14. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

 

In 2024, the NESR shareholders approved the Company’s Amended and Restated 2018 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “Amended LTIP”). A total of 11,500,000 ordinary shares are reserved for issuance under the Amended LTIP. Grants to Board members vest ratably over one year, while employee grants are time-based and generally vest ratably over three years, subject to limited exceptions.

 

The purpose of the Amended LTIP is to enhance NESR’s ability to attract, retain and motivate persons who make (or are expected to make) important contributions to NESR by providing these individuals with equity ownership opportunities. The Company intends to use time-based restricted stock unit awards to reward long-term performance of its employees and executive officers. The Company believes that providing a meaningful portion of the total compensation package in the form of share-based awards will align the incentives of its employees and executive officers with the interests of its shareholders and serve to motivate and retain the individual employees and executive officers.

 

 

The following tables set forth the equity-classified LTIP activity for the periods indicated (in US$ thousands, except share and per share amounts):

 

   Year ended 
   December 31, 2025   December 31, 2024   December 31, 2023 
   Number
of
Restricted
Shares
   Weighted
Average
Value
per Share
   Number
of
Restricted
Shares
  

Weighted
Average
Value

per Share

   Number
of
Restricted
Shares
  

Weighted

Average
Value

per Share

 
Unvested at Beginning of Period   

2,630,406

   $8.75    842,881   $9.80    2,076,317   $10.10 
Granted   

1,513,000

   $6.89    2,407,500   $8.75    5,000   $5.04 
Vested   

(1,048,140

)  $8.75    (561,548)  $10.35    (1,049,243)  $8.80 
Forfeited   

(85,171

)  $7.97    (58,427)  $8.56    (189,193)  $9.68 
Unvested at End of Period   

3,010,095

   $7.84    2,630,406   $8.75    842,881   $9.80 

 

At December 31, 2025, and 2024, there were 66,395 and 43,234 restricted stock units, respectively, that were vested but not yet issued by the stock transfer agent. The issuance of these vested restricted stock units is subject to the participants setting up their participant accounts with the stock transfer agent. Additionally, during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, the Company acquired 0 (zero) treasury shares for $0.0 (zero) million, 18,653 treasury shares for $0.2 million, and 45,942 treasury shares for $0.2 million, respectively, in connection with employee tax withholding for vested shares.

 

At December 31, 2025, and 2024, the Company had unrecognized compensation expense of $19.7 million and $18.6 million, respectively, related to unvested LTIP to be recognized on a straight-line basis over a weighted average remaining period of 2.05 years and 2.55 years, respectively. Stock-based compensation has been recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as follows (in US$ thousands):

 

   Year ended 
   December 31,
2025
   December 31,
2024
   December 31,
2023
 
             
Cost of Services  $4,054   $2,983   $3,368 
Selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding Amortization)   

4,267

    3,049    3,395 
Net cost  $

8,321

   $6,032   $6,763 

 

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.