Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stock-based Compensation

v3.5.0.2
Stock-based Compensation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
Stock-based Compensation

13. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

 

In April 2014, the Company adopted the Medical Transcription Billing, Corp. 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”), reserving a total of 1,351,000 shares of common stock for grants to employees, officers, directors and consultants. As of September 30, 2016, 353,235 shares are available for grant. Permissible awards include incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance stock and cash-settled awards and other stock-based awards in the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, including unrestricted stock grants.

 

The RSUs contain a provision in which the units shall immediately vest and become converted into the right to receive a cash payment payable on the original vesting date after a change in control as defined in the award agreement.

 

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors approved the issuance of a total of 225,000 restricted shares of common stock, with vesting contingent on meeting 2015 financial objectives, to three senior executives. The outside members of the Board of Directors were also awarded a total of 100,000 restricted shares of common stock with the same vesting. During March 2016, all of the restricted shares vested upon the achievement of specified operating results and are included in the issued and outstanding common shares as of September 30, 2016.

 

The Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the total requisite service period for the entire award. For RSUs classified as equity, the market price of our common stock on the date of grant is used in recording the fair value of the award. For RSUs classified as a liability, the earned amount is marked to market based on the end of period common stock price. The value of RSUs classified as a liability was $23,649 and $32,764 at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, and is included in accrued compensation in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The following table summarizes the components of share-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016:

 

Stock-based compensation included in the   Three Months Ended
September 30,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations:   2016     2015     2016     2015  
                         
Direct operating costs   $ 3,571     $ 6,483     $ 8,909     $ 18,594  
General and administrative     131,077       159,537       731,690       457,832  
Research and development     3,767       6,690       6,910       20,535  
Selling and marketing     5,378       -       18,086       -  
Total stock-based compensation expense   $ 143,793     $ 172,710     $ 765,595     $ 496,961  

 

The following table summarizes transactions for RSUs and restricted stock under the 2014 Plan for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:

 

Outstanding and unvested at January 1, 2016     386,733  
Granted     448,200  
Vested     (509,938 )
Forfeited     (30,535 )
Outstanding and unvested at September 30, 2016     294,460