9. Equity
Dividends
Solaris LLC paid distributions totaling $19,567 and $19,205 to all Solaris LLC unitholders in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, of which $13,804 and $13,407 was paid to Solaris Inc. Solaris Inc. used the proceeds from the distributions to pay quarterly cash dividends to all holders of shares of Class A common stock totaling $13,804 and $13,407 in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, including $563 and $365 related to shares of restricted stock, respectively.
Share Repurchase Program
In 2019, the Company’s board of directors authorized a share repurchase plan to repurchase up to $25,000 of the Company’s Class A common stock until the plan terminates pursuant to its provisions. In February 2020, the Company’s board of directors approved an additional $5,000 repurchase of the Company’s Class A common stock. In 2020, Solaris Inc. purchased and retired 2,374,092 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for $26,746, or $11.27 average price per share, and, in connection therewith, Solaris LLC purchased and retired 2,374,092 Solaris LLC Units from the Company for the same amount. As of March 31, 2020, the share repurchase plan was completed. During the full share repurchase plan, Solaris Inc. purchased and retired 2,626,022 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for $30,000, or $11.41 average price per share, and, in connection therewith, Solaris LLC purchased and retired 2,626,022 Solaris LLC Units from the Company for the same amount.
Stock-based compensation
The Company’s long-term incentive plan for employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates (the “LTIP”) provides for the grant of all or any of the following types of equity-based awards: (i) incentive stock options qualified as such under United States federal income tax laws; (ii) stock options that do not qualify as incentive stock options; (iii) stock appreciation rights; (iv) restricted stock awards; (v) restricted stock units; (vi) bonus stock; (vii) performance awards; (viii) dividend equivalents; (ix) other stock-based awards; (x) cash awards; and (xi) substitute awards.
Subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the LTIP, 5,118,080 shares of Solaris Inc.'s Class A common stock have been reserved for issuance pursuant to awards under the LTIP. Class A common stock withheld to satisfy exercise prices or tax withholding obligations will be available for delivery pursuant to other awards. The LTIP will be administered by the Board, the Compensation Committee of the Board or an alternative committee appointed by the Board.
A total of 591,261 options to purchase Class A common stock of the Company have been issued to employees, directors and consultants under the LTIP at an exercise price of $2.87 per option, and a weighted average grant date fair value of $12.04 per option. All options were vested by November 13, 2017. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, 2,000, 4,600 and 22,421 options were exercised, respectively, in exchange for an equal number of shares of Class A common stock. As of December 31, 2022, 551,306 options have been exercised, 33,350 forfeited and 6,605 remain outstanding.
The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Expected volatility is based on implied volatilities from historical trading of publicly traded companies which are in the same industry sector. The simplified method is used to derive an expected term. The expected term represents an estimate of the time options are expected to remain outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the United States treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.
Compensation cost, as measured at the grant date fair value of the award, is recognized as an expense over the employee's requisite service period for service-based awards (generally the vesting period of the award of four years). For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not recognize stock-based compensation expense on options.