NOTE 14 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

The Company grants stock options and stock equivalent units (“SEUs”) from time to time as a long-term performance incentive. In certain cases the grants are subject to performance conditions such as the Company’s stock price. Where performance conditions apply the Monte Carlo simulation model is used to determine the fair values. Otherwise the Black-Scholes model is used to determine the fair values.

Stock option plans

The following table summarizes the transactions of the Company’s stock option plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2018:


	Number of Options			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2017		357,666		$	13.74	$	35.69
Granted - at discount		280,466		$	46.42	$	34.54
- at market value		18,850		$	68.20	$	16.23
Exercised		(91,362	)	$	12.47	$	27.04
Forfeited		(14,443	)	$	21.05	$	25.34

Outstanding at September 30, 2018		551,177		$	32.25	$	36.14

At September 30, 2018, there were 40,614 stock options that were exercisable, of which 600 had performance conditions attached.

The stock option compensation cost for the first nine months of 2018 was $3.0 million (first nine months of 2017 – $3.4 million). The total intrinsic value of options exercised in the first nine months of 2018 was $2.6 million (first nine months of 2017 – $2.0 million).

The total compensation cost related to non-vested stock options not yet recognized at September 30, 2018 was $12.2 million and this cost is expected to be recognized over the weighted-average period of 2.38 years.

Stock equivalent units

The following table summarizes the transactions of the Company’s SEUs for the nine months ended September 30, 2018:


	Number of SEUs			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2017		400,342		$	3.10	$	46.65
Granted - at discount		115,229		$	2.36	$	57.16
- at market value		5,658		$	68.20	$	16.23
Exercised		(72,689	)	$	5.81	$	29.27
Forfeited		(16,554	)	$	1.40	$	37.14

Outstanding at September 30, 2018		431,986		$	3.36	$	52.35

At September 30, 2018 there were 30,360 SEUs that are exercisable, of which 27,655 had performance conditions attached.

The charges for SEUs are spread over the life of the award subject to a revaluation to fair value each quarter. The revaluation may result in a charge or a credit to the income statement in the quarter dependent upon our share price and other performance criteria.

The SEU compensation cost for the first nine months of 2018 was $7.9 million (first nine months of 2017 – $3.6 million). The total intrinsic value of SEUs exercised in the first nine months of 2018 was $2.4 million (first nine months of 2017 – $1.1 million).

The weighted-average remaining vesting period of non-vested SEUs is 1.86 years.