Stock-Based Compensation |
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| Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-Based Compensation |
19. Stock-Based Compensation:
The Company is authorized to issue shares for common stock awards to employees, directors and affiliates of the Company in connection with the PQ Group Holdings Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”). During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company granted 1,245,628 restricted stock units and 550,676 performance stock units at target under the 2017 Plan as part of its equity incentive compensation program. Each restricted stock unit provides the recipient with the right to receive a share of common stock subject to graded vesting terms based on service, which for the awards granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2019, requires approximately one year of service for members of the Company’s board of directors and approximately three years of service for employees.
The performance stock units granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 provide the recipients with the right to receive shares of common stock dependent on the achievement of two Company-specific financial performance targets and the provision of service through the vesting date. Achievement of the metrics is measured based on the average levels of achievement across the three-year period from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2021. Depending on the Company’s performance against the pre-determined thresholds for achievement, each performance stock unit award holder is eligible to earn a percentage of the target number of shares granted to the holder, ranging from zero to 200%. The performance stock units, to the extent earned, will vest on the date the Company’s compensation and governance committee certifies the achievement of the performance metrics for the three-year period ending December 31, 2021, which will occur no later than March 1, 2022.
The value of the restricted stock units granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was based on the average of the high and low trading prices of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE on the preceding trading day, in accordance with the Company’s policy for valuing such awards. Compensation expense related to the restricted stock units is recognized on a straight-line basis over the respective vesting period. The value of the performance stock units granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was measured on the same basis as that of the restricted stock units, and based on the target number of shares granted; because the performance vesting conditions affect the ability of the recipients to vest in the awards, they are not factored into the fair value measure of the award. Compensation expense related to the performance stock units is recognized ratably over the requisite service period, and the Company must assess the probability that the performance conditions will be met each reporting period, and the level at which they are estimated to be attained. Should the probability assessment change during a given reporting period, the total compensation cost (both recognized and unrecognized) will be adjusted to reflect the revised assessment.
The following table summarizes the activity for the Company’s restricted stock units and performance stock units for the nine months ended September 30, 2019:
Total stock-based compensation expense for all of the Company’s equity incentive awards was $4,806 and $4,252 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $13,576 and $11,879 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The income tax benefit recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of income was $1,187 and $1,051 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $3,353 and $2,935 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. With the new grants of restricted stock units and performance stock units during the nine months ended September 30, 2019, unrecognized compensation cost at September 30, 2019 related to nonvested awards was $22,434 and $6,906 for restricted stock units and performance stock units, respectively. The weighted-average period over which these costs are expected to be recognized at September 30, 2019 is 1.72 years for the restricted stock units and 2.41 years for the performance stock units.
At September 30, 2019, 3,841,617 shares of common stock were available for issuance under the 2017 Plan, after giving effect to the new grants as well as other minor activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Activity related to the Company’s stock options and restricted stock awards was not material for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
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