Understanding Volatility in Stock-Based Compensation Valuation: A Guide to ASC 718 and SEC SAB #107
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Volatility is one of the key assumptions that goes into the valuation of stock-based compensation. This brief will reference literature from ASC 718, SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin #107, and Infinite Equity’s research. FASB ASC paragraph 718-10-55-36 describes volatility as “a measure of the amount by which a financial variable such as a share price has…
Understanding Volatility: A Key Driver in Option and Performance Award Valuation
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Volatility is one of the most impactful assumption inputs when valuing employee equity. It also requires judgement, as ASC 718 lays out criteria to consider, versus a prescribed methodology. The following summary highlights the impact of volatility on different types of employee equity: We discuss each of these different instruments in detail below. Impact of…
Rigor Testing – What Are Appropriate Risks of Forfeiture
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What Are Appropriate Risks of Forfeiture for Performance Equity? Performance-based compensation makes up a significant portion of executive pay in the form of both short and long-term incentives. However, it can be quite challenging to develop performance goals that are reasonable to the executive team and have sufficient rigor for investors, regulators, and corporate governance…