8. Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit):

Dividends

On January 24, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the payment of a $0.11 per share quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 7, 2018, which was paid on March 1, 2018.

On April 25, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the payment of a $0.15 per share quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 9, 2018, which was paid on June 1, 2018.

On July 25, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the payment of a $0.15 per share quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 8, 2018, which was paid on September 4, 2018.

Repurchase of Common Stock

In the first nine months of 2018 the Company repurchased 3,770 shares of its common stock. Under the Board of Directors’ authorization, as of September 29, 2018, the Company has the ability to repurchase an additional 139,218 shares of its common stock. Repurchases may be made from time to time at prevailing prices, subject to certain restrictions on volume, pricing and timing.

Stock Option Plans and Stock-Based Compensation

The Company had authorized up to 750,000 shares of common stock be reserved for granting either nonqualified or incentive stock options to officers and key employees under the Company’s 2001 Stock Option Plan (the “2001 Plan”). The 2001 Plan expired on February 20, 2011. As of September 29, 2018, the Company has authorized up to 700,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for granting either nonqualified or incentive stock options to officers and key employees under the Company’s 2010 Stock Option Plan (the “2010 Plan”).

The Company also sponsors a Stock Option Plan for Nonemployee Directors (the “Nonemployee Directors Plan”) and has reserved a total of 350,000 shares for issuance to directors of the Company who are not employees.

Stock option activity under the 2001 Plan, 2010 Plan and Nonemployee Directors Plan (collectively, the “Option Plans”) as of September 29, 2018 was as follows:


				Weighted Average
				Remaining
	Number of	Weighted Average		Contractual Life
	Shares	Exercise Price		(years)		Intrinsic Value
Outstanding, December 30, 2017	658,184	$	72.33	5.87	$	37,723,800
Granted	35,000		143.20
Exercised	(64,143)		38.53
Forfeited	(4,063)		113.95
Outstanding, September 29, 2018	624,978	$	79.50	5.57	$	54,061,200
Exercisable, September 29, 2018	450,889	$	64.15	4.50	$	45,923,100

The fair value of options granted under the Option Plans during the first nine months of 2018 and 2017 were estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions and results:


	Nine Months Ended
	September 29, 2018			September 30, 2017
Risk free interest rate		2.73	%		1.90	%
Expected life (years)		6			6
Expected volatility		20.40	%		26.93	%
Dividend yield		1.17	%		1.14	%
Option fair value	$	31.44		$	31.38

During the nine months ended September 29, 2018, option holders surrendered 2,249 shares of previously owned common shares as payment for options shares exercised as provided for by the Option Plans. All unexercised options at September 29, 2018 have an exercise price equal to the fair market value on the date of the grant.

Compensation expense of $1,507,800 and $1,462,500 relating to the vested portion of the fair value of stock options granted was expensed to “Selling, General and Administrative Expenses” in the first nine months of 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of September 29, 2018, the Company had $3.9 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options that is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately 2.3 years.