Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

v3.8.0.1
SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS
SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS:

The Company maintains an equity incentive plan (the "2012 Equity Incentive Plan") that provides for grants of stock options, restricted shares, stock-based performance units and certain other types of stock-based awards.  Under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, which has a ten years term, the maximum number of shares available for grants or awards is an aggregate of 2,500,000.  At September 30, 2017, there were 589,238 shares reserved for future issuance under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2012 Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

The option price for each stock option granted under any of the plans may not be less than the fair market value of the Company's Class A Common Stock on the date of grant.  As of September 30, 2017, there were no stock options outstanding.

With respect to outstanding restricted share grants, for grants made prior to fiscal 2013, generally one-half of the shares vested on the third anniversary of the grant, with the remaining one-half of the shares vesting in one-third increments upon attainment of pre-defined levels of appreciation in the market value of the Company's Class A Common Stock.  For grants made in and after fiscal 2013, generally one-half of the shares vest on the third anniversary of the grant, one-quarter of the shares vest in one-third increments upon the attainment of pre-defined levels of adjusted earnings per share, and the remaining one-quarter of the shares vest in one-third increments upon attainment of pre-defined levels of appreciation in the market value of the Company's Class A Common Stock.  Additionally, restricted shares cannot vest until the first anniversary of the grant date.  Unvested restricted shares generally expire on the earlier of three or five years from the date of grant, upon employment termination, or within specified time limits following voluntary employment termination (with the consent of the Company), retirement or death.  The Company issues restricted shares from treasury shares.

For the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, stock-based compensation cost totaled $14,562, $10,612 and $9,097, respectively. The year ended September 30, 2017 included $3,337 of stock-based compensation cost that was recognized at the time of grant for retirement-eligible employees. The associated future income tax benefit recognized was $5,534, $4,139 and $3,548 for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The amount of cash received from the exercise of stock options was $14, $6,406 and $4,015, for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. In connection with these exercises, the tax benefits realized by the Company were $3, $932 and $350 for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The transactions for restricted stock for the year ended September 30, 2017 were as follows:
 
Shares
 
Weighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Non-vested at September 30, 2016
522,710

 
$
45.10

Granted
216,655

 
66.61

Vested
(231,231
)
 
46.57

Expired or forfeited
(6,950
)
 
50.29

Non-vested at September 30, 2017
501,184

 
$
53.65



As of September 30, 2017, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock was $7,205 which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.5 years.

The transactions for shares under options for the year ended September 30, 2017 were as follows:
 
Shares
 
Weighted-
average
Exercise Price
 
Weighted-
average
Remaining
Contractual Term
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Outstanding, September 30, 2016
77,733

 
$
40.56

 
 
 
 
Exercised
(333
)
 
40.56

 
 
 
 
Expired or forfeited
(77,400
)
 
40.56

 
 
 
 
Outstanding, September 30, 2017

 
$

 

 
$

Exercisable, September 30, 2017

 
$

 

 
$



No options vested during the year ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.   The intrinsic value of options (which is the amount by which the stock price exceeded the exercise price of the options on the date of exercise) exercised during the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $9, $2,692 and $931, respectively.

The transactions for non-vested option shares for the year ended September 30, 2017 were as follows:
 
Shares
 
Weighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Non-vested at September 30, 2016
77,400

 
$
12.29

Expired or forfeited
(77,400
)
 
12.29

Non-vested at September 30, 2017

 
$



The fair value of each restricted stock grant is estimated on the date of grant using a binomial lattice valuation model.  The following table indicates the assumptions used in estimating fair value of restricted stock for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Expected volatility
20.2
%
 
20.7
%
 
22.2
%
Dividend yield
1.1
%
 
1.0
%
 
1.0
%
Average risk-free interest rate
1.7
%
 
1.7
%
 
1.7
%
Average expected term (years)
2.1

 
2.1

 
1.8



The risk-free interest rate is based on United States Treasury yields at the date of grant. The dividend yield is based on the most recent dividend payment and average stock price over the 12 months prior to the grant date.  Expected volatilities are based on the historical volatility of the Company's stock price.  The expected term for grants in the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015 represents an estimate of the average period of time for restricted shares to vest.  The option characteristics for each grant are considered separately for valuation purposes.

The Company maintains the 1994 Director Fee Plan and the Amended and Restated 2014 Director Fee Plan (collectively, the "Director Fee Plans").  There will be no further fees or share-based awards granted under the 1994 Director Fee Plan.  Under the Amended and Restated 2014 Director Fee Plan, non-employee directors (except for the Chairman of the Board) each receive, as an annual retainer fee for fiscal 2017, either cash or shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock with a value equal to $75.  The annual retainer fee for fiscal 2017 paid to a non-employee Chairman of the Board is $175.  Where the annual retainer fee is provided in shares, each director may elect to be paid these shares on a current basis or have such shares credited to a deferred stock account as phantom stock, with such shares to be paid to the director subsequent to leaving the Board.  The value of deferred shares is recorded in other liabilities.  A total of 16,139 shares had been deferred under the Director Fee Plans at September 30, 2017.  Additionally, non-employee directors each receive an annual stock-based grant (non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights and/or restricted shares) with a value of $125 for fiscal year 2017.  A total of 22,300 stock options have been granted under the Director Fee Plans.  At September 30, 2017, there were no options outstanding. Additionally, 161,724 shares of restricted stock have been granted under the Director Fee Plans, 58,574 of which were issued under the Amended and Restated 2014 Director Fee Plan. 25,157 shares of restricted stock are unvested at September 30, 2017.  A total of 150,000 shares have been authorized to be issued under the Amended and Restated 2014 Director Fee Plan.