11. Share Based Compensation

2022 Equity Compensation Plan

In March 2022, the Board adopted the 5E Advanced Materials, Inc. 2022 Equity Compensation Plan (the “5E Incentive Plan”), which was approved by our shareholders in April 2023, which reserved approximately 109 thousand shares of Common Stock for issuance under the 5E Incentive Plan. In October 2024, the Board adopted an amendment to the 5E Incentive Plan, which was approved by our shareholders in January 2025, which reserved approximately 217 thousand additional shares for issuance under the 5E Incentive Plan. Finally, in January 2025, the Board adopted an Amended and Restated 5E Incentive Plan (the “Restated Incentive Plan”), which was approved by our shareholders in March 2025, which reserved approximately 609 thousand additional shares for issuance under the Restated Incentive Plan, for an aggregate of approximately 935 thousand shares reserved for issuance under the Restated Incentive Plan. The Restated Incentive Plan authorizes the grant of stock options, restricted share units (“RSUs”), performance share units (“PSUs”), performance cash units and other equity-based awards. The Company’s Compensation Committee determines the exercise price for stock options and other equity-based awards, which may not be less than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. As of June 30, 2025, approximately 198 thousand shares remain available for issuance under the Restated Incentive Plan. It is the Company’s policy to issue new shares of Common Stock to satisfy stock option exercises. Approval for awards issued to directors under the Restated Incentive Plan during the year ended June 30, 2025 was obtained under ASX Listing Rule 10.14.

Share-Based Compensation Expense

Share-based compensation expense is included in general and administrative expense and represents costs associated with RSUs, PSUs and options granted to directors, employees and consultants of the Company. Share-based compensation expense consisted of the following for the periods presented.

 

 

Year Ended June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Share-based compensation expense — service based

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABR Employee share option plan

 

$

167

 

 

$

397

 

2022 Equity Compensation Plan — Options

 

 

185

 

 

 

1,443

 

2022 Equity Compensation Plan — PSUs

 

 

95

 

 

 

18

 

2022 Equity Compensation Plan — RSUs

 

 

1,652

 

 

 

1,632

 

Total share-based compensation expense

 

$

2,099

 

 

$

3,490

 

As of June 30, 2025, the Company had approximately $2.1 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock-based compensation awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 1.8 years.

Stock Options

All stock options outstanding prior to September 30, 2022 were granted under the predecessor parent company's employee share option plan (the “ABR Employee Share Option Plan”). New option grants are made under the Restated Incentive Plan and vest ratably over the vesting period, which is generally three years or less. The fair value of stock option awards granted to directors, officers, employees and/or consultants is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. Volatility is determined using the Company's historical stock price information. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of stock option awards granted during the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, using the Black-Scholes option valuation model are as follows.

 

 

Year ended June 30,

 

 

2025

 

2024

Exercise price

 

$6.72 - $29.21

 

$29.21 - $177.68

Share price

 

$4.26 - $14.25

 

$26.45 - $56.58

Volatility

 

99.2% - 108.0%

 

99.0%

Expected term in years

 

2.8 - 4.0

 

3.3 - 9.6

Risk-free interest rate

 

3.4% - 4.1%

 

4.3% - 4.7%

Dividend rate

 

Nil

 

Nil

 

The following table summarizes stock option activity for each of the periods presented.

 

 

Year ended June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

Number of Options

 

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price

 

 

Number of Options

 

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price

 

 

 

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

Outstanding at beginning of the period

 

 

174

 

 

$

214.51

 

 

 

182

 

 

$

250.82

 

Granted

 

 

607

 

 

 

7.51

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

106.67

 

Exercised

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expired/forfeited

 

 

(134

)

 

 

223.39

 

 

 

(33

)

 

 

332.84

 

Outstanding at end of the period

 

 

647

 

 

 

18.31

 

 

 

174

 

 

 

214.51

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vested at the end of the period

 

 

28

 

 

 

251.61

 

 

 

159

 

 

 

225.45

 

Unvested at the end of the period

 

 

619

 

 

$

7.93

 

 

 

15

 

 

$

97.35

 

The weighted average remaining life of vested options as of June 30, 2025 and 2024, was approximately 5.0 years and 1.4 years, respectively. As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, the maximum expiration date for vested options was approximately 7.8 and 8.8 years, respectively.

As of June 30, 2025, there was approximately $1.8 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to 619 thousand unvested stock options. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining period of approximately 1.9 years. As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, the maximum expiration date for unvested options was approximately 3.9 and 3.1 years, respectively.

During the year ended June 30, 2024, approximately 12 thousand options with a remaining term of approximately 1.9 years and an exercise price of $589.26, granted to one grantee, were cancelled and concurrently replaced with approximately 2 thousand RSUs that vest over two years. The modification did not result in any incremental compensation expense.

The following table summarizes the activity for unvested options for each of the periods presented.

 

 

Year ended June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

Number of Options

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per share

 

 

Number of Options

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per share

 

 

 

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

Unvested at beginning of the period

 

 

15

 

 

$

41.12

 

 

 

36

 

 

$

147.63

 

Granted

 

 

607

 

 

 

2.98

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

33.02

 

Vested

 

 

(3

)

 

 

141.22

 

 

 

(21

)

 

 

95.43

 

Expired/forfeited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(25

)

 

 

140.87

 

Unvested at end of the period

 

 

619

 

 

$

3.25

 

 

 

15

 

 

$

41.12

 

As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, all outstanding stock options and vested stock options had no intrinsic value as the exercise prices of the respective options exceeded the Company's stock price on such dates. There were no options exercised during the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024.

Full Value Awards (Restricted Share Units and Performance Share Units)

The fair value of service-based and performance-based restricted stock units granted to directors, officers, employees and/or consultants is determined on the grant date by reference to the Company’s stock price on the grant date.

The following table summarizes RSU and PSU activity for each of the periods presented.

 

 

Serviced-Based Shares

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share

 

 

Performance- Based Shares

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Unit

 

 

Total Shares

 

 

 

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

Non-vested shares/units
   outstanding at June 30, 2023

 

 

9.1

 

 

$

155.97

 

 

 

6.0

 

 

 

165.60

 

 

 

15.1

 

Granted

 

 

20.0

 

 

 

44.51

 

 

 

5.3

 

(1)

 

56.58

 

 

 

25.3

 

Vested

 

 

(7.1

)

 

 

104.64

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7.1

)

Forfeited

 

 

(6.0

)

 

 

103.80

 

 

 

(7.2

)

 

 

105.05

 

 

 

(13.2

)

Non-vested shares/units
   outstanding at June 30, 2024

 

 

16.0

 

 

 

58.95

 

 

 

4.1

 

 

$

131.68

 

 

 

20.1

 

Granted

 

 

64.8

 

 

 

7.29

 

 

 

19.8

 

(2)

 

11.62

 

 

 

84.6

 

Vested

 

 

(24.7

)

 

 

31.41

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(24.7

)

Forfeited

 

 

(0.5

)

 

 

13.60

 

 

 

(1.1

)

 

 

76.66

 

 

 

(1.6

)

Non-vested shares/units
   outstanding at June 30, 2025

 

 

55.6

 

 

$

11.36

 

 

 

22.8

 

 

$

30.11

 

 

 

78.4

 

(1)
During the year ended June 30, 2024, approximately 5.3 thousand PSUs were granted, which based on the achievement of certain financial and operational targets, could vest within a range of 0% to 100%. The targets are 1) construction of the proposed commercial-scale facility commencing prior to September 1, 2026; 2) the budget for the proposed commercial-scale facility within a range of $342-418 million; and 3) an approved final investment decision in the proposed commercial-scale facility at a modeled internal rate of return of 20%. The determination of the percentage of shares that ultimately vest will be made at the three-year anniversary of the grant date based upon achievement of the performance targets over the period.
(1)
During the year ended June 30, 2025, approximately 19.8 thousand PSUs were granted, which based on the achievement of certain financial and operational targets, could vest within a range of 0% to 100%. The targets are 1) construction of the proposed commercial-scale facility commencing prior to September 1, 2026; 2) an approved final investment decision in the proposed commercial-scale facility at a modeled internal rate of return of 20%, 3) achievement of an enterprise value in excess of $200 million, and 4) achievement of an enterprise value in excess of $300 million. The determination of the percentage of shares that ultimately vest will be made at the three-year anniversary of the grant date based upon achievement of the performance targets over the period.

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.