ORION ENERGY SYSTEMS, INC. Stock Compensation Disclosure
NOTE 16 — RESTRICTED SHARES
At Orion’s 2023 annual meeting of shareholders, Orion’s shareholders approved the Orion Energy Systems, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the “Amended 2016 Plan”). Approval of the Amended 2016 Plan increased the number of shares of Orion’s common stock available for issuance under the Amended 2016 Plan from 3,500,000 shares to 6,000,000 shares (an increase of 2,500,000 shares). As of March 31, 2025, the number of shares available for grant under the Amended 2016 Plan was 219,782.
The Amended 2016 Plan authorizes grants of equity-based and incentive cash awards to eligible participants designated by the Plan's administrator. Awards under the Amended 2016 Plan may consist of stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, performance units, common stock, restricted stock, restricted stock units, incentive awards or dividend equivalent units.
Prior to the Amended 2016 Plan, the Company maintained its 2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan, as amended, which authorized the grant of cash and equity awards to employees (the “2004 Plan”). No new awards are being granted under the 2004 Plan; and no awards granted under the 2004 Plan remain outstanding. Forfeited awards originally issued under the 2004 Plan are canceled and are not available for subsequent issuance under the 2004 Plan or under the Amended 2016 Plan.
Certain non-employee directors have from time to time elected to receive stock awards in lieu of cash compensation pursuant to elections made under Orion’s non-employee director compensation program. The Amended 2016 Plan also permits accelerated vesting in the event of certain changes of control of Orion as well as under other special circumstances.
Orion historically granted stock options and restricted stock under the 2004 Plan. Orion did not issue stock options from fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2025 and instead has issued restricted stock.
Orion accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. Under the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, stock-based compensation is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense ratably over the requisite service period. Orion recognizes forfeitures as they occur.
Orion added performance conditions to a portion of the annual long-term incentive grants for Orion's executive compensation program. The performance-vesting restricted stock will vest to the extent Orion achieves revenue growth targets over a three-year period. Orion recognizes performance-vesting restricted stock expense ratably over the requisite service period based on the likelihood of meeting the performance conditions. As of March 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 Orion recognized $0.0 million, $0.3 million, and $0.0 million in stock-based compensation expense for performance-vesting restricted stock, respectively.
The following amounts of stock-based compensation expense for restricted shares were recorded (dollars in thousands):
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, |
|
|||||||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
Cost of product revenue |
|
$ |
7 |
|
|
$ |
5 |
|
|
$ |
4 |
|
General and administrative (1) |
|
|
1,111 |
|
|
|
923 |
|
|
|
1,596 |
|
Sales and marketing |
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
Research and development |
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
$ |
1,157 |
|
|
$ |
950 |
|
|
$ |
1,612 |
|
(1) As discussed in Note 20 - Subsequent Event, the termination of Michael Jenkins on April 14, 2025, led to the acceleration of approximately $251 thousand in relation to approximately 322 thousand restricted shares. Mr. Jenkins forfeited approximately 646 thousand performance shares and approximately 78 thousand shares of restricted stock in connection with his termination. The expense was recognized as of March 31, 2025 as it was determined estimable. The shares were accelerated and forfeited as of the termination date, April 14, 2025.
The following table summarizes information with respect to performance-vesting restricted stock and time vesting-restricted stock activity:
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|
Time-Based |
|
|
Performance-Based |
|
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|
|
Shares |
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Weighted |
|
||||
Balance at March 31, 2024 |
|
|
1,014,104 |
|
|
$ |
1.87 |
|
|
|
708,377 |
|
|
$ |
1.66 |
|
Shares issued |
|
|
785,322 |
|
|
$ |
1.05 |
|
|
|
821,559 |
|
|
$ |
1.09 |
|
Shares vested |
|
|
(430,164 |
) |
|
$ |
2.20 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Shares forfeited |
|
|
(37,668 |
) |
|
$ |
0.99 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Shares outstanding at March 31, 2025 |
|
|
1,331,594 |
|
|
$ |
1.30 |
|
|
|
1,529,936 |
|
|
$ |
1.43 |
|
Per share price on grant date |
|
$0.74 - 1.09 |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1.09 |
|
|
|
|
|||
During fiscal 2025, Orion recognized $1.2 million of stock-based compensation expense related to restricted shares.
As of March 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the weighted average grant-date fair value of restricted shares granted was $1.07, $1.42 and $2.16, respectively. The total fair value of shares vested during fiscal years ended March 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 are $0.9 million, $0.8 million and $1.0 million, respectively.
Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested common stock-based compensation as of March 31, 2025 is expected to be recognized as follows (dollars in thousands):
Fiscal 2026 |
|
$ |
790 |
|
Fiscal 2027 |
|
|
511 |
|
Fiscal 2028 |
|
|
89 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
1,390 |
|
Remaining weighted average expected years |
|
0.9 |
|
|
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jun 26, 2025 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Jun 12, 2024 | |
| 2023 | Jun 12, 2023 | |
| 2022 | Jun 10, 2022 | |
| 2021 | Jun 1, 2021 | |
| 2020 | Jun 5, 2020 | |
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.