Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Common Stock and Options

v3.19.3
Common Stock and Options
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]  
Common Stock and Options Common Stock and Options

Effective January 27, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”) which provides for up to 1,250,000 common shares available for issuance to provide a long-term incentive plan for officers, employees, directors and/or consultants to directly link incentives to stockholder value. The 2015 Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders in February 2015. The Company’s 2015 Plan provides for grants to executives in various forms including restricted shares of the Company’s common stock and stock options. Awards are discretionary and are determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Awards vest based upon service conditions. Non-vested restricted shares generally vest over requisite service periods of one to six years from the date of grant.

Restricted Stock

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 2.5 years.

The following table represents a summary of the status of the Company’s nonvested shares:
Nonvested Shares
Shares

 
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested Shares at September 30, 2016
10,267

 
$
49.49

     Granted during fiscal year 2017

 

     Vested during fiscal year 2017
(4,933
)
 
49.58

     Forfeited during fiscal year 2017

 

Nonvested Shares at September 30, 2017
5,334

 
49.39

     Granted during fiscal year 2018
5,000

 
31.95

     Vested during fiscal year 2018
(3,001
)
 
39.70

     Forfeited during fiscal year 2018

 

Nonvested Shares at September 30, 2018
7,333

 
41.46

     Granted during fiscal year 2019

 

     Vested during fiscal year 2019
(1,667
)
 
31.95

     Forfeited during fiscal year 2019

 

Nonvested Shares at September 30, 2019
5,666

 
$
44.26



Stock compensation expense related to the Restricted Stock totaled approximately $104,000, $137,000 and $264,000 for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. There was approximately $69,000 and $172,000 of total unrecognized stock compensation costs related to unvested stock compensation for the Restricted Stock grants at September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, respectively. The total unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.75 years.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, 1,667 shares vested aggregating a value of approximately $53,000.

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 September 30, 2019, the Company’s stock was trading at $34.02 per share, and during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, the stock did not trade above $40.00 per share; accordingly, none of the stock options are vested at September 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 September 30, 2019, the Company’s stock was trading at $34.02 per share, and during the fiscal ended September 30, 2019, the stock did not trade above $35.00 per share; accordingly, none of the stock options are vested at September 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 September 30, 2019, the Company’s stock was trading at $34.02 per share, and during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, the stock did not trade above $60.00 per share; accordingly, none of the stock options are vested at September 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 15. “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 of 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 year ended September 30, 2019, which is recorded as a reduction of General and Administrative expense.

Forfeitures of all stock options were recognized as incurred.
The following table represents a summary of the Company’s stock option activity:
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted Average
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted
 
Remaining
 
Aggregate
 
Number of
 
Average Exercise
 
Contractual Term
 
Intrinsic
 
Options
 
Price
 
(years)
 
Value
Balance - September 30, 2017
750,000

 
$
27.15

 
2.58

 

     Granted during fiscal year 2018
300,000

 
33.60

 
3.25

 

     Forfeitures/expired in fiscal year 2018
(375,000
)
 
27.15

 
1.86

 

     Exercised during fiscal year 2018

 

 

 

Balance - September 30, 2018
675,000

 
30.02

 
2.22

 

     Granted during fiscal year 2019
10,000

 
33.34

 
2.25

 

     Forfeitures/expired in fiscal year 2019
(457,500
)
 
29.37

 
1.78

 

     Exercised during fiscal year 2019

 

 

 

Balance - September 30, 2019
227,500

 
$
31.46

 
1.22

 



Stock compensation expense related to the options totaled approximately $674,000, $1,617,000 and $616,000 for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

At September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, there was approximately $502,000 and $2,174,000, respectively, of total unrecognized stock compensation costs related to unvested share-based compensation for the option grants. The total unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.29 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 timeframes 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 year ended September 30, 2019.

As of September 30, 2019, there remained 1,005,000 common shares available for issuance under the 2015 Plan.