Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stockholders' Equity

v3.19.2
Stockholders' Equity
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]  
Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity

The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for (i) Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) fees (paid in treasury stock), and (ii) other awards under the Stock Incentive Plan of 2015 (paid in restricted stock and stock options) (the “2015 Plan”). Stock-based compensation expense is recognized in general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Stock Compensation - Board of Directors

The Board of Directors can either elect to receive stock compensation or cash for their fees for services provided. Stock-based compensation expense relating to the Board of Director fees was approximately $200,000 and $676,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019, and approximately $238,000 and $621,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018, respectively.

Restricted Stock

In fiscal year 2015, the Company awarded 12,500 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock (“Restricted Stock”) to two senior executives under the 2015 Plan at a weighted average fair value of $49.49 per common share, vesting over three to five years.
 
In November 2017, a senior executive was awarded 5,000 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock (“Restricted Stock”) under the 2015 Plan at a weighted average fair value of $31.95 per common share, vesting over approximately three years.

Stock compensation expense related to the Restricted Stock totaled approximately $25,000 and $77,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019, and $37,000 and $100,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018, respectively. There was approximately $95,000 and $172,000 of total unrecognized stock compensation costs related to unvested stock compensation for the Restricted Stock grants at June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, respectively.

Stock Option Grant

Stock option grants of 10,000 options to Mr. John Kiernan (the “2019 Option Grants”) were granted on October 25, 2018. The option exercise price for these options was set at $33.34, the closing price on October 25, 2018. The 2019 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 3,333 of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $40.00; (ii) 3,333 of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $45.00; (iii) 3,334 of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $50.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the date that is 18 months following the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 12 months following the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by the Executive with good reason, or due to the Executive’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of the Executive’s employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by December 31, 2021 then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2019 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. As of June 30, 2019, the Company’s stock was trading at $30.34 per share, and during the nine months ended June 30, 2019, the stock did not trade above $40.00 per share; accordingly, none of the stock options are vested at June 30, 2019.

Stock option grants of 210,000 options to Mr. Remy Trafelet and 90,000 options to Mr. John Kiernan (collectively, the “2018 Option Grants”) were granted on September 7, 2018. The option exercise price for these options was set at $33.60, the closing price on September 7, 2018. The 2018 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $35.00; (ii) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $40.00; (iii) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $45.00; and (iv) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $50.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the date that is 18 months following the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 12 months following the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by the Executive with good reason, or due to the Executive’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of the Executive’s employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by December 31, 2021 then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2018 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent
that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. As of June 30, 2019, the Company’s stock was trading at $30.34 per share, and during the nine months ended June 30, 2019, the stock did not trade above $35.00 per share; accordingly, none of the stock options are vested at June 30, 2019. As set forth below, more than a majority of the 2018 Option Grants issued to Mr. Trafelet were forfeited and the vesting conditions of the remainder were modified, all pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, as defined below.

A stock option grant of 300,000 options in the case of Mr. Trafelet and 225,000 options in the case of each of Mr. Henry Slack and Mr. George Brokaw (collectively, the “2016 Option Grants”) were granted on December 31, 2016. The option price was set at $27.15, the closing price on December 31, 2016. The 2016 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $60.00; (ii) 25% of the options will vest if such price exceeds $75.00; (iii) 25% of the options will vest if such price exceeds $90.00; and (iv) 25% of the options will vest if such price exceeds $105.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the second anniversary of the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 18 months following the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by the Executive with good reason, or due to the Executive’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of the Executive’s employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by the fifth anniversary of the grant date (or the fourth anniversary of the grant date, in the case of the tranche described in clause (i) above), then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2016 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. As of June 30, 2019, the Company’s stock was trading at $30.34 per share, and during the nine months ended June 30, 2019, the stock did not trade above $60.00 per share; accordingly, none of the stock options are vested at June 30, 2019. As set forth below, all of the 2016 Option Grants issued to Mr. Trafelet were forfeited pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, as defined below.

Additionally, 187,500 shares of the 2016 Option Grants made to each of Messrs. Slack and Brokaw were forfeited on September 5, 2018 and no replacement options were granted. As such, the remaining unrecognized expense associated with these options of approximately $783,000 was accelerated and recorded for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018.

Pursuant to a Settlement Agreement (described in Note 13. “Related Party Transactions”), which was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, Mr. Trafelet agreed to voluntarily resign from his roles as president and chief executive officer and a director of the Company. Under the Settlement Agreement, Mr. Trafelet forfeited (i) all the 2016 Option Grants granted to him and (ii) all of the 2018 Option Grants granted to him in September 2018, other than 26,250 stock options that will vest if the minimum price of Alico's common stock over 20 consecutive trading days exceeds $35.00 per share and 26,250 stock options that will vest if the minimum price of Alico's common stock over 20 consecutive trading days exceeds $40.00 per share (“2019 Modified Option Grant”), in each case, by the first anniversary of the date of the Settlement Agreement (collectively, the "Retained Options"). Any Retained Options that vest in accordance with their terms will expire on the date that is six months following the date on which the Retained Option vests, and any Retained Options that do not vest by the first anniversary of the Settlement Agreement will be forfeited as of such first anniversary. As a result of the forfeited stock options, the Company reversed $823,000 of previously recorded stock compensation expense during the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which is recorded as a reduction of General and Administrative expense.

Stock compensation expense related to the options totaled approximately $89,000 and $607,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019, prior to taking into effect the forfeited stock options during the quarter ended June 30, 2019, and $205,000 and $616,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018, respectively. After taking into effect these forfeitures, the Company recorded a credit to stock compensation expense of $0 and $823,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019, respectively. At June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, there was approximately $569,000 and $2,842,000 of total unrecognized stock compensation costs related to unvested share-based compensation for the option grants, respectively. The total unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.47 years.

The fair value of the 2019, 2018 and 2016 Option Grants was estimated on the date of grant using a Monte Carlo valuation model that uses the assumptions noted in the following table. The expected term of options granted is derived from the output of the option valuation model and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding; the range given below results from different time-frames for the various market conditions being met.

2019 Modified Option Grant
Expected Volatility
25.0
%
Expected Term (in years)
1.50

Risk Free Rate
2.52
%

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2019 Modified Option Grant was $1.40.

2019 Option Grants
Expected Volatility
30.0
%
Expected Term (in years)
4.09

Risk Free Rate
2.95
%


The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2019 Option Grants was $7.10.

2018 Option Grants
Expected Volatility
30.0
%
Expected Term (in years)
3.32

Risk Free Rate
2.80
%


The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2018 Option Grants was $7.40.

2016 Option Grants
Expected Volatility
32.2
%
Expected Term (in years)
2.6 - 4.0

Risk Free Rate
2.45
%


The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2016 Option Grants was $3.53.

There were no additional stock options granted or exercised for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2019. As of June 30, 2019, there remained 1,005,000 common shares available for issuance under the 2015 Plan.

Stock Repurchase Authorizations

In the fiscal year 2017, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $7,000,000 of the Company’s common stock in two separate authorizations (the "2017 Authorization"). In March 2017, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $5,000,000 of the Company’s common stock beginning March 9, 2017 and continuing through March 9, 2019. In May 2017, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $2,000,000 of the Company’s common stock beginning May 24, 2017 and continuing through May 24, 2019. The stock repurchases made under this repurchase were made through open market transactions at times and in such amounts as the Company’s broker determined subject to the provisions of SEC Rule 10b-18.

On October 3, 2018, the Company completed a tender offer of 752,234 shares at a price of $34.00 per share aggregating $25,575,956. 734 Investors, Alico's largest stockholder since 2013, participated in the tender offer and sold a small percentage of its holdings.

For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019, the Company did not purchase any shares under the 2017 Authorization.
The following table illustrates the Company’s treasury stock activity for the nine months ended June 30, 2019:

(in thousands, except share amounts)
 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Cost
Balance as of September 30, 2018
216,188

 
$
7,536

Purchased
752,234

 
25,576

Issued to employees and directors
(22,308
)
 
(907
)
 
 
 
 
Balance as of June 30, 2019
946,114

 
$
32,205



Capital Contribution

On April 16, 2018, all operating partners of Citree received a funding notice relating to an additional Cash Capital Contribution (“Contribution”) requirement of approximately $2,041,000 as a result of Hurricane Irma, which reduced the amount of crop available for sale in the 2017-2018 harvest season and the Company’s adoption of a more extensive caretaking plan focused on limiting the impact of citrus greening. The Company’s portion of the Contribution was approximately $1,041,000 and was funded on April 27, 2018. The remaining portion of the Contribution of $1,000,000 was funded by the noncontrolling parties.