Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Equity-Based Compensation

v2.4.1.9
Equity-Based Compensation (Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc [Member])
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc [Member]
 
Equity-Based Compensation
Equity-Based Compensation

We have a shareholder approved equity-based compensation plan, the Incentive Award Plan of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers and Tanger Properties Limited Partnership (Amended and Restated as of April 4, 2014) (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, 2014, we had granted 7,583,960 options, net of options forfeited; 4,573,683 restricted common share awards, net of restricted common shares forfeited or withheld for employees' tax obligations; and notional units which may result in the issuance of a maximum of 644,850 common shares. Shares remaining available for future issuance totaled 2,597,507 common shares. The amount and terms of the awards granted under the Plan were determined by the Board of Directors (or the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors).

In February 2014, the Company granted 282,500 options to non-executive employees of the Company. The exercise price of the options granted during the first quarter of 2014 was $32.02 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: expected dividend yield 2.8%; expected life of 7 years; expected volatility of 32%; a risk-free rate of 2.46%; and forfeiture rates of 3.0% to 13.5% dependent upon the employee's position within the Company.

In February 2014 and 2013, the Compensation Committee of the Company approved the general terms of the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. 2014 Outperformance Plan (the “2014 OPP") and the 2013 Outperformance Plan (the “2013 OPP"). The 2014 OPP and 2013 OPP are long-term performance based incentive compensation plans pursuant to which award recipients may earn up to an aggregate of 329,700 and 315,150 restricted common shares, respectively, 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. The measurement period for the 2014 OPP is January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2016 and for the 2013 OPP is January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015.

Any shares earned at the end of the three year measurement period are subject to a time based vesting schedule, with 50% of the shares vesting in the January immediately following the measurement period, and the remaining 50% vesting in January one year thereafter, contingent upon continued employment with the Company through the vesting dates (unless terminated prior thereto (a) by the Company without cause, (b) by participant for good reason or (c) due to death or disability.

The maximum number of shares will be earned under these plans if the Company both (a) achieves 35% or higher share price appreciation, inclusive of all dividends paid, over the respective three-year measurement periods and (b) is in the 70th or greater percentile of its peer group for total shareholder return over the respective three-year measurement periods. The maximum value of the awards that could be earned on December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2016, 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 applicable three-year measurement period, will equal approximately $13.3 million and $14.3 million, respectively.

With respect to 70% of the performance shares, 33.33% of this portion of the award 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 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 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, 33.33% of this portion of the award 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 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 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 penny-for-penny 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 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company granted 373,960, 349,373 and 346,000 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 the restricted shares issued to our chief executive officer during 2014 and 2013, the restricted share agreement requires him to hold the shares for a minimum of three years following each applicable vesting date thereof. Compensation expense related to the amortization of the deferred compensation is being recognized in accordance with the vesting schedule of the restricted shares. 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 Company granted 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.

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 vested 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, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, as follows (in thousands):
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012(1)
Restricted common shares
 
$
9,978

 
$
8,354

 
$
8,497

Notional unit performance awards
 
4,313

 
2,847

 
1,970

Options
 
459

 
175

 
209

Total share based compensation
 
$
14,750

 
$
11,376

 
$
10,676

(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, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $709,000, $367,000 and $368,000, respectively.

Options outstanding at December 31, 2014 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
$
26.06

 
113,000

 
$
26.06

 
6.09
 
52,600

 
$
26.06

32.02

 
257,500

 
32.02

 
9.01
 

 

 
 
370,500

 
$
30.20

 
8.12
 
52,600

 
$
26.06



A summary of option activity under our Amended and Restated Incentive Award Plan as of December 31, 2014 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, 2013
 
166,300

 
$
24.13

 
 
 
 
Granted
 
282,500

 
32.02

 
 
 
 
Exercised
 
(47,000
)
 
19.22

 
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
(31,300
)
 
31.11

 
 
 
 
Outstanding as of December 31, 2014
 
370,500

 
$
30.20

 
8.12
 
$
2,759

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vested and Expected to Vest as of
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 31, 2014
 
291,661

 
$
30.07

 
8.05
 
$
2,212

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exercisable as of December 31, 2014
 
52,600

 
$
26.06

 
6.02
 
$
610



The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $724,000, $905,000 and $716,000, respectively.

The following table summarizes information related to unvested restricted common shares outstanding as of December 31, 2014:
Unvested Restricted Common Shares
 
Number of shares
 
Weighted average grant date fair value
Outstanding at December 31, 2013
 
1,057,966

 
$
26.91

Granted
 
1,307,729

 
26.50

Vested
 
(1,266,245
)
 
24.67

Forfeited
 

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2014
 
1,099,450

 
$
29.01



The total value of restricted common shares vested during the years ended 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $46.6 million, $10.9 million and $10.6 million, respectively. We withheld shares with value equivalent to the employees' minimum statutory obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes, and remitted the cash to the appropriate taxing authorities. The total number of shares withheld was 412,239 for 2014, and was based on the value of the restricted common shares on the vesting date as determined by our closing share price on the day prior to the vesting date. No shares were withheld during 2013 and 2012. Total amounts paid for the employees' tax obligation to taxing authorities was $15.5 million for 2014 and is reflected as a financing activity within the consolidated statements of cash flows.

As of December 31, 2014, there was $30.9 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.