STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION | 3 Months Ended |
Mar. 31, 2015 |
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs, Share-Based Payments [Abstract] | |
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block] | NOTE 10 - STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION |
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Stock Option Plans |
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The Company adopted the 1995 Stock Option Plan, pursuant to which the Company had the right to grant options to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,250,000 shares of common stock. The Company also adopted the 1999 Stock Option Plan, pursuant to which the Company had the right to grant stock awards and options to purchase up to 2,813,000 shares of common stock. The Company also adopted the 1999 Director Option Plan, pursuant to which the Company had the right to grant options to purchase up to an aggregate of 600,000 shares of common stock. The 1995 Stock Option Plan and 1999 Stock and Director Option Plans expired and the Company cannot issue additional options under these plans. |
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The Company adopted the 2007 Equity Compensation Plan, pursuant to which, as amended, the Company may grant options to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of common stock. The Company also adopted the 2009 Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Plan, pursuant to which, as amended (the “2009 Director Plan”), the Company may grant options to purchase up to an aggregate of 600,000 shares of common stock. The plans are administered by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, which has the authority to determine, among other things, the term during which an option may be exercised (not more than 10 years), the exercise price of an option and the vesting provisions. |
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The Company recognizes all employee share-based payments in the statement of operations as an operating expense, based on their fair values on the applicable grant date. As a result, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $299,000 and $87,000, respectively, for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, in connection with awards made under the stock option plans. |
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On March 21, 2014, the Company and its former Chief Executive Officer (the “Former CEO”) entered into a Separation and General Release Agreement (the “Separation Agreement”). Under the terms of the Separation Agreement, the vesting of the Former CEO’s unvested stock options and restricted stock were accelerated and the term to exercise the stock options was extended to fifteen (15) months. Due to the modification of the terms of the stock option and restricted stock agreements, the Company recognized $327,000 of additional stock-based compensation expense for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 which is included in the stock option and restricted stock stock-based compensation expense. |
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The following table summarizes the activity relating to the Company’s stock options for the three-month period ended March 31, 2015: |
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| | | | | | | | Weighted- | | | | |
| | | | | Weighted- | | Average | | | | |
| | | | | Average | | Remaining | | Aggregate | |
| | | | | Exercise | | Contractual | | Intrinsic | |
| | Options | | Price | | Term | | Value | |
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Outstanding at beginning of year | | | 2,209,000 | | $ | 6.84 | | | | | | |
Granted | | | - | | | - | | | | | | |
Exercised | | | -40,000 | | | 3.87 | | | | | | |
Expired | | | -333,000 | | | 11.34 | | | | | | |
Forfeited | | | -11,000 | | | 5.6 | | | | | | |
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Outstanding at end of period | | | 1,825,000 | | $ | 6.09 | | 6 years | | $ | 2,804,000 | |
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Exercisable at end of period | | | 1,365,000 | | $ | 6.3 | | 5 years | | $ | 2,377,000 | |
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The fair value of each option grant on the date of grant is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model reflecting the following weighted-average assumptions: |
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| | March 31, | | | | | |
| | 2014 | | | 2015 | | | | | |
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Expected volatility | | | 45 | % | | | - | | | | | |
Expected life of options | | | 4.0 years | | | | - | | | | | |
Risk free interest rate | | | 1.3 | % | | | - | | | | | |
Dividend yield | | | 0 | % | | | - | | | | | |
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the period | | $ | 2.13 | | | $ | - | | | | | |
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Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock and the expected life of options is based on historical data with respect to employee exercise periods. |
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The fair value of options vested during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2015 was $456,000 and $216,000, respectively. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2015 was $28,000 and $108,000, respectively. |
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As of March 31, 2015, there was approximately $705,000 of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested options granted under the Company’s stock option plans. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.9 years. |
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The Company estimates forfeitures at the time of valuation and reduces expense ratably over the vesting period. This estimate is adjusted periodically based on the extent to which actual forfeitures differ, or are expected to differ, from the previous estimate. |
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Restricted Stock |
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In 2006, the Company began granting restricted stock to employees, whereby the employees are contractually restricted from transferring the shares until they are vested. The stock is unvested stock at the time of grant and, upon vesting, there are no contractual restrictions on the stock. The fair value of each share is based on the Company’s closing stock price on the date of the grant. A summary of all non-vested restricted stock for the three-month period ended March 31, 2015 is as follows: |
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| | | | | Weighted- | | | | | | |
| | Number of | | Average | | | | | | |
| | Non-vested | | Grant Date | | | | | | |
| | Shares | | Fair Value | | | | | | |
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Restricted stock, non-vested, beginning of year | | | 616,000 | | $ | 5.69 | | | | | | |
Granted | | | 5,000 | | | 6.52 | | | | | | |
Vested | | | -59,000 | | | 5.86 | | | | | | |
Forfeited | | | -21,000 | | | 5.72 | | | | | | |
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Restricted stock, non-vested, end of period | | | 541,000 | | $ | 5.68 | | | | | | |
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The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of $309,000 and $300,000, respectively, for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, in connection with restricted stock grants. As of March 31, 2015, there was $2,239,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested shares. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.9 years. |
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Performance Shares |
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The Company grants performance shares to key employees pursuant to the 2007 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended. The issuance of the shares of the Company’s common stock underlying the performance shares is subject to the achievement of stock price targets of the Company’s common stock at the end of a three-year measurement period from the date of issuance, with the ability to achieve prorated performance shares during interim annual measurement periods. The annual measurement period is based on a trading day average of the Company’s stock after the announcement of annual results. If the stock price performance triggers are not met, the performance shares will not vest and will automatically be returned to the plan. If the stock price performance triggers are met, then the shares will be issued to the employees. Under the applicable accounting guidance, stock compensation expense at the fair value of the shares expected to vest is recorded even if the aforementioned stock price targets are not met. Stock-based compensation expense related to these performance shares for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2015 was insignificant. |
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The following table summarizes the activity relating to the Company’s performance shares for the three-month period ended March 31, 2015: |
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| | Non-vested | | | | | | | | | |
| | Shares | | | | | | | | | |
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Performance shares, non-vested, beginning of year | | | 23,000 | | | | | | | | | |
Granted | | | - | | | | | | | | | |
Vested | | | - | | | | | | | | | |
Forfeited | | | - | | | | | | | | | |
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Performance shares, non-vested, end of period | | | 23,000 | | | | | | | | | |
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