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
Stock-Based Compensation  
Stock-Based Compensation

(9) Stock-Based Compensation

Liberty Broadband grants, to certain of its directors, employees and employees of its subsidiaries, restricted stock and stock options to purchase shares of its common stock (collectively, "Awards"). The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an equity classified Award (such as stock options and restricted stock) based on the grant-date fair value 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 remeasures the fair value of the Award at each reporting date. 

Included in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations are the following amounts of stock-based compensation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 (amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Nine months

 

 

 

ended

 

ended

 

 

 

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

 

 

2016

 

2015

 

2016

 

2015

 

Operating expense

    

$

4

    

(12)

    

2

    

4

 

Selling, general and administrative

 

 

1,596

 

1,292

 

4,363

 

4,534

 

Research and development

 

 

136

 

171

 

217

 

244

 

 

 

$

1,736

 

1,451

 

4,582

 

4,782

 

 

Liberty Broadband – Grants of Stock Options

There were no options to purchase shares of Series A or Series C common stock granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  

The Company calculates the grant-date fair value for all of its equity classified awards and any subsequent remeasurement of its liability classified awards using the Black-Scholes Model. The Company estimates the expected term of the Awards based on historical exercise and forfeiture data. Since Liberty Broadband common stock has not traded on the stock market for a significant length of time, the volatility used in the calculation for Awards is based on the historical volatility of Charter common stock and the implied volatility of publicly traded Charter options; as the most significant asset within Liberty Broadband, the volatility of Charter served as a proxy for the expected volatility of Liberty Broadband.  The Company uses a zero dividend rate and the risk-free rate for Treasury Bonds with a term similar to that of the subject option.

Liberty Broadband – Outstanding Awards

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

    

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

remaining

 

Aggregate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

contractual

 

intrinsic

 

 

Series A

 

WAEP

 

life

 

value

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

(in years)

 

(in millions)

Outstanding at January 1, 2016

 

630

 

$

32.36

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

(121)

 

$

31.91

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/cancelled

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding at September 30, 2016

 

509

 

$

32.46

 

2.4

 

$

19

Exercisable at September 30, 2016

 

489

 

$

32.31

 

2.3

 

$

18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

    

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

remaining

 

Aggregate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

contractual

 

intrinsic

 

 

Series C

 

WAEP

 

life

 

value

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

(in years)

 

(in millions)

Outstanding at January 1, 2016

 

2,761

 

$

41.09

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

(276)

 

$

32.04

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/cancelled

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding at September 30, 2016

 

2,485

 

$

42.09

 

6.0

 

$

73

Exercisable at September 30, 2016

 

915

 

$

32.25

 

2.3

 

$

36

As of September 30, 2016, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested Awards was approximately $16 million. Such amount will be recognized in the Company's consolidated statements of operations over a weighted average period of approximately 2.8 years.  As of September 30, 2016, Liberty Broadband reserved 3.0 million shares of Series A and Series C common stock for issuance under exercise privileges of outstanding stock Awards.

TruePosition Equity Incentive Plans

On July 29, 2016, all Skyhook Wireless Inc. (“Skyhook”), a wholly owned subsidiary of TruePosition, phantom stock appreciation rights (“PARs”) were converted into PARs granted under the TruePosition Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) and future awards under the Skyhook LTIP were suspended. Concurrent with the conversion, TruePosition made certain adjustments to the outstanding TruePosition PARs and phantom stock units (“PSUs”) to standardize and simplify the valuation of awards granted under the TruePosition LTIP.  TruePosition issued 4.1 million PARs during the nine months ended September 30, 2016. As of September 30, 2016, the fair value of outstanding PARs and PSUs was approximately $3.5 million. As of September 30, 2016,  $1.7 million (Level 3) is included in Other current liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet for the fair value of TruePosition’s vested long-term incentive plan obligations.