(8) STOCK OPTIONS AND RESTRICTED STOCK

The Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2018 Plan, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 15, 2018. The terms of the 2018 Plan provide for grants of a variety of different type of stock awards to the Company’s employees and non-employee directors, including options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, PSUs, and stock appreciation rights, etc. On April 22, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an amendment to the 2018 Plan to increase the number of shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance thereunder, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 19, 2020. On April 26, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an additional amendment to the 2018 Plan to further increase the number of shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance thereunder, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 14, 2022. On April 25, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an additional amendment to the 2018 Plan to further increase the number of shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance thereunder, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders on June 12, 2025. A total of 7,710,968 shares of the Company’s common stock are issuable under the 2018 Plan, and 2,262,518 shares remained issuable as of December 31, 2025. Awards under the 2018 Plan are subject to certain limitations as set forth in the 2018 Plan, which will terminate when all shares of common stock authorized for delivery have been delivered and the forfeiture restrictions on all awards have lapsed, or by action of the Board of Directors pursuant to the 2018 Plan, whichever occurs first.

The Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2015 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan, or the 2015 Director Plan, on March 12, 2015, which was approved by the Company’s shareholders on June 5, 2015, and on which exemptive relief to implement the 2015 Director Plan was received from the SEC on February 29, 2016. A total of 300,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were issuable under the 2015 Director Plan, and 258,334 remained issuable as of June 15, 2018. Effective June 15, 2018, the 2018 Plan was approved, and these remaining shares were rolled into the 2018 Plan. Under the 2015 Director Plan, unless otherwise determined by a committee of the Board of Directors comprised of directors who are not eligible for grants under the 2015 Director Plan, the Company granted options to purchase 12,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to a non-employee director upon election to the Board of Directors, with an adjustment for directors who were elected to serve less than a full term. The option price per share could not be less than the current market value of the Company’s common stock on the date the option was granted. Options granted under the 2015 Director Plan vested annually, as defined in the 2015 Director Plan. The term of the options could not exceed ten years.

The Company’s Board of Directors approved the First Amended and Restated 2006 Director Plan, or the Amended Director Plan, on April 16, 2009, which was approved by the Company’s shareholders on June 5, 2009, and on which exemptive relief to implement the Amended Director Plan was received from the SEC on July 17, 2012. A total of 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were issuable under the Amended Director Plan. No additional shares are available for issuance under the Amended Director Plan. Under the Amended Director Plan, unless otherwise determined by a committee of the Board of Directors comprised of directors who are not eligible for grants under the Amended Director Plan, the Company would grant options to purchase 9,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to an Eligible Director upon election to the Board of Directors, with an adjustment for directors who were elected to serve less than a full term. The option price per share could not be less than the current market value of the Company’s common stock on the date the option was granted. Options granted under the Amended Director Plan vested annually, as defined in the Amended Director Plan. The term of the options could not exceed ten years.

Additional shares are only available for future issuance under the 2018 Plan. As of December 31, 2025, 798,058 options on the Company’s common stock were outstanding under the Company’s plans, all of which have previously vested and are exercisable. Additionally, as of December 31, 2025, there were 751,750 unvested shares of restricted stock, 823,854 unvested PSUs, 88,480 unvested restricted stock units, and 331,799 vested, unissued restricted stock units outstanding under the 2018 Plan. As of December 31, 2025, the total remaining unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock, restricted stock units, and PSUs, was $5.0 million, which is expected to be recognized over the next nine quarters. Total stock-based compensation expense was $6.7 million, $6.1 million, and $4.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023.

The fair value of each restricted stock grant, each restricted stock unit, and each PSU is determined on the date of grant by the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. There were no options granted during the year ended December 31, 2025.

The Company’s Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors grants PSUs, to certain officers and employees of the Company. Granted PSUs are subject to specified performance criteria for a particular performance period. The number of PSUs that vest can range from zero to 200% of the grant amount. In addition, dividends that accrue during the vesting period are reinvested in dividend equivalent PSUs. PSUs and the related dividend equivalent PSUs are converted into shares of common stock after vesting. Once the PSUs and dividend equivalent PSUs have vested, shares of common stock are delivered.

The PSUs have vesting conditions based upon certain levels of total pre-tax income as well as return on common equity attained over a three-year period. The PSUs cliff vest after three years based upon the performance of the Company. Dividend equivalent PSUs accumulate and convert to additional shares for the benefit of the grantee at the vesting date or are forfeited if the performance conditions are not met. The following table presents the PSU activity for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company granted 86,410 restricted stock units, or RSUs, with a vesting date of June 12, 2026 at a grant price of $9.49. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company granted 92,350 RSUs which vested on June 11, 2025 at a grant price of $8.23. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company granted 83,158, which vested on June 22, 2024 at a grant price of $9.14. For the RSUs granted in 2025, 2024, and 2023, unitholders had the option of deferring settlement until a future date if the recipient makes a formal election under the guidelines of IRC Section 409A. As of December 31, 2025, there were 420,279 RSUs outstanding, including 331,799 which had previously vested.