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Note 8 - Stock-based Compensation | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2025
Notes to Financial Statements |
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Text Block] | 8. Stock-Based Compensation Fuel Tech's 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (2024 Plan) was adopted in June 2024 and replaced our prior incentive plan which was approved by our stockholders in 2014 (LTIP). No further grants will be made from the LTIP. The 2024 Plan and LTIP are referred to collectively as the Incentive Plans. Under the Incentive Plans, awards may be granted to participants in the form of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Performance Awards, Bonuses or other forms of share-based or non-share-based awards or combinations thereof. Participants in the Incentive Plans may be our directors, officers, employees, consultants, or advisors (except consultants or advisors in capital-raising transactions) as the directors determine are key to the success of our business. There are a maximum of 3,233,237 shares that may be issued or reserved for awards to participants under the Incentive Plans. As of March 31, 2025, Fuel Tech had 2,485,543 shares available for issuance under the Incentive Plans. We did not record any excess tax benefits within income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. Given the Company has a full valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets, there were no excess tax benefits to record for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. In addition, we account for forfeitures of awards based on an estimate of the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjust the estimate when it is no longer probable that the employee will fulfill the service condition. Stock-based compensation is included in selling, general, and administrative costs in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The components of stock-based compensation for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:
|  | Three Months Ended |
|  | March 31, |
|  | 2025 |  |  | 2024 |
Stock options and restricted stock units, net of forfeitures |  | $ | 110 |  |  | $ | 104 |
After-tax effect of stock-based compensation |  | $ | 110 |  |  | $ | 104 |
Stock Options Stock options granted to employees under the Incentive Plans have a 10-year life and they vest as follows: 50% after the second anniversary of the award date, 25% after the third anniversary, and the final 25% after the fourth anniversary of the award date. Fuel Tech calculates stock compensation expense for employee option awards based on the grant date fair value of the award, less expected annual forfeitures, and recognizes expense on a straight-line basis over the four-year service period of the award. Stock options granted to members of our board of directors vest immediately. Stock compensation for these awards is based on the grant date fair value of the award and is recognized in expense immediately. Fuel Tech uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the grant date fair value of employee stock options. The principal variable assumptions utilized in valuing options and the methodology for estimating such model inputs include: (1) risk-free interest rate – an estimate based on the yield of zero–coupon treasury securities with a maturity equal to the expected life of the option; (2) expected volatility – an estimate based on the historical volatility of Fuel Tech’s Common Stock for a period equal to the expected life of the option; and (3) expected life of the option – an estimate based on historical experience including the effect of employee terminations. Stock option activity for Fuel Tech’s Incentive Plans for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was as follows:
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Weighted- Average |  |  |  |  |
|  | Number |  |  | Weighted- |  |  | Remaining |  |  | Aggregate |
|  | of |  |  | Average |  |  | Contractual |  |  | Intrinsic |
|  | Options |  |  | Exercise Price |  |  | Term |  |  | Value |
Outstanding on January 1, 2025 |  |  | 176,000 |  |  | $ | 1.94 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Granted |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Exercised |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Expired or forfeited |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding on March 31, 2025 |  |  | 176,000 |  |  | $ | 1.94 |  |  |  | 0.93 |  |  | $ | 4 |
Exercisable on March 31, 2025 |  |  | 176,000 |  |  | $ | 1.94 |  |  |  | 0.93 |  |  | $ | 4 |
As of March 31, 2025, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted under the Incentive Plans. Restricted Stock Units RSUs granted to employees vest over time based on continued service (typically vesting over a period between two to four years), and RSUs granted to directors vest after a one year vesting period based on continued service. Such time-vested RSUs are valued at the date of grant based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the grant date. Compensation cost, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. In addition to the time vested RSUs, in 2025 the Company entered into an Executive Performance RSU Award Agreement (the “Agreement”) with certain officers, including its President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Sales (each a “Participating Executive”) pursuant to which each Participating Executive will have the opportunity to earn a specified amount of restricted stock units (RSUs) based on Fuel Tech’s performance in 2025 and 2026. The target amount of RSUs for each of four possible RSU award components is set for each Participating Executive for 2025 and 2026. The amount of actual RSU awards to be issued is contingent on performance by the Participating Executive and the Company in the performance areas and for the measurement periods set forth in the Agreement as determined by the Company. The Agreement provides for four possible RSU awards: “Look-Back RSUs,” “Total Revenue RSUs,” “New Business Revenue RSUs,” and “Operating Income” RSUs. If the Look-Back RSU’s are awarded, these RSUs will follow a vesting schedule that provides for vesting of one-third of the granted Look-Back RSUs after the first anniversary of the grant determination date, one-third after the second anniversary date and one-third after the third anniversary date. If the Total Revenue RSUs, New Business Revenue RSUs, or Operating Income RSUs targets are achieved, these RSU’s will follow a vesting schedule whereby 100% of the granted RSUs will vest one year following the grant determination date. All RSUs are valued at the date of grant based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. At March 31, 2025, there is $1,149 of unrecognized compensation cost related to all non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Incentive Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over the remaining requisite service period of 2.26 years. A summary of restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2025 is as follows:
|  |  |  |  |  | Weighted Average |
|  |  |  |  |  | Grant Date |
|  | Shares |  |  | Fair Value |
Unvested restricted stock units at January 1, 2025 |  |  | 1,082,122 |  |  | $ | 1.26 |
Granted |  |  | 921,050 |  |  |  | 1.02 |
Vested |  |  | (85,328 | ) |  |  | 1.26 |
Forfeited |  |  | (425,100 | ) |  |  | 1.18 |
Unvested restricted stock units at March 31, 2025 |  |  | 1,492,744 |  |  | $ | 1.11 |
The fair value of restricted stock that vested during the three-month period ended March 31, 2025 was $101. Deferred Directors Fees In addition to the Incentive Plans, Fuel Tech has a Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors (Deferred Plan). Under the terms of the Deferred Plan, Directors can elect to defer Directors’ fees for shares of Fuel Tech Common Stock that are issuable at a future date as defined in the agreement. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 718, Fuel Tech accounts for these awards as equity awards as opposed to liability awards. During the three-month periods ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, Fuel Tech recorded no stock-based compensation expense under the Deferred Plan.

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