STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

On May 18, 2017, the shareholders of the Company approved the 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2017 Incentive Plan”) which authorizes 3,150,000 shares for issuance under the plan. Awards granted under the 2017 Incentive Plan may be in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, other share-based awards and cash awards to directors, officers and other eligible employees of the Company.

The Company recognizes all share-based awards to eligible employees based upon their fair value. The Company’s policy is to recognize expense for awards that have service conditions only subject to graded vesting using the straight-line attribution method. Total stock-based compensation expense was $10.2 million, $10.4 million and $12.0 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The amount of compensation costs related to nonvested stock options and restricted stock not yet recognized was $13.7 million at December 31, 2018, for which the weighted average remaining life was 1.8 years.

Restricted Stock

Restricted stock awards vest over a period of one to three years and may be based on the achievement of specific financial performance metrics. These shares are valued at the market price on the date of grant and are forfeitable in the event of terminated employment prior to vesting.

A summary of all restricted stock activity during 2018 is as follows:



	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Restricted Stock Outstanding at December 31, 2017	1,845,627		$	17.11
Granted	593,705		24.79
Vested	(633,645	)	16.49
Forfeited	(310,123	)	18.50
Restricted Stock Outstanding at December 31, 2018	1,495,564		$	20.77

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company granted 593,705, 794,700 and 1,105,010 shares of restricted stock, respectively, with aggregate fair values on the date of grant of $14.6 million, $17.2 million and $14.7 million, respectively. The total fair value of restricted stock that vested during 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $15.0 million, $13.5 million and $7.4 million, respectively.

Stock Options

Stock options are awarded with an exercise price equal to the market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant, become fully exercisable three years after the date of grant and expire ten years after the date of grant. No stock options have been granted by the Company since February 2015.

A summary of all stock option activity during 2018 is as follows:



	Number of Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($ in millions)
Options Outstanding at December 31, 2017	753,038		$	10.96	4.4	$	8.1
Exercised	(102,645	)	$	9.37		$	1.5
Forfeited	(3,000	)	$	13.74
Expired	(13,800	)	$	8.57
Options Outstanding at December 31, 2018	633,593		$	11.26	3.8	$	1.3

Options Exercisable at December 31, 2018	633,593		$	11.26	3.8	$	1.3

The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $1.5 million, $4.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively.