Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Stock-Based Compensation

v3.3.1.900
Stock-Based Compensation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans
Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans
Common Stock
At December 31, 2015, the Company had 500 million authorized shares of Class A common stock and 500 million authorized shares of Class B common stock. Holders of the Company’s Class A and Class B common stock have identical voting rights, except that holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share and holders of Class B common stock are entitled to ten votes per share with respect to transactions that would result in a change of control of the Company or that relate to the Company’s equity incentive plans. In addition, holders of Class B common stock have the exclusive right to elect two members of the Company’s Board of Directors, each referred to as a Class B Director. The shares of Class B common stock are not publicly traded. Each share of Class B common stock is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into one share of Class A common stock and in most instances automatically converts upon sale or other transfer.
Employee Benefit Plans
At December 31, 2015, the Company had stock-based compensation awards outstanding under the following plans: the 2004 Stock Plan, the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as well as the following former Entropic plans: the RF Magic 2000 Incentive Stock Plan, the 2001 Stock Option Plan, the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, the 2007 Non-Employee Director's Plan and the 2012 Inducement Award Plan. All current stock awards are issued under the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan and 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
2010 Equity Incentive Plan
The 2010 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, stock appreciation rights, performance-based stock awards, and other forms of equity compensation, or collectively, stock awards. The aggregate number of shares of Class A common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under the 2010 Plan will increase by any shares subject to stock options or other awards granted under the 2004 Stock Plan that expire or otherwise terminate without having been exercised in full and shares issued pursuant to awards granted under the 2004 Stock Plan that are forfeited to or repurchased by the Company. In addition, the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year, equal to the lesser of: 2.6 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock; four percent (4%) of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year; or such lesser amount as the Company’s board of directors may determine. Options granted will generally vest over a four year period and the term can be from seven to ten years.
2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The ESPP authorizes the issuance of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock pursuant to purchase rights granted to the Company’s employees. The number of shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for issuance will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year, equal to the least of: 1.0 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock; one and a quarter percent (1.25%) of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock on the first day of the fiscal year; or such lesser amount as may be determined by our board of directors or a committee appointed by our board of directors to administer the ESPP. The ESPP is implemented through a series of offerings of purchase rights to eligible employees. Under the ESPP, the Company may specify offerings with a duration of not more than 27 months, and may specify shorter purchase periods within each offering. Each offering will have one or more purchase dates on which shares of the Company’s common stock will be purchased for employees participating in the offering. An offering may be terminated under certain circumstances. Generally, all regular employees, including executive officers, employed by the Company may participate in the ESPP and may contribute up to 15% of their earnings for the purchase of the Company’s common stock under the ESPP. Unless otherwise determined by the Company’s board of directors, Class A common stock will be purchased for accounts of employees participating in the ESPP at a price per share equal to the lower of (a) 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company’s Class A common stock on the first date of an offering or (b) 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company’s Class A common stock on the date of purchase.
Executive Incentive Bonus Plan
In April 2012, the Company's compensation committee amended its Executive Incentive Bonus Plan to, among other things, permit the settlement of awards under the plan in the form of shares of its Class A common stock. In May 2013, the Company's compensation committee amended its Executive Incentive Bonus Plan to permit the settlement of awards under the plan in any combination of cash or shares of its Class A common stock. For the January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015, 2014 and 2013 performance period, actual awards under the Executive Incentive Bonus Plan were settled in Class A common stock issued under its 2010 Equity Incentive Plan with the number of shares issuable to plan participants determined based on the closing sales price of the Company's Class A common stock as determined in trading on the New York Stock Exchange on August 20, 2015, May 14, 2015 and May 9, 2014, respectively. Additionally, the Company settled all bonus awards for all other employees for the January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015, 2014 and 2013 performance period in shares of its Class A common stock. The Company issued 0.3 million shares of its Class A common stock for the January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015 performance period upon settlement of the bonus awards on August 20, 2015. The Company issued 0.2 million shares of its Class A common stock for the 2014 performance period upon settlement of the bonus awards on May 14, 2015. The Company issued 0.6 million shares of its Class A common stock for the 2013 performance period upon settlement of the bonus awards on May 9, 2014.
At December 31, 2015, an accrual of $4.1 million was recorded for bonus awards for employees for the July 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015 performance period, which the Company intends to settle in shares of its Class A common stock issued under its 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, with the number of shares issuable to plan participants determined based on the closing sales price of the Company’s Class A common stock as determined in trading on the New York Stock Exchange at a date to be determined. The Company's compensation committee retains discretion to effect payment in cash, stock, or a combination of cash and stock.
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation expense is classified in the consolidated statements of operations based on the department to which the related employee reports. The Company recognized stock-based compensation in the statements of operations as follows:
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
 
(in thousands)
Cost of net revenue
$
213

 
$
131

 
$
108

Research and development
13,205

 
9,686

 
8,258

Selling, general and administrative
5,850

 
5,191

 
4,320

 
$
19,268

 
$
15,008

 
$
12,686


The total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options as of December 31, 2015 was $1.6 million, and the weighted average period over which these equity awards are expected to vest is 1.42 years. The total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock units and restricted stock awards as of December 31, 2015 was $26.6 million, and the weighted average period over which these equity awards are expected to vest is 2.59 years.
The Company records equity instruments issued to non-employees as expense at their fair value over the related service period as determined in accordance with the authoritative guidance and periodically revalues the equity instruments as they vest. Stock-based compensation expense related to non-employee consultants totaled $0.7 million, $0.1 million and $0.2 million for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
In connection with the acquisition of Entropic, the Company assumed stock options and RSUs originally granted by Entropic. Stock-based compensation expense in the year ended December 31, 2015 included $0.2 million and $3.4 million, respectively, related to assumed Entropic stock options and RSUs.
Stock Options
The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model to calculate the fair value of stock options and employee stock purchase rights granted to employees. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period using the straight-line method and is classified in the consolidated statements of operations based on the department to which the related employee reports.
The fair values of stock options and employee stock purchase rights (related to the Company's ESPP) were estimated at their respective grant date using the following assumptions:
Stock Options
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2015 (1)
 
2014
 
2013
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share
N/A
 
$
4.03

 
$
3.24

Risk-free interest rate
N/A
 
1.70
%
 
0.71
%
Dividend yield
N/A
 
%
 
%
Expected life (in years)
N/A
 
4.56

 
4.75

Volatility
N/A
 
51.00
%
 
56.00
%

__________________
(1)
No options granted during 2015.
Employee Stock Purchase Rights
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share
$2.25 - $5.02

 
$2.03 - $2.47

 
$1.85 - $2.09

Risk-free interest rate
0.09 - 0.33%

 
0.05 - 0.07%

 
0.09 - 0.10%

Dividend yield
%
 
%
 
%
Expected life (in years)
0.50

 
0.50

 
0.50

Volatility
32.65 - 59.14%

 
47.75 - 46.82%

 
39.24 - 41.58%


The risk-free interest rate assumption was based on the United States Treasury’s rates for U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with maturities similar to those of the expected term of the award being valued. The assumed dividend yield was based on the Company’s expectation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future. The weighted-average expected life of options was calculated using the simplified method as prescribed by guidance provided by the SEC. This decision was based on the lack of historical data due to the Company’s limited number of stock option exercises under the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. In addition, due to the Company’s limited historical data, the estimated volatility incorporates the historical volatility of comparable companies whose share prices are publicly available. Effective for the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company is no longer incorporating the historical volatility of comparable companies in determining estimated volatility.
A summary of the Company’s stock option activity is as follows:
 
Number of Options
(in thousands)
 
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
 
Weighted-Average Contractual Term
(in years)
 
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2014
3,963

 
$
5.69

 
 
 
 
Granted (1)

 
N/A

 
 
 
 
Assumed (2)
1,894

 
13.83

 
 
 
 
Exercised
(1,080
)
 
5.97

 
 
 
 
Canceled
(1,205
)
 
14.86

 
 
 
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2015
3,572

 
$
6.83

 
3.66
 
$
29,567

Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2015
3,549

 
$
6.82

 
3.64
 
$
29,408

Exercisable at December 31, 2015
2,887

 
$
6.75

 
3.45
 
$
24,362


___________________________
(1)
No options granted during 2015.
(2)
Assumed options from the Entropic acquisition.
The intrinsic value of stock options exercised during 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $6.6 million, $0.6 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Awards
The Company calculates the fair value of restricted stock units and restricted stock awards based on the fair market value of the Company’s Class A common stock on the grant date. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period using the straight-line method and is classified in the consolidated statements of operations based on the department to which the related employee reports.
A summary of the Company’s restricted stock unit and restricted stock award activity is as follows:
 
Number of Shares
(in thousands)
 
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value per Share
Outstanding at December 31, 2014
3,512

 
$
7.00

Granted
2,963

 
10.41

Assumed (1)
1,303

 
8.79

Vested
(3,022
)
 
7.92

Canceled
(1,114
)
 
8.45

Outstanding at December 31, 2015
3,642

 
9.19

________________________
(1)
Assumed awards from the Entropic acquisition.
The intrinsic value of restricted stock units and restricted stock awards vested during 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $53.6 million, $21.9 million, and $14.9 million, respectively. The intrinsic value of restricted stock units and restricted stock awards outstanding at December 31, 2015 was $31.4 million.
Shares Reserved for Future Issuance
As of December 31, 2015, common stock reserved for future issuance is as follows:
 
Number of Shares
(in thousands)
Stock options outstanding
3,572

Restricted stock units and restricted stock awards outstanding
3,642

Authorized for future grants under 2010 Equity Incentive Plan
4,694

Authorized for future issuance under 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
1,247

Total
13,155