18.COMMON UNIT-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

Long-Term Incentive Plan

A summary of non-vested LTIP grants of restricted units is as follows:

  ​ ​ ​

Number of units

 

Weighted average grant date fair value per unit

 

Intrinsic value

 

(in thousands)

Non-vested grants at January 1, 2023

3,697,133

$

7.40

$

75,126

Granted (1)

450,125

21.54

Vested (2)

(1,291,330)

5.02

Forfeited

(145,584)

 

6.86

Non-vested grants at December 31, 2023

2,710,344

10.91

57,405

Granted (1)

455,574

19.69

Vested (2)

(1,582,422)

 

6.53

Forfeited

(124,932)

 

20.37

Non-vested grants at December 31, 2024

1,458,564

17.60

38,346

Granted (1)

 

376,853

26.92

Vested (2)

 

(625,649)

 

13.62

Forfeited

 

(17,525)

 

21.39

Non-vested grants at December 31, 2025

 

1,192,243

 

22.58

27,696

(1)Restricted units granted have certain minimum-value guarantees per unit, regardless of whether the awards vest.
(2)During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, we issued 366,043, 936,544 and 860,060 unrestricted common units, respectively, to the LTIP participants. The remaining vested units were withheld to satisfy tax withholdings.

For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, our LTIP expense for grants of restricted units was $8.9 million, $8.3 million and $10.4 million, respectively. The total obligation associated with LTIP grants of restricted units as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $17.2 million and $16.9 million, respectively, and is included in the partners’ capital Limited partners-common unitholders line item in our consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2025, there was $9.7 million in total unrecognized compensation expense related to the non-vested LTIP restricted unit grants that are expected to vest. That expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.5 years.

On January 27, 2026, the Compensation Committee authorized additional grants of 410,443 restricted units, of which 395,443 units were granted. These restricted units have certain minimum-value guarantees, regardless of whether the awards vest.

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan

A summary of SERP and Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan activity is as follows:

  ​ ​ ​

Number of units

 

Weighted average fair value per unit

 

Intrinsic value

 

(in thousands)

Phantom units outstanding as of January 1, 2023

742,540

$

20.28

$

15,088

Granted

118,737

20.46

Settled (1)

(49,331)

20.27

Phantom units outstanding as of December 31, 2023

811,946

20.44

17,197

Granted

100,757

22.85

Settled (1) (2)

 

(912,703)

26.37

Phantom units outstanding as of December 31, 2024

 

 

(1)During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we purchased 54,152 and 27,576 ARLP common units, respectively, on the open market to settle the accounts of participants under the SERP. Units purchased were net of units settled in cash to satisfy tax withholdings.
(2)On December 16, 2024, the SERP and Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan were terminated, and final distributions of applicable plan accounts were settled in cash.

Total SERP and Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan expense was $2.3 million and $2.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 27, 2025
2023Feb 23, 2024
2022Feb 24, 2023
2021Feb 25, 2022

About Stock Compensation Disclosures

Stock-based compensation disclosures detail the equity awards granted to employees and executives — including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance shares — along with the valuation methods and assumptions used to expense them. This section reveals the true cost of talent retention and the alignment between management incentives and shareholder interests.

Key signals: total unrecognized compensation expense and its expected recognition period signal future earnings headwinds from already-granted awards. For stock options, examine Black-Scholes assumptions — expected volatility, risk-free rate, and expected term — as understating any of these reduces reported compensation expense. Compare stock compensation expense as a percentage of revenue against peers to assess dilution cost. Watch vesting schedules for acceleration clauses tied to change-of-control events. Performance-based awards with undemanding targets may indicate weak governance. Add back stock compensation to operating cash flow to calculate a more conservative free cash flow figure.