Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stock-Based Compensation

v3.23.3
Stock-Based Compensation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Stock-Based Compensation  
Stock-Based Compensation

(2) Stock-Based Compensation

TripCo Equity Awards

TripCo has granted to certain of its directors and employees restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and stock options to purchase shares of TripCo common stock (collectively, “Awards”). TripCo measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an equity classified Award based on the grant-date fair value (“GDFV”) of the Award, and recognizes that cost over the period during which the employee is required to provide service (usually the vesting period of the Award).  The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for a liability classified Award based on the current fair value of the Award, and re-measures the fair value of the Award at each reporting date.

TripCo has calculated the GDFV for all of its equity classified options and any subsequent re-measurement of its liability classified options using the Black-Scholes-Merton model. TripCo estimates the expected term of the options based on historical exercise and forfeiture data. The volatility used in the calculation for options is based on the historical volatility of TripCo common stock. TripCo uses a zero dividend rate and the risk-free rate for Treasury Bonds with a term similar to that of the subject options.

Included in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations are the following amounts of stock-based compensation, the majority of which relates to Tripadvisor as discussed below:

Three months ended

 

Nine months ended

 

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

    

2023

    

2022

    

2023

    

2022

 

amounts in millions

 

Operating expense

$

10

9

31

28

Selling, general and administrative expense

 

15

 

14

43

 

40

$

25

 

23

74

 

68

Stock-based compensation expense related to Tripadvisor was $24 million and $22 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $72 million and $65 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

TripCo - Outstanding Awards

The following table presents the number and weighted average exercise price (“WAEP”) of options to purchase TripCo common stock granted to certain officers, employees and directors of the Company, as well as the weighted average remaining contractual life and aggregate intrinsic value of the options.

Weighted

average

remaining

Aggregate

contractual

intrinsic

Series A

WAEP

life

value

in thousands

in years

in millions

Outstanding at January 1, 2023

 

1,102

$

6.65

Granted

 

$

Exercised

 

$

Forfeited/Cancelled

 

$

Outstanding at September 30, 2023

 

1,102

$

6.65

 

3.4

$

Exercisable at September 30, 2023

 

815

$

7.45

 

3.2

$

As of September 30, 2023, there were 600 thousand TripCo Series B common stock (“LTRPB”) options outstanding and exercisable at a WAEP of $4.23 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 4.1 years.  There were no grants or exercises of LTRPB during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. On May 31, 2023, TripCo and our CEO agreed that TripCo would cancel the CEO’s vested and unexercised nonqualified stock options to purchase 1.8 million shares of LTRPB, which had been granted in December 2014 with an exercise price equal to $27.83 per share, in exchange for an immaterial cash payment.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, pursuant to an agreement among TripCo, Liberty Media Corporation and our CEO, TripCo granted 175 thousand performance-based RSUs of LTRPB to our CEO and a cash award equal to $656,250 in satisfaction of the annual grant pursuant to which he was entitled under his employment agreement. The RSUs had a GDFV of $1.04 per share at the time they were granted.  The RSUs and the cash award cliff vest one year from the month of grant, subject to the satisfaction of certain performance objectives. Performance objectives, which are subjective, are considered in determining the timing and amount of the compensation expense recognized. When the satisfaction of the performance objectives becomes probable, the Company records compensation expense. The probability of satisfying the performance objectives is assessed at the end of each reporting period.

As of September 30, 2023, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested Awards was approximately $1.6 million. Such amount will be recognized in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations over a

weighted average period of approximately 1.7 years.

As of September 30, 2023, TripCo reserved 1.7 million shares of TripCo Series A common stock (“LTRPA”) and LTRPB for issuance under exercise privileges of outstanding stock options.

Tripadvisor Equity Grant Awards

The following table presents the number and WAEP of the Awards to purchase Tripadvisor common stock (“TRIP common stock”) granted to certain officers, employees and directors of Tripadvisor.

Weighted

average

TRIP

remaining

Aggregate

common stock

contractual

intrinsic

options

WAEP

life

value

in thousands

in years

in millions

Outstanding at January 1, 2023

 

5,462

$

43.48

Granted

 

150

$

20.51

Cancelled or expired (1)

(1,622)

$

60.21

Outstanding at September 30, 2023

 

3,990

$

35.81

 

5.4

$

Exercisable at September 30, 2023

 

2,846

$

40.01

 

4.1

$

Vested and expected to vest after September 30, 2023

 

3,844

$

36.14

 

5.3

$

(1) Inclusive of 1.1 million stock options awarded in August 2013 to Tripadvisor’s former CEO, that expired during the third quarter of 2023. The expiration of these stock options had no impact on Tripadvisor’s stock compensation expense under GAAP during the third quarter of 2023.

The weighted average GDFV of options granted was $10.32 per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Tripadvisor granted approximately 7 million units, vested and released approximately 3 million units, and had cancellations of approximately 1 million units,  which included primarily service-based RSUs, as well as a limited number of performance-based RSUs (“PSUs”) and market-based restricted stock units (“MSUs”) under the TripAdvisor, Inc. 2018 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan. The estimated GDFV per RSU and PSU was measured based on the quoted price of TRIP common stock at the date of the grant, with PSUs calculated upon the establishment of performance targets and amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Based upon actual attainment relative to the target financial metrics, employees have the ability to receive up to 200% of the target number originally granted, or to be issued none at all.  As the MSUs provide for vesting based upon Tripadvisor’s total shareholder return, or “TSR,” performance, the potential outcomes of future stock prices and TSR of Tripadvisor and the Nasdaq Composite Total Return Index, was used to calculate the GDFV of these awards. The weighted average GDFV for RSUs, PSUs and MSUs granted, vested and released, and cancelled during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $21.25 per share, $30.12 per share, and $25.33 per share, respectively.

As of September 30, 2023, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to Tripadvisor stock-based awards, substantially RSUs, was approximately $255 million and will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.8 years.