Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Benefit Plans

v3.5.0.2
Benefit Plans
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Benefit Plans
Benefit Plans 
We recognized share-based payment expense of $30,020 and $23,393 for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $77,890 and $62,334 for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
2015 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan
In May 2015, our stockholders approved the Sirius XM Holdings Inc. 2015 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”).  Employees, consultants and members of our board of directors are eligible to receive awards under the 2015 Plan.  The 2015 Plan provides for the grant of stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards that the compensation committee of our board of directors deem appropriate.  Stock-based awards granted under the 2015 Plan are generally subject to a graded vesting requirement, which is generally three to four years from the grant date, and may include performance requirements.  Stock options generally expire ten years from the date of grant.  Each restricted stock unit entitles the holder to receive one share of common stock upon vesting.  As of September 30, 2016, 181,711 shares of common stock were available for future grants under the 2015 Plan.
Other Plans
We maintain four other share-based benefit plans — the Sirius XM Radio Inc. 2009 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan, the XM 2007 Stock Incentive Plan, the Amended and Restated Sirius Satellite Radio 2003 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan and the XM 1998 Shares Award Plan. No further awards may be made under these plans.  
The following table summarizes the weighted-average assumptions used to compute the fair value of options granted to employees and members of our board of directors:
 
For the Three Months Ended September 30,
 
For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2016
 
2015
Risk-free interest rate
1.1%
 
1.4%
 
1.1%
 
1.4%
Expected life of options — years
4.48
 
4.22
 
4.27
 
4.20
Expected stock price volatility
22%
 
26%
 
22%
 
26%
Expected dividend yield
0%
 
0%
 
0%
 
0%

There were no options granted to third parties during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015.  Since we have not historically paid dividends on our common stock, the dividend yield used in the Black-Scholes-Merton option value was zero for all periods.
The following table summarizes stock option activity under our share-based plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:
 
Options
 
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price Per Share
 
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (Years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2015
338,481

 
$
3.29

 
 
 
 
Granted
53,346

 
$
4.13

 
 
 
 
Exercised
(36,824
)
 
$
2.58

 
 
 
 
Forfeited, cancelled or expired
(9,992
)
 
$
4.32

 
 
 
 
Outstanding as of September 30, 2016
345,011

 
$
3.47

 
7.49
 
$
244,220

Exercisable as of September 30, 2016
137,541

 
$
2.80

 
6.14
 
$
188,511


The weighted average grant date fair value per share of options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $0.83.  The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 was $59,531 and $85,387, respectively.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the number of net settled shares which were issued as a result of stock option exercises was 8,171.
We recognized share-based payment expense associated with stock options of $21,484 and $19,418 for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $59,510 and $52,662 for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
The following table summarizes the restricted stock unit, including performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSUs"), and stock award activity under our share-based plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:
 
Shares
 
Grant Date
Fair Value
Per Share
Nonvested as of December 31, 2015
16,088

 
$
3.73

Granted
17,453

 
$
4.21

Vested
(4,009
)
 
$
3.66

Forfeited
(456
)
 
$
3.71

Nonvested as of September 30, 2016
29,076

 
$
4.02


The total intrinsic value of restricted stock units and stock awards vesting during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 was $16,890 and $9,565, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the number of net settled shares which were issued as a result of restricted stock units vesting and the number of shares issued from stock awards granted totaled 2,387.
On August 5, 2016, we granted 3,036 PRSUs to certain employees, the vesting of which is subject to the employee's continuing employment and our achievement of certain performance goals. The awards cliff vest on the three-year anniversary of the grant date. We believe it is probable that the performance target applicable to these PRSUs will be achieved.
We recognized share-based payment expense associated with restricted stock units and stock awards of $8,536 and $3,975 during the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $18,380 and $9,672 for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The three months ended September 30, 2016 included $669 of compensation expense related to PRSUs.
Total unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested share-based payment awards for stock options and restricted stock units granted to employees, members of our board of directors and third parties at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 were $281,678 and $261,628, respectively.  The total unrecognized compensation costs at September 30, 2016 are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years.
401(k) Savings Plan
Sirius XM sponsors the Sirius XM Radio Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan (the “Sirius XM Plan”) for eligible employees. The Sirius XM Plan allows eligible employees to voluntarily contribute from 1% to 50% of their pre-tax eligible earnings, subject to certain defined limits. We match 50% of an employee’s voluntary contributions per pay period on the first 6% of an employee’s pre-tax salary up to a maximum of 3% of eligible compensation.  We may also make additional discretionary matching, true-up matching and non-elective contributions to the Sirius XM Plan.  Employer matching contributions under the Sirius XM Plan vest at a rate of 33.33% for each year of employment and are fully vested after three years of employment for all current and future contributions.  Our cash employer matching contributions are not used to purchase shares of our common stock on the open market, unless the employee elects our common stock as their investment option for this contribution.  We recognized $1,640 and $1,486 in expense during the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $4,857 and $6,026 in expense during nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan
In 2015, we adopted the Sirius XM Holdings Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the “DCP”).  The DCP allows members of our board of directors and certain eligible employees to defer all or a portion of their base salary, cash incentive compensation and/or board of directors’ compensation, as applicable, each plan year starting in 2016.  Pursuant to the terms of the DCP, we may elect to make additional contributions beyond amounts deferred by participants, but we are under no obligation to do so.  We have established a grantor (or “rabbi”) trust to facilitate the payment of our obligations under the DCP.
 As of September 30, 2016, the fair value of the investments in the trust was $4,625, which is included in Other long-term assets in our unaudited consolidated balance sheets and is classified as trading securities.  Trading gains and losses associated with the trust are recorded in Other income within our unaudited consolidated statements of comprehensive income.  The associated liability is recorded within Other long-term liabilities in our unaudited consolidated balance sheets, and any increase or decrease in the liability is recorded in General and administration expense within our unaudited consolidated statements of comprehensive income.