 million in fiscal 2021.