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11. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Share-based Compensation [Abstract]

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

Equity Compensation Plan – On June 2, 2015, the Board of Directors of Level Brands, Inc. approved the 2015 Equity Compensation Plan (“Plan”). The Plan made 1,175,000 common stock shares, either unissued or reacquired by the Company, available for awards of options, restricted stocks, other stock grants, or any combination thereof. The number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Plan shall automatically increase on the first trading day of January each calendar year during the term of the Plan, beginning with calendar year 2016, by an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on the last trading day in December of the immediately preceding calendar year, but in no event shall any such annual increase exceed 100,000 shares of common stock.

We account for stock-based compensation using the provisions of FASB ASC 718. FASB ASC 718 codification requires companies to recognize the fair value of stock-based compensation expense in the financial statements based on the grant date fair value of the options. We have only awarded stock options since December 2015. All options are approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Restricted stock awards that vest in accordance with service conditions are amortized over their applicable vesting period using the straight-line method. The fair value of our stock option awards or modifications is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

Eligible recipients include employees, officers, directors and consultants who are deemed to have rendered or to be able to render significant services to the Company or its subsidiaries and who are deemed to have contributed or to have the potential to contribute to the success of the Company. Options granted generally have a ten-year term and generally vest over one to three years from the date of grant. Certain of the stock options granted under the plan have been granted pursuant to various stock option agreements. Each stock option agreement contains specific terms.

Stock Options – The Company currently has awards outstanding with service conditions and graded-vesting features. We recognize compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.

The fair value of each time-based award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model, which uses the assumptions described above.

The following table summarizes stock option activity under the Plan:

		Number of shares				Weighted-average exercise price				Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years)				Aggregate intrinsic value (in thousands)
Outstanding at September 30, 2017			333,300				5.83
Granted			200,000				4.90
Exercised			—				—
Forfeited			98,650				6.38
Outstanding at June 30, 2018			434,650			$	5.27				6.98			$	—

Exercisable at June 30, 2018			282,150			$	5.53				6.35			$	—

As of June 30, 2018, there was approximately $342,401 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options which vest over a period of approximately 10 months.

Restricted Stock Award transactions:

On October 1, 2016 the Company issued 230,000 restricted stock awards in aggregate to board members. The restricted stock awards vested January 1, 2018. The stock awards are valued at fair market upon issuance at $195,500 and amortized over the vesting period. We recognized $0 and $39,100 of stock based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018. We recognized $39,100 and $117,300 of stock based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2017. (See Note 10).