10. Share-based Compensation

Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended

As of December 31, 2022, there were shares of restricted stock and stock options outstanding under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended (“Incentive Stock Plan”). During fiscal 2021, the Incentive Stock Plan was amended to increase the total shares available for restricted stock and stock options grants by 10,000 to a total of 15,000 (7,500 restricted stock shares and 7,500 stock option shares). The Incentive Stock Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors to grant either incentive or non-statutory stock options to employees. Vesting periods are established by the Compensation Committee at the time of grant. As of December 31, 2022, there were 8,760 shares available to be granted under the Plan (4,098 shares available for restricted stock grants and 4,662 shares available for stock option grants).

Restricted Stock

The Company granted 760 shares of restricted stock during the three months ended December 31, 2022. On September 27, 2022, the Company adopted a new annual incentive compensation program (“AICP”) for its executives to be administered under the Company’s Incentive Stock Plan. The AICP includes a long term incentive (“LTI”) compensation plan in the form of restricted stock awards comprised of two components: one that vests based on future service only, and a second that vests based on future service and performance. Initial awards under both service-only and service plus performance-based components of the AICP LTI plan are determined based on financial performance measures for the immediately preceding fiscal year. During the three months ended December 31, 2022, 551 of the 760 restricted shares were granted based on actual results for fiscal 2022, as measured against corresponding financial targets for that year, and will cliff vest as of December 2, 2025. 

The remaining 209 of the 760 restricted shares were also granted based on fiscal 2022 results, and as further adjusted for the probable outcome with regard to the financial targets set by the Company’s board of directors for fiscal 2023. These restricted shares are subject to adjustment over their corresponding fiscal 2023 reporting period, based on probability of achieving the fiscal 2023 performance conditions. The final number of fiscal 2022 service plus performance-based restricted shares granted will be determined once the actual financial performance of the Company is determined for fiscal 2023, and will cliff vest on December 2, 2025, the third anniversary from their date of grant.

Under the AICP LTI plan, the service plus performance-based grants of 209 restricted shares during the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, represent the first tranche of a three-year schedule of awards. The next two tranches of up to 262 shares each (up to an additional 524 restricted shares in total) are scheduled to become effective as the Company’s financial plans and targets are set by the board of directors prior to each anniversary date for each of the two subsequent fiscal years, respectively. As the vesting of the two subsequent tranches will be based in part on performance conditions that have not yet been determined, the grant dates and fair values of these scheduled awards will be established in the future. The end of the requisite service periods for the entire 760 restricted shares granted during the three months ended December 30, 2022, plus the additional 524 restricted shares eligible to be granted in the future, once the performance conditions are determined for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025, is December 2, 2025. Therefore, the remaining two tranches of the fiscal 2022 service plus performance-based awards may be expected to have grant dates corresponding with the establishment of the fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025 financial performance targets by the Company’s board of directors. However, all final shares determined for each of the two subsequent annual tranches also will cliff vest on December 2, 2025.  

Share-based compensation expense attributable to restricted stock was $87 and $72 during the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, there was approximately $882 of unrecognized compensation expense related to restricted stock outstanding and the weighted average vesting period for those grants was 3.05 years.

Warrants

The Company had 77 warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 with a weighted average exercise price per share of $2 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 2.25 and 2.50, respectively. No warrants were granted or expired during the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Stock Options

All stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 were non-statutory stock options, had exercise prices equal to the market price on the date of grant, and had expiration dates ten years from the date of grant.

The Company granted 435 stock options during the three months ended December 31, 2022. The stock options generally vest on annual schedules during periods ranging from two to four years, although some options are fully vested upon grant. Share-based compensation expense attributable to stock options was $287 and $75 for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, there was approximately $574 of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options outstanding, and the weighted average vesting period for those options was 3.70 years.