Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Equity-Based Compensation

v2.4.0.8
Equity-Based Compensation (Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc [Member])
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc [Member]
 
Equity-Based Compensation
Equity-Based Compensation

We have a shareholder approved equity-based compensation plan, the Amended and Restated Incentive Award Plan of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers and Tanger Properties Limited Partnership (the "Plan"), which covers our independent directors, officers and our employees. For each common share issued by the Company, the Operating Partnership issues one corresponding unit of partnership interest to the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries. Therefore, when the Company grants an equity based award, the Operating Partnership treats each award as having been granted by the Operating Partnership. In the discussion below, the term "we" refers to the Company and the Operating Partnership together and the term "shares" is meant to also include corresponding units of the Operating Partnership.

We may issue up to 15.4 million common shares under the Plan. Through December 31, 2013, we had granted 7,332,760 options, net of options forfeited, and 3,678,193 restricted common share awards, net of restricted common shares forfeited, and notional units which may result in the issuance of a maximum of 1,248,919 common shares. Shares remaining available for future issuance totaled 3,140,128 common shares. The amount and terms of the awards granted under the Plan were determined by the Share and Unit Option Committee of the Board of Directors.

In February 2013, the Compensation Committee of the Company approved the general terms of the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. 2013 Outperformance Plan (the “2013 OPP"). The 2013 OPP provides for the grant of performance shares under the Amended and Restated Incentive Award Plan of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

The 2013 OPP is a long-term incentive compensation plan pursuant to which award recipients may earn up to an aggregate of 315,150 restricted common shares of the Company based on the Company’s absolute share price appreciation (or total shareholder return) and its share price appreciation relative to its peer group, over a three year measurement period from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015. The maximum number of shares will be earned under this plan if the Company both (a) achieves 35% or higher share price appreciation, inclusive of all dividends paid, over the three-year measurement period and (b) is in the 70th or greater percentile of its peer group for total shareholder return over the three-year measurement period. The maximum value of the awards that could be earned on December 31, 2015, if the Company achieves or exceeds the 35% share price appreciation and is in the 70th or greater percentile of its peer group for total shareholder return over the three-year measurement period, will equal approximately $13.3 million.

Any shares earned on December 31, 2015 are also subject to a time based vesting schedule, with 50% of the shares vesting on January 4, 2016 and the remaining 50% vesting on January 3, 2017, contingent upon continued employment with the Company through the vesting dates.

With respect to 70% of the performance shares (or 220,605 shares), 33.33% of this portion of the award (or 73,535 shares) will be earned if the Company’s aggregate share price appreciation, inclusive of all dividends paid during this period, equals 25% over the three-year measurement period, 66.67% of the award (or 147,070 shares) will be earned if the Company’s aggregate share price appreciation, inclusive of all dividends paid during this period equals 30%, and 100% of this portion of the award (or 220,605 shares) will be earned if the Company’s aggregate share price appreciation, inclusive of all dividends paid during this period, equals 35% or higher.

With respect to 30% of the performance shares (or 94,545 shares), 33.33% of this portion of the award (or 31,515 shares) will be earned if the Company's share price appreciation inclusive of all dividends paid is in the 50th percentile of its peer group over the three-year measurement period, 66.67% of this portion of the award (or 63,030 shares) will be earned if the Company's share price appreciation inclusive of all dividends paid is in the 60th percentile of its peer group during this period, and 100% of this portion of the award (or 94,545 shares) will be earned if the Company's share price appreciation inclusive of all dividends paid is in the 70th percentile of its peer group or greater during this period. The peer group will be based on the SNL Equity REIT index.

The performance shares will convert on a pro-rata basis by linear interpolation between share price appreciation thresholds, both for absolute share price appreciation and for relative share price appreciation amongst the Company's peer group. The share price targets will be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis with respect to any dividend payments made during the measurement period. The compensation expense is amortized using the graded vesting attribution method over the requisite service period. The fair value of the awards are calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation pricing model.


During 2013, 2012 and 2011, the Board of Directors approved the grant of 349,373, 346,000 and 329,000 restricted common shares, respectively, to the independent directors and the senior executive officers. The independent directors' restricted common shares vest ratably over a three year period and the senior executive officers' restricted common shares vest ratably over a five year period. For all of the restricted common share awards described above, the grant date fair value of the award was determined based upon the closing market price of the Company's common shares on the day prior to the grant date and the associated compensation expense is being recognized in accordance with the vesting schedule of each grant.
In addition, during February 2012, the Board of Directors approved the grant of 225,000 restricted common shares with a grant date fair value of $25.44 to Steven B. Tanger, our President and Chief Executive Officer, under the terms of his amended and restated Employment Agreement (the "Employment Agreement") signed on February 28, 2012. Under the terms of the Employment Agreement, the Company granted Mr. Tanger the following: 45,000 fully-vested common shares; 90,000 restricted common shares that vest ratably over five years based on Mr. Tanger's continued employment with the Company and 90,000 restricted common shares that vest ratably over five years based on Mr. Tanger's continued employment with the Company and the Company achieving certain minimum total returns to shareholders.
In February 2011, the Company's Board of Directors approved the grant of 191,500 options to non-executive employees of the Company. The exercise price of the options granted during the first quarter of 2011 is $26.06 which equaled the closing market price of the Company's common shares on the day prior to the grant date. The options expire 10 years from the date of grant and 20% of the options become exercisable in each of the first five years commencing one year from the date of grant. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions used for the 2011 grant: expected dividend yield 3.0%; expected life of 7 years; expected volatility of 32.8%; a risk-free rate of 2.9%; and forfeiture rates of 3.0% to 20.0% dependent upon the employee's position within the Company.

Also, during the first quarter of 2010, the Company's Compensation Committee Approved the general terms of the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. 2010 Multi-Year Performance Plan, (the "2010 Multi Year Performance Plan"). Under the 2010 Multi-Year Performance Plan, we granted 392,000 notional units, net of notional units forfeited, to award recipients as a group, which would convert into restricted common shares on a one-for one basis, one-for two basis, or one-for-three basis depending upon the amount by which the Company's common shares appreciated above a minimum level over a four year performance period ending December 31, 2013, not to exceed a total value of approximately $32.2 million. Based on the Company's performance over the four year measurement period, we issued 933,769 restricted common shares in January 2014 which will vest on December 31, 2014 contingent on continued employment through the vesting date. In accordance with the plan, on December 31, 2013, we accrued approximately $3.8 million which represented cumulative dividends that would have been paid to the award recipients had the number of earned common shares been issued at the beginning of the performance period. The amount accrued was paid in January 2014.

We recorded share based compensation expense in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, as follows (in thousands):
 
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
Restricted common shares
 
$
8,354

 
$
8,497

 
$
5,227

Notional unit performance awards
 
2,847

 
1,970

 
1,885

Options
 
175

 
209

 
179

Total share based compensation
 
$
11,376

 
$
10,676

 
$
7,291

(1) For the year ended December 31, 2012, includes approximately $1.3 million of compensation expense related to 45,000 common shares that vested immediately upon grant related to the Employment Agreement described above.

Share-based compensation expense capitalized as a part of rental property and deferred lease costs during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $367,000, $368,000 and $234,000, respectively.

Options outstanding at December 31, 2013 had the following weighted average exercise prices and weighted average remaining contractual lives:
 
 
Options Outstanding
 
Options Exercisable
Exercise prices
 
Options
 
Weighted average exercise price
 
Weighted remaining contractual life in years
 
Options
 
Weighted average exercise price
$
9.71

 
9,200

 
$
9.71

 
0.32
 
9,200

 
$
9.71

11.81

 
12,000

 
11.81

 
0.84
 
12,000

 
11.81

26.06

 
145,100

 
26.06

 
7.10
 
48,200

 
26.06

 
 
166,300

 
$
24.13

 
6.28
 
69,400

 
$
21.43



A summary of option activity under our Amended and Restated Incentive Award Plan as of December 31, 2013 and changes during the year then ended is presented below (aggregate intrinsic value amount in thousands):
Options
 
Shares
 
Weighted-average exercise price
 
Weighted-average remaining contractual life in years
 
Aggregate intrinsic value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2012
 
215,800

 
$
22.16

 
 
 
 
Granted
 

 

 
 
 
 
Exercised
 
(44,500
)
 
14.37

 
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
(5,000
)
 
26.06

 
 
 
 
Outstanding as of December 31, 2013
 
166,300

 
$
24.13

 
6.28
 
$
1,334

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vested and Expected to Vest as of
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 31, 2013
 
140,020

 
$
23.76

 
6.11
 
$
1,174

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exercisable as of December 31, 2013
 
69,400

 
$
21.43

 
5.05
 
$
744



The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $905,000, $716,000 and $652,000, respectively.

The following table summarizes information related to unvested restricted common shares outstanding as of December 31, 2013:
Unvested Restricted Common Shares
 
Number of shares
 
Weighted average grant date fair value
Unvested at December 31, 2012
 
1,047,993

 
$
24.39

Granted
 
349,373

 
31.01

Vested
 
(327,400
)
 
23.26

Forfeited
 
(12,000
)
 
25.61

Unvested at December 31, 2013
 
1,057,966

 
$
26.91



The total value of restricted common shares vested during the years ended 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $10.9 million, $10.6 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

As of December 31, 2013, there was $27.6 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested common share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.9 years.