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STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION | STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION Description of Plans
Pursuant to the Kontoor Brands, Inc. 2019 Stock Compensation Plan (the "2019 Plan"), the Company is authorized to grant equity-based awards to officers, key employees and nonemployee members of the Board of Directors in the form of options, time-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSUs") and restricted stock awards ("RSAs"). The 2019 Plan also provided for the issuance of replacement grants related to the conversion of VF Corporation ("VF") awards for employees that transferred from VF to the Company (defined below as “Converted Awards”). A maximum of 7.5 million shares of Common Stock, plus shares subject to Converted Awards, may be issued under the 2019 Plan. As of December 2024, 3.3 million shares remained available for future grants. Shares distributed under the 2019 Plan are issued from Kontoor's authorized but unissued Common Stock. The Company has stock repurchase programs, as discussed in Note 16 to the Company's financial statements in this Form 10-K, which allow us to purchase shares on the open market to offset outstanding share dilution caused by awards under equity compensation programs.
Substantially all of the Company’s outstanding awards are classified as equity awards, which are accounted for within "equity" in the Company's balance sheets. Compensation cost for all awards expected to vest is recognized over the shorter of the requisite service period or the vesting period, including accelerated recognition for retirement-eligible employees. Awards that do not vest are forfeited.
Conversion at Separation
We completed a spin-off transaction from VF on May 22, 2019 (the "Separation") and began to trade as a standalone public company on May 23, 2019. Prior to the Separation, certain Company employees participated in the VF amended and restated 1996 Stock Compensation Plan (the "VF Plan"). In accordance with the terms of the Separation, share-based awards granted to Company employees under the VF Plan were converted at the time of Separation to options, RSUs, PRSUs and RSAs totaling approximately 2.4 million shares of Kontoor Common Stock (the "Converted Awards"). Certain stock option and PRSU awards were retained by VF and settled in accordance with their original terms under the VF Plan.
Stock-based Compensation Expense
The following table presents total stock-based compensation expense and the associated income tax benefits recognized in the statements of operations for all awards:
There were no material amounts of stock-based compensation costs included in inventory at December 2024, December 2023 and December 2022.
At December 2024, there was $15.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to all stock-based compensation arrangements that will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 1.3 years.
During 2024, 191,870 shares were withheld to settle employee tax withholding related to vesting of awards.
Restricted Stock Units
Kontoor grants RSUs to certain key employees and nonemployee members of the Board of Directors. Each employee RSU entitles the holder to one share of Kontoor Common Stock and typically vests over a three-year period. Each RSU granted to a nonemployee member of the Board of Directors vests upon grant and will be settled in one share of Kontoor Common Stock one year from the date of grant.
Kontoor also grants PRSUs that enable employees to receive shares of Kontoor Common Stock. Each PRSU has a potential final payout ranging from zero to two shares of Kontoor Common Stock. The number of shares earned by participants, if any, is based on achievement of performance goals as set by the Talent and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Commencing with awards granted in 2022, the performance goals are set for a -year period. Shares earned will be issued to participants following the conclusion of their final performance period. Compensation expense for all PRSUs expected to vest is recognized over the shorter of the requisite service period or the vesting period, including accelerated recognition for retirement-eligible employees, when attainment of the performance goal is deemed probable.
For PRSUs, the actual number of shares earned may also be adjusted upward or downward by up to 25% of the target award based on how Kontoor’s total shareholder return (“TSR”) over a three-year period compares to the TSR for companies included in a Company-selected peer group. The TSR-based adjustment is valued as a separate award using a Monte Carlo simulation technique that incorporates option-pricing model inputs. The fair value was $5.73, $6.59 and $4.03 per share for 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Dividend equivalents on the RSUs and PRSUs accumulate during the vesting period, are payable in additional shares of Kontoor Common Stock when the RSUs and PRSUs vest and are subject to the same risk of forfeiture as the RSUs and PRSUs.
The grant date fair value of RSUs and PRSUs is equal to the per share fair market value of the underlying Kontoor Common Stock on each grant date.
The following table presents PRSU and RSU activity from December 2023 to December 2024:
(1) Granted activity includes new awards granted during the year and dividend equivalents for both PRSUs and RSUs, as well as changes due to finalization of performance and market condition achievement for PRSUs. Weighted average grant date fair value of the PRSU awards excludes the TSR-based adjustment disclosed above.
The weighted average fair value of PRSUs granted during the years ended December 2024 and December 2023 was $57.54 and $47.50 per share, respectively, which was equal to the fair market value of the underlying Kontoor Common Stock on each grant date.
The weighted average fair value of RSUs granted during the years ended December 2024 and December 2023 was $63.19 and $48.45 per share, respectively, which was equal to the fair market value of the underlying Kontoor Common Stock on each grant date.
Stock Options
Prior to the Separation, VF granted stock options to employees that transferred from VF to the Company with the Separation. All employee stock options were included in the Converted Awards as discussed above except for retirement eligible employees, whose options remained with VF. The adjusted exercise price and outstanding quantities of the Converted Awards are included in the table below and no new stock options have been granted by the Company subsequent to the Separation.
Employee stock options vested in equal annual installments over three years, and compensation cost was recognized ratably over the shorter of the requisite service period or the vesting period, including accelerated recognition for retirement-eligible employees. All options have ten-year terms.
The following table presents stock option activity for the year ended December 2024:
All stock options were vested as of December 2022. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during 2024 and 2023 was $22.6 million and $9.2 million, respectively.
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