Stock-Based Compensation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Stock-Based Compensation
Note 6—Stock-Based Compensation
On April 27, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved the second amended and restated Centennial Resource Development, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”), which, among other things, increased the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance to employees and directors from 24,750,000 shares to 44,250,000 shares. The LTIP provides for grants of restricted stock, stock options (including incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options), restricted stock units (including performance stock units), stock appreciation rights and other stock or cash-based awards.
Stock-based compensation expense is recognized within both General and administrative expenses and Exploration and other expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company accounts for forfeitures of awards granted under the LTIP as they occur in determining compensation expense.
The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense recognized for the periods presented:
Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands)2022202120222021
Equity Awards
Restricted stock$4,481 $3,536 $7,920 $7,142 
Stock option awards26 234 57 505 
Performance stock units2,079 646 4,082 1,285 
Other stock-based compensation expense(1)
71 65 143 134 
Total stock-based compensation - equity awards6,657 4,481 12,202 9,066 
Liability Awards
Restricted stock units— 4,647 — 7,955 
Performance stock units(8,593)10,013 5,127 17,119 
Total stock-based compensation - liability awards(8,593)14,660 5,127 25,074 
Total stock-based compensation expense$(1,936)$19,141 $17,329 $34,140 
(1)     Includes expenses related to the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). In May 2019, an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares were authorized by stockholders for issuance under the ESPP, which became effective on July 1, 2019.
Equity Awards
The Company has restricted stock, stock options and performance stock units (“PSUs”) outstanding that were granted under the LTIP as discussed below. Each award has service-based and, in the case of the PSUs, market-based vesting requirements, and are expected to be settled in shares of Common Stock upon vesting. As a result, these awards are classified as equity-based awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”).
Restricted Stock
The following table provides information about restricted stock activity during the six months ended June 30, 2022:
Restricted StockWeighted Average Fair Value
Unvested balance as of December 31, 202110,143,687 $2.85 
Granted2,409,749 7.90 
Vested(387,929)5.03 
Forfeited(97,829)5.40 
Unvested balance as of June 30, 202212,067,678 3.76 
The Company grants service-based restricted stock to executive officers and employees, which vest ratably over a three-year service period, and to directors, which vest over a one-year service period. Compensation cost for these service-based restricted stock is based on the closing market price of the Company’s Common Stock on the grant date, and such costs are recognized ratably over the applicable vesting period. The total fair value of restricted stock that vested during the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was $2.0 million and $2.7 million, respectively. Unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted shares that were unvested as of June 30, 2022 was $32.4 million, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted average period of 2.5 years.
Stock Options
Stock options that have been granted under the LTIP expire ten years from the grant date and vest ratably over their three-year service period. The exercise price for an option granted under the LTIP is the closing market price of the Company’s Common Stock on the grant date.
Compensation cost for stock options is based on the grant-date fair value of the award, which is then recognized ratably over the vesting period of three years.
The following table provides information about stock option awards outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2022:
OptionsWeighted Average Exercise PriceWeighted Average Remaining Term
(in years)
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding as of December 31, 20212,212,798 $15.31 
Granted— — 
Exercised(4,000)1.92 $24 
Forfeited(2,500)7.58 
Expired(60,832)14.69 
Outstanding as of June 30, 20222,145,466 15.36 4.9$276 
Exercisable as of June 30, 20222,094,791 15.63 4.9$165 
The total fair value of stock options that vested during the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively. The intrinsic value of the stock options exercised was minimal for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021. As of June 30, 2022, there was less than $0.1 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options, which the Company expects to recognize on a pro-rata basis over a weighted-average period of 0.6 years.
Performance Stock Units
The Company grants performance stock units (“PSU”) to certain executive officers that are subject to market-based vesting criteria as well as a three-year service period. Vesting at the end of the three-year service period is subject to the condition that the Company’s stock price increases by a greater percentage, or decreases by a lesser percentage, than the average percentage increase or decrease, respectively, of the stock prices of a peer group of companies. These market-based conditions must be met in order for the stock awards to vest, and it is therefore possible that no shares could ultimately vest. However, the Company recognizes compensation expense for the PSUs subject to market conditions regardless of whether it becomes probable that these conditions will be met or not, and compensation expense is not reversed if vesting does not actually occur.
During the six months ended June 30, 2022 and the year ended December 31, 2021 there were 0.7 million and 1.1 million shares, respectively, of performance stock units granted that can be settled in either Common Stock or cash upon vesting at the Company’s discretion. The Company currently intends to settle these performance stock units in Common Stock and has sufficient shares available under the LTIP to settle the units in Common Stock at the potential future vesting dates. Accordingly, these units have been treated as equity-based awards and a grant date was established on April 27, 2022, which represents the date the 2022 awards were approved and the date sufficient shares become available under the LTIP to settle 2021 awards in Common Stock. As a result, these PSU awards’ fair value was determined as of the grant date and remeasurement of such value will not be required.
The fair value was estimated using a Monte Carlo valuation model. The Monte Carlo valuation model is based on random projections of stock price paths and must be repeated numerous times to achieve a probabilistic assessment. Expected volatility was calculated based on the historical volatility of the Company’s Common Stock, and the risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury yield curve rates with maturities consistent with the three-year vesting period.
The following table summarizes the key assumptions and related information used to determine the fair value of performance stock units:
2021 Awards2022 Awards
Weighted average fair value per share$12.79$13.81
Number of simulations10,000,00010,000,000
Expected implied stock volatility99.5%96.3%
Dividend yield—%—%
Risk-free interest rate2.3%2.7%
The following table provides information about performance stock units outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2022:
AwardsWeighted Average Fair Value
Unvested balance as of December 31, 20211,580,980 $8.54 
Granted733,330 13.81 
Vested— — 
Cancelled— — 
Forfeited— — 
Unvested balance as of June 30, 20222,314,310 11.83 
As of June 30, 2022, there was $19.1 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to PSUs that were unvested, which the Company expects to recognize on a pro-rata basis over a weighted average period of 2.4 years.
Liability Awards
The Company has performance stock units that were granted under the LTIP, which are settleable in cash and are therefore classified as liability awards in accordance with ASC 718. The Company also had restricted stock units granted under the LTIP that were settleable in cash and that were classified as liability awards, but all such units were settled in their entirety during the third quarter of 2021. Compensation cost for these liability awards is based on the fair value of the units as of the balance sheet date as further discussed below, and such costs are recognized ratably over the service periods of the awards. As the fair value of liability awards is required to be re-measured each period end, stock compensation expense amounts recognized in future periods for these awards will vary. The estimated future cash payments associated with these awards are presented as liabilities within Other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balances sheets.
Restricted Stock Units
The Company granted 5.5 million restricted stock units during the third quarter of 2020 to certain officers (non-NEOs) and employees that were settleable in cash upon vesting. The restricted stock units vested annually in one-third increments over a three-year service period, with the first portion vesting on September 1, 2021. After one year from the grant date, however, the remaining two-thirds of unvested restricted stock units could vest immediately, on an accelerated basis, if they meet certain market-based vesting criteria equal to the maximum return percentage for at least 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days. Additionally, the restricted stock units included maximum and minimum return amounts equal to 400% and 25%, respectively, of the closing market price of the Company’s Common Stock on the grant date.
During the second quarter of 2021, the Company amended these restricted stock unit agreements to (i) allow the units to be settleable in either cash or Common Stock upon vesting at the Company’s discretion and (ii) remove the maximum and minimum return amounts if the units are settled in Common Stock. The amended terms were effective July 1, 2021, and at that time, the Company intended to settle a portion of these restricted stock units in cash. As a result, the awards continued to be classified as liabilities in accordance with ASC 718.
During the third quarter of 2021, the maximum return event (described above) occurred resulting in an immediate vesting of all the outstanding restricted stock units on September 1, 2021. The Company settled 1.8 million of the restricted stock units in cash resulting in a $6.2 million cash payment, and the remaining units were settled in Common Stock. The portion of the units that were settled in Common Stock were recognized as equity instruments on the vesting date, which resulted in $13.6 million of incremental stock compensation expense being recognized during the year ended December 31, 2021. There are no remaining restricted stock units outstanding as of June 30, 2022.
Performance Stock Units
The Company granted 5.5 million PSUs during third quarter of 2020 to certain executive officers that will be settled in cash and are subject to market-based vesting criteria as well as a three-year service condition. Vesting at the end of the three-year service period is subject to the condition that the Company’s stock price increases by a greater percentage, or decreases by a lessor percentage, than the average percentage increase or decrease, respectively, of the stock price of a peer group of companies. These market-based conditions must be met in order for the PSU awards to vest, and it is therefore possible that no units could ultimately vest and cumulative stock compensation expense recognized for these awards would then be reduced to zero. As of June 30, 2022, there was $15.2 million of unrecognized compensation cost that represents the unvested portion of the fair value of the PSUs at June 30, 2022 and will be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.0 years.
Liability Awards Fair Value
The fair value of the PSUs was estimated using a Monte Carlo valuation model as of the balance sheet date. The Monte Carlo valuation model is based on random projections of stock price paths and must be repeated numerous times to achieve a probabilistic assessment. Expected volatility was calculated based on the historical volatility of the Company’s Common Stock as well as the peer companies that are specified in the PSU award agreement. The risk-free rate is based on U.S. Treasury yield curve rates with maturities consistent with the remaining vesting or performance period.
The following table summarizes the key assumptions and related information used to determine the fair value of the liability awards as of June 30, 2022:
Performance stock units
Number of simulations10,000,000
Expected implied stock volatility73.7%
Dividend yield—%
Risk-free interest rate2.8%