Stock-Based Compensation | NOTE J – Stock-Based Compensation Our equity compensation plans provide for the grant of incentive and nonqualified stock options, as well as other stock-based awards including performance share units (“PSUs”), restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), restricted stock units (“RSUs”), and deferred stock units (“DSUs”), to employees, non-employee directors and other consultants who provide services to us. We also provide an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”) and 401(k) match to eligible participants. We recognize stock-based compensation expense based on grant date award fair value. This cost is recognized over the period for which the employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award or the award performance period, except for expenses relating to retirement-eligible employees that have not given their required notice, which is recognized on a pro-rata basis over the notice period prior to retirement. At March 31, 2022, there were 13.2 million shares available for grant under approved equity compensation plans. Stock-based compensation expense was allocated in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands) 2022 2021 Cost of revenues $ 2,179 $ 1,503 Operating expenses Sales and marketing 2,032 1,482 Research and development 1,474 911 General and administrative 3,330 3,029 $ 9,015 $ 6,925 Stock-based compensation expense by grant type or plan was as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands) 2022 2021 Stock options $ 477 $ 551 PSUs 2,699 2,084 RSUs 4,638 3,423 RSAs & DSUs 108 106 ESPP 574 326 401(k) stock match 519 435 $ 9,015 $ 6,925 As of March 31, 2022, there was $50.9 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense under our equity compensation plans, which is expected to be recognized on a straight-line basis over a weighted average period of 2.8 Stock Options Our stock option activity was as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Weighted Average Options (#) Exercise Price ($/share) Outstanding, beginning of period 678,650 $ 44.76 Granted 31,829 130.16 Exercised (13,320 ) 37.86 Forfeited (2,634 ) 84.06 Outstanding, end of period 694,525 $ 48.66 Of the total outstanding options at March 31, 2022, 0.6 million were exercisable. The outstanding and exercisable options had a weighted average exercise price of $40.46 per share and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 3.2 The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $41.59 per share. This was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions: Volatility 38 % Dividend yield — Life (in years) 4.0 Risk-free interest rate 1.82 % Performance Share Units, Restricted Stock Units and Awards, and Deferred Stock Units In each of the quarters ended March 31, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 we granted PSU awards with a target performance level. three-year Activity for our PSUs, RSUs, RSAs, and DSUs in aggregate was as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Weighted Average (#) Grant Date Fair Value ($/share) Outstanding, beginning of period 702,160 $ 78.03 Granted 233,255 127.18 Vested and common stock issued (218,957 ) 62.29 Forfeited (8,239 ) 96.74 Outstanding, end of period 708,219 $ 98.87 The number of PSUs, RSUs, RSAs, and DSUs outstanding at March 31, 2022 included less than 0.1 million units that have vested, but the shares of common stock have not yet been issued, pursuant to the terms of the underlying agreements. Employee Stock Purchase Plan Our ESPP activity was as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands, except share data) 2022 2021 Amounts for shares purchased $ 147 $ 105 Shares purchased 1,698 1,621 A total of 1.8 million shares of common stock are reserved for issuance under the ESPP as of March 31, 2022. The fair value was estimated based on the market price of our common stock at the beginning of the offering period using the following assumptions: Volatility 32.3 % Dividend yield — Life (in years) 0.5 Risk-free interest rate 0.05 % |