Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405]

Note 13 - Employee and Director Benefits

v3.25.0.1
Note 13 - Employee and Director Benefits
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements  
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Text Block]

NOTE 13.

EMPLOYEE AND DIRECTOR BENEFITS

 

The Company has a stock incentive plan, which is described below. The compensation cost that has been charged against income for the plan was approximately $3.5 million, $3.6 million and $3.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

Stock Incentive Plan

 

On March 23, 2009, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the 2009 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which was effective upon approval by the stockholders at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The 2009 Plan originally permitted the grant of up to 2,550,000 shares of common stock. With stockholder approval during 2014, the Plan was amended in order to allow the Company to grant up to 5,550,000 shares of common stock. The Plan authorizes the grant of stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, non-stock share equivalents, performance shares or performance units and other equity-based awards. Option awards are generally granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Company’s stock at the date of grant.

 

As of December 31, 2024, there are a total of 3,031,065 shares available to be granted under the Plan.

 

Stock-based compensation expense for stock-based awards is based on the grant-date fair value. For stock option awards, the fair value is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. This model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, changes to which can materially affect the fair value estimate. The fair value of each option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton model based on the weighted-average assumptions for expected dividend yield, expected stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected life of options granted.

 

There were no grants of stock options during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

 

The following tables summarize stock option activity:

 

   

Shares

   

Weighted Average Exercise Price

   

Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)

   

Aggregate Intrinsic Value

 
                           

(In Thousands)

 

Year Ended December 31, 2024:

                               

Outstanding at beginning of year

    165,300     $ 24.35       2.9     $ 7,211  

Exercised

    (77,350 )     23.71       2.0       57,618  

Forfeited

    (7,500 )     6.92       -       -  

Outstanding at end of year

    80,450     $ 26.03       1.9     $ 4,723  
                                 

Exercisable at December 31, 2024:

    80,450     $ 26.03       1.9     $ 4,723  
                                 

Year Ended December 31, 2023:

                               

Outstanding at beginning of year

    280,000     $ 19.43       3.0     $ 14,088  

Exercised

    (112,200 )     11.84       0.7       6,148  

Forfeited

    (2,500 )     35.47       4.8       78  

Outstanding at end of year

    165,300     $ 24.35       2.9     $ 7,211  
                                 

Exercisable at December 31, 2023:

    143,300     $ 21.84       2.2     $ 6,419  
                                 

Year Ended December 31, 2022:

                               

Outstanding at beginning of year

    353,250     $ 19.28       3.8     $ 23,525  

Exercised

    (70,500 )     17.96       2.2       3,592  

Forfeited

    (2,750 )     37.94       5.4       85  

Outstanding at end of year

    280,000     $ 19.43       3.0     $ 14,088  
                                 

Exercisable at December 31, 2022:

    220,500     $ 14.37       2.0     $ 12,279  

 

Exercisable options at December 31, 2024 were as follows:

 

Range of Exercise Price

   

Shares

   

Weighted Average Exercise Price

   

Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)

   

Aggregate Intrinsic Value

 
                               

(In Thousands)

 
$ 14.00 - 15.00       2,000       14.32       1.7       141  
  15.00 - 16.00       12,250       15.76       0.1       845  
  17.00 - 18.00       13,500       17.17       0.3       912  
  18.00 - 19.00       4,000       18.44       0.8       265  
  19.00 - 20.00       12,000       19.16       1.1       787  
  34.00 - 35.00       2,000       34.09       4.1       101  
  35.00 - 36.00       26,500       35.63       3.8       1,301  
  38.00 - 39.00       5,700       38.26       2.1       265  
  41.00 - 42.00       1,000       41.21       3.1       45  
  43.00 - 44.00       1,500       43.80       3.5       61  
          80,450     $ 26.03       1.9     $ 4,723  

 

As of December 31, 2024, there were no non-vested stock options.

 

Restricted Stock and Performance Shares

 

The Company periodically grants restricted stock awards that vest upon service conditions. Dividend payments are made during the vesting period. The value of restricted stock is determined to be the current value of the Company’s stock, and this total value will be recognized as compensation expense over the vesting period. As of December 31, 2024, there was $4.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested restricted stock. As of December 31, 2024, non-vested restricted stock had a weighted average remaining time to vest of 2.1 years.

 

The Company periodically grants PSUs that give plan participants the opportunity to earn stock between 0% and 150% of the number of PSUs granted based on achieving certain performance metrics. The number of stock earned upon vesting of PSUs is determined by reference to the Company’s total shareholder return relative to a peer group of other publicly traded banks and bank holding companies during the performance period. The performance period is generally three years starting on the grant date. The fair value of PSUs is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation model on the grant date. As of December 31, 2024, there was $900,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested PSUs. As of December 31, 2024, non-vested performance stock had a weighted average remaining time to vest of 1.3 years.

 

The following table summarizes restricted stock and PSU activity:

 

   

Restricted Stock

   

PSU

 
   

Shares

   

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value

   

Shares

   

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value

 

Year Ended December 31, 2024:

                               

Non-vested at beginning of year

    158,298     $ 58.08       31,944     $ 58.25  

Granted

    54,794       68.95       20,469       59.07  

Vested

    (49,090 )     46.04       (18,653 )     37.05  

Forfeited

    (18,165 )     56.98       (3,695 )     70.58  

Non-vested at end of year

    145,837     $ 66.35       30,065     $ 70.45  
                                 

Year Ended December 31, 2023:

                               

Non-vested at beginning of year

    141,580     $ 56.39       23,852     $ 54.16  

Granted

    64,880       58.45       8,092       70.29  

Vested

    (35,163 )     49.85       -       -  

Forfeited

    (12,999 )     63.78       -       -  

Non-vested at end of year

    158,298     $ 58.08       31,944     $ 58.25  
                                 

Year Ended December 31, 2022:

                               

Non-vested at beginning of year

    126,975     $ 42.28       12,437     $ 37.05  

Granted

    53,974       83.24       11,415       72.81  

Vested

    (28,160 )     43.27       -       -  

Forfeited

    (11,209 )     58.82       -       -  

Non-vested at end of year

    141,580     $ 56.39       23,852     $ 54.16  

 

Retirement Plans

 

The Company has a retirement savings 401(k) and profit-sharing plan in which all employees 21 years of age and older may participate after completion of one year of service. The Company matches employees’ contributions based on a percentage of salary contributed by participants and may make additional discretionary profit-sharing contributions. The Company’s expense for the plan was $2.3 million, $2.1 million and $1.8 million for 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.