Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stock Options

v2.4.0.6
Stock Options
6 Months Ended
May 31, 2012
Stock Options [Abstract]  
Stock Options

Note 4 – Stock Options

The Company maintains the 2000 Stock Incentive Plan as amended (“the 2000 Plan”) that has reserved 2,250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance pursuant to stock options or restricted stock. Options issued under the Plan have a term ranging from five to seven years from the date of grant and have a vesting period ranging from immediately upon issuance to three years from the date of grant. The options are exercisable for a period of 90 days after termination. As of May 31, 2012 and November 30, 2011, there were 81,713 and 99,292 shares outstanding under the 2000 Plan, respectively. No further options will be issued under the 2000 Plan.

The Company also maintains the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2006 Plan”). The 2006 Plan has reserved 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance pursuant to stock options, restricted stock, stock-appreciation rights (commonly referred to as “SARs”), and other stock awards (i.e. performance shares and performance units). As of May 31, 2012 and November 30, 2011, there were 637,669 and 509,127 shares outstanding under the 2006 plan, respectively. As of May 31, 2012, there were 276,185 shares available for future issuance under the 2006 Plan.

 

The Company also maintains the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2012 Plan”) which became effective December 1, 2011 as approved by the Board of Directors and approved by the stockholders at the 2012 Annual Meeting on July 10, 2012. The 2012 Plan originally reserved 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance pursuant to stock options, restricted stock, stock-appreciation rights (commonly referred to as “SARs”), and other stock awards (i.e. performance shares and performance units). In May 2012, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Plan to increase the number of shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for issuance under the Plan to 2,500,000 shares. As of May 31, 2012, there were 1,500,000 shares granted under the 2012 plan.

Service-based vesting condition options

The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model that uses the assumptions noted in the following table. Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock over the most recent period commensurate with the expected life of the Company’s stock options. The Company uses historical data to estimate option exercise and employee termination within the valuation model. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The expected term of options granted is calculated, in accordance with the “simplified method” for “plain vanilla” stock options allowed under GAAP. Expected dividends is based on the historical trend of the Company not issuing dividends.

Variables used to determine the fair value of the options granted for the three and six months ended May 31, 2012 and May 31, 2011 are as follows:

 

                                 
    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
    May 31, 2012     May 31, 2011     May 31, 2012     May 31, 2011  

Weighted average values:

                               

Expected dividends

    0     0     0     0

Expected volatility

    113.70     108.44     111.83     100.34

Risk free interest rate

    .92     2.12     .93     2.39

Expected life

    5 years       5 years       5.7 years       5 years  

Stock option activity for options with only service-based vesting conditions for the six months ended May 31, 2012, was as follows:

 

                                 
          Weighted     Weighted
Average
       
          Average     Remaining     Aggregate  
    Shares     Exercise
Price
    Contractual
Term (Years)
    Intrinsic
Value
 

Outstanding at November 30, 2011

    608,419     $ 2.40       6.38     $ 37,490  
         

Granted

    580,000       1.84             $ 216,725  

Exercised

    (33,562     1.83             $ 22,801  

Expired/forfeited

    (75,475     1.95             $ 24,228  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Outstanding at May 31, 2012

    1,079,382     $ 2.15       7.44     $ 321,930  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Exercisable at May 31, 2012

    794,603     $ 2.12       7.90     $ 280,840  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the six months ended May 31, 2012 and May 31, 2011 was $1.51 and $1.21, respectively.

The aggregate intrinsic value represents the total value of the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of the period and the exercise price of the options, multiplied by the number of in-the-money stock options that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on either November 30, 2011 or May 31, 2012, as applicable. The intrinsic value of the Company’s stock options changes based on the closing price of the Company’s stock.

During the six months ended May 31, 2012, there were 33,562 options exercised using the net exercise method included as part of the original terms of each award. Under the net exercise method, the option holders surrendered 26,749 options to cover the total cost of exercising the stock options resulting in 6,813 net common shares being issued. The result of a smaller number of shares being issued to the option holder caused less dilution and fewer shares used from the option plan. There were 3,751 options exercised during the six months ended May 31, 2011.

Significant option groups outstanding and exercisable at May 31, 2012 and related price and contractual life information are as follows:

 

                                         
    Outstanding     Exercisable  
          Weighted
Average
                   
          Remaining     Weighted           Weighted  

Range of Exercise Prices

  Outstanding     Contractual
Life (Years)
    Average
Exercise Price
    Outstanding     Average
Exercise Price
 

$0.42 to $1.00

    15,000       3.19     $ 0.68       15,000     $ 0.68  

$1.01 to $ 2.00

    546,002       8.18     $ 1.68       491,217     $ 1.69  

$2.01 to $ 3.00

    459,167       7.58     $ 2.60       229,173     $ 2.81  

$3.01 to $ 4.00

    59,213       .63     $ 3.34       59,213     $ 3.34  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      1,079,382       7.44     $ 2.15       794,603     $ 2.12  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

A summary of the status of the Company’s non-vested shares as of May 31, 2012, and changes during the six months ended May 31, 2012, is presented below:

 

                 
          Weighted Average  
          Grant-Date  
    Shares     Fair Value  

Non-vested at November 30, 2011

    353,277     $ 1.94  
     

Granted

    580,000       1.51  

Vested

    (591,941     1.64  

Forfeited

    (56,557     1.60  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-vested at May 31, 2012

    284,779     $ 1.76  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

As of May 31, 2012, there was approximately $271,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the 2000 Plan, the 2006 Plan and the 2012 Plan. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years as of May 31, 2012. The total fair value of shares vested during the six months ended May 31, 2012 was approximately $969,000.

Performance and market-based vesting condition options

Variables used to determine the fair value of options with performance-based and market-based vesting conditions granted during the three and six months ended May 31, 2012 are as follows:

 

                 
    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
    May 31, 2012     May 31, 2012  

Weighted average values:

               

Expected dividends

    0     0

Expected volatility

    113.51     112.36

Risk free interest rate

    .87     .90

Expected life

    5 years       5.5 years  

Stock option activity for options with performance-based and market-based vesting conditions for the six months ended May 31, 2012, was as follows:

 

                                 
          Weighted     Weighted
Average
       
          Average     Remaining        
    Shares     Exercise
Price
    Contractual
Life (Years)
    Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
 

Outstanding at November 30, 2011

    —         —         —         —    
         

Granted

    1,170,000     $ 1.73                  

Exercised

    —         —                    

Expired/forfeited

    (30,000     1.72                  
   

 

 

   

 

 

                 

Outstanding at May 31, 2012

    1,140,000     $ 1.73       8.09     $ 545,400  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Exercisable at May 31, 2012

    —         —         —         —    
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The weighted average grant date fair value of performance and market-based vesting conditions options granted during the three and six months ended May 31, 2012 was $1.38 and $1.28, respectively.

During the six months ended May 31, 2012, the Company granted 213,334 options that begin to vest based on the achievement of certain share prices of the Company’s common stock at certain future dates. For market-based vesting condition options, accounting principles do not require that the market condition be met in order for the compensation cost to be recognized. Fair value of these options has been determined using a binomial model and is being recognized over the requisite service period, regardless if the market condition will be met. As of May 31, 2012 there was approximately $141,300 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to the non-vested market-based vesting condition options.

 

The remaining 956,666 options granted to executives and consultants during the six months ended May 31, 2012 require certain performance targets to be met before vesting can occur. Management has deemed these performance targets to be improbable as of May 31, 2012 and thus no compensation cost has been recognized through this date. The Company will reevaluate the probability of achieving these targets on a quarterly basis, and adjust compensation expense accordingly. In addition, any compensation expense as a result of consultant options, will be re-measured on a quarterly basis, over the period the service is being provided to the Company. As of May 31, 2012 there was approximately $1,510,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to the non-vested performance-based vesting condition options. If the performance conditions are not achieved by a certain date as specified in each option agreement, no compensation expense associated with these performance based options will be recognized. Total unrecognized compensation cost may fluctuate from quarter to quarter as performance based options issued to consultants are marked to market over the requisite service period.