Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. Stock Compensation Disclosure
NOTE 13 — STOCK COMPENSATION PLAN
Equity Incentive Plan
At December 31, 2025, the Company maintained two stock compensation plans, the Amended and Restated 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 EIP”), and the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2019 EIP”). The 2019 EIP expired on May 31, 2022 but had outstanding restricted stock awards subject to vesting schedules.
The 2022 EIP was approved on May 31, 2022 by stockholders of the Company and an amendment and restatement of the 2022 EIP was approved by the stockholders of the Company on May 29, 2024 to increase the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the plan by 358,000. The stockholders of the Company subsequently approved an amendment to the 2022 EIP on May 28, 2025 to increase the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the plan by an additional 750,000. Under the 2022 EIP at December 31, 2025, the maximum number of shares of stock that may be delivered to participants in the form of restricted stock, restricted stock units and stock options, including ISOs and non-qualified stock options, is 901,312, subject to adjustment as set forth in the 2022 EIP, plus any awards that are made available under the 2019 EIP after March 15, 2022.
Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units
The Company issued restricted stock awards and restricted stock units under the 2022 EIP, and the 2019 EIP (collectively, “restricted stock grants”) to certain key personnel. Each restricted stock grant vests based on the vesting schedule outlined in the restricted stock grant agreement. Restricted stock grants are subject to forfeiture if the holder is not employed by the Company on the vesting date.
In the first quarter of 2025 and 2024, 133,359 and 168,469 restricted stock grants were issued to certain key personnel, respectively. -third of these shares vest each year for three years beginning on March 1, 2026 and March 1, 2025,
respectively. Total compensation cost that has been charged against income for restricted stock grants was $5.9 million, $6.9 million and $6.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, there was $7.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to the restricted stock awards. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.81 years.
In January 2025, 2024 and 2023, 27,500 of restricted shares were granted to members of the Board of Directors, which each fully vest one-year from the grant date. Total expense for the awards granted to members of the Board of Directors was $1.8 million, $1.4 million and $1.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, there was no unrecognized expense related to these grants.
The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s restricted stock awards:
Year ended | |||||||||||||||
December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||
Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | |||||||||||||
Average | Average | Average | |||||||||||||
Number | Grant Date | Number | Grant Date | Number | Grant Date | ||||||||||
of | Fair Value | of | Fair Value | of | Fair Value | ||||||||||
| Shares | | per Share | | Shares | | per Share | | Shares | | per Share | ||||
Outstanding, beginning of period | 277,095 | $ | 50.59 | 233,852 | $ | 63.98 | 129,562 | $ | 86.01 | ||||||
Granted | 160,859 | 61.10 | 195,969 | 42.28 | 198,498 | 56.04 | |||||||||
Forfeited | (26,122) | 52.01 | (19,243) | 51.37 | (29,218) | 62.53 | |||||||||
Vested | (150,357) | 53.44 | (133,483) | 61.74 | (64,990) | 84.28 | |||||||||
Outstanding at end of period | 261,475 | $ | 55.27 | 277,095 | $ | 50.59 | 233,852 | $ | 63.98 | ||||||
The total fair value of shares vested is $9.3 million, $6.8 million, and $3.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Performance-Based Stock Units
During the second quarter of 2022, the Company established a long-term incentive award program under the 2022 EIP. Under the program, 52,807 PRSUs were awarded in the first quarter of 2025, which vest over a three-year period beginning in March 2026 if certain performance criteria are met. If the performance criteria are not met, no compensation cost is recognized and any recognized compensation cost is reversed. In the second quarter of 2024, 73,260 PRSUs were awarded, of which 31,746 met the performance criteria and will vest in equal installments over a three-year period beginning in June 2025. The weighted average service inception date fair value of the outstanding awarded shares was $4.3 million. Total compensation cost that has been charged against income for these PRSUs was $1.2 million, and $640,000 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, there was $2.1 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to the PRSUs. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.47 years.
During the second quarter of 2021, the Company established a long-term incentive award program under the 2019 EIP. Under the program, 90,000 PRSUs were awarded. During the second quarter of 2022, 20,800 PRSUs were forfeited and reissued pursuant to the 2022 EIP. The weighted average service inception date fair value of the outstanding awarded shares was $6.0 million. At the beginning of 2024, 2023, and 2022, 30,800, 29,200, and 30,000 PRSUs, respectively, vested as all performance criteria were met. All 90,000 vested shares were delivered in the first quarter of 2024. Total compensation cost that has been charged against income for the PRSUs was $2.2 million, for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 20, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 28, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 28, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 28, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 10, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 8, 2021 | |
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.