Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

v3.8.0.1
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
SHARE-BASED AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
 
During the second quarter of 2017, our stockholders approved an amendment to the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan ("2015 Plan") that increased the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2015 Plan from 1,400,000 to 2,500,000. In addition to the increase in the number of authorized shares issuable under the 2015 Plan, the amendment included several "best practices" changes.

In May 2017, the Company issued 180,000 stock options under the 2015 Plan to various employees of the Company, all of which have an exercise price of $2.32. These stock options all vest in equal amounts over the next three years. Additionally, the Company extended the employment agreement of Daniel R. Lee, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, through November 2020 and simultaneously issued 240,000 stock options under the 2015 Plan to him with an exercise price of $2.32. Mr. Lee's options will vest ratably on a monthly basis between December 1, 2018 and November 30, 2020 in conjunction with his amended employment agreement. In all cases, the exercise price of the options reflects the Company's closing price on the date of grant.

As compensation for their annual service, the Company also issued to non-executive members of its Board of Directors 59,990 stock options under the 2015 Plan with an exercise price of $2.32 and a one-year vesting period; and 25,860 shares of common stock under the 2015 Plan that vested immediately.

As of September 30, 2017, we had 1,037,906 share-based awards authorized by shareholders and available for grant from the 2015 Plan.

The following table summarizes information related to our common stock options as of September 30, 2017:
 
Number
of Stock
Options
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
Options outstanding at January 1, 2017
2,057,950

 
$
1.42

Granted
479,990

 
$
2.32

Exercised

 
n/a

Canceled/Forfeited

 
n/a

Options outstanding at September 30, 2017
2,537,940

 
$
1.59

Options exercisable at September 30, 2017
1,295,996

 
$
1.39



We estimated the fair value of each stock option award on the grant date using the Black-Scholes valuation model. Option valuation models require the input of highly subjective assumptions. Changes in assumptions used can materially affect the fair value estimate. Option valuation assumptions for the options granted during the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017 included: an expected volatility range between 43.6% and 44.8%, an expected dividend yield of 0%, an expected term of 4.9 to 6.2 years, and an expected weighted-average risk-free rate of between 1.9% and 2.1%.

Share-based compensation expense totaled $128,000 and $95,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $397,000 and $315,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of September 30, 2017, there was approximately $0.8 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options previously granted that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.4 years.