Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Share-Based Compensation

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Share-Based Compensation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Share-Based Compensation SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
  
We have granted restricted stock shares, restricted stock units, performance stock units and phantom units to employees and non-employee directors under the 2011 Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2011 Plan”) and the 2015 Employee Inducement Incentive Plan (“Inducement Plan”).

Total share-based compensation consisted of the following (in millions):
 
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Share-based compensation costs, pre-tax:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Equity awards
 
$
131

 
$
89

 
$
34

Liability awards
 
9

 
48

 
80

Total share-based compensation
 
140


137

 
114

Capitalized share-based compensation
 
(9
)
 
(24
)
 
(23
)
Total share-based compensation expense
 
$
131


$
113

 
$
91

Tax benefit associated with share-based compensation expense
 
$
14

 
$
6

 
$
5


The total unrecognized compensation cost at December 31, 2019 relating to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements consisted of the following:
 
Unrecognized Compensation Cost
(in millions)
 
Recognized over a weighted average period
(years)
Restricted Stock Share Awards
$
1

 
0.4
Restricted Share Unit and Performance Stock Unit Awards
$
145

 
1.8
Phantom Units Awards
$
3

 
0.7


Restricted Stock Share Awards

Restricted stock share awards are awards of common stock that are subject to restrictions on transfer and to a risk of forfeiture if the recipient terminates employment with us prior to the lapse of the restrictions. These awards vest based on service conditions (one, two, three or four-year service periods) and performance conditions. All performance conditions of the awards have been achieved as of December 31, 2019.

The Amended and Restated 2003 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and 2011 Plan provide for the issuance of 21.0 million shares and 35.0 million shares, respectively, of our common stock that may be in the form of various share-based performance awards deemed by the Compensation Committee of our Board (the “Compensation Committee”).

The Inducement Plan initially provided for the issuance of up to 1.0 million shares of our common stock in the form of stock-based awards deemed by the Compensation Committee to provide us with an opportunity to attract employees. As of December 31, 2019, 0.2 million shares of restricted stock have been granted under the Inducement Plan. In December 2016, the Compensation Committee recommended, and our Board approved, reducing the remaining shares available for issuance under the Inducement Plan to zero.

The table below provides a summary of our restricted stock outstanding (in millions, except for per share information):
 
 

Shares
 
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Non-vested at January 1, 2019
 
0.1

 
$
45.77

Granted
 
0.0

 
67.79

Vested
 
(0.1
)
 
46.95

Forfeited
 

 

Non-vested at December 31, 2019
 
0.0

 
$
67.79



The fair value of restricted stock share awards vested for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $3 million, $53 million and $78 million, respectively.

Restricted Share Unit and Performance Stock Unit Awards

Restricted stock units are stock awards that vest over a service period of three years and entitle the holder to receive shares of our common stock upon vesting, subject to restrictions on transfer and to a risk of forfeiture if the recipient terminates employment with us prior to the lapse of the restrictions. Performance stock units provide for cliff vesting after a period of three years with payouts based on metrics dependent upon market and performance achieved over the defined performance period compared to
pre-established performance targets. The settlement amounts of the awards are based on market and performance metrics which include cumulative distributable cash flow per share, and in certain circumstances, total shareholder return (“TSR”) of our common stock. Where applicable, the compensation for performance stock units is based on fair value assigned to the market metric of TSR using a Monte Carlo model upon grant, which remains constant through the vesting period, and a performance metric, which will vary due to changing estimates regarding the expected achievement of the performance metric of cumulative distributable cash flow per share. The number of shares that may be earned at the end of the vesting period ranges from 25% up to 300% of the target award amount if the threshold performance is met. Both restricted stock units and performance stock units will be settled in Cheniere common stock (on a one-for-one basis) and are classified as equity awards.

In January 2017, the issuance of awards with respect to 7.8 million shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2011 Plan was approved at a special meeting of our shareholders.
The table below provides a summary of our restricted share unit and performance stock unit awards outstanding assuming payout at target for awards containing performance conditions (in millions, except for per unit information):
 
 
Units
 
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Unit
Non-vested at January 1, 2019
 
3.4

 
$
56.29

Granted
 
1.9

 
67.47

Vested
 
(0.8
)
 
52.87

Forfeited
 
(0.1
)
 
60.23

Non-vested at December 31, 2019 (1)
 
4.4

 
$
61.68

 
    
(1)
This number excludes 0.8 million performance stock units, which represent the incremental number of common units that would be issued if the maximum level of performance under the target awards amount is achieved.
The table below provides a summary of restricted share unit and performance stock unit awards issued and fair value of units vested:
 
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Units issued (in millions)
 
1.9

 
2.6

 
1.4

Weighted average grant date fair value per unit
 
$
67.47

 
$
59.50

 
$
47.16

Fair value of units vested (in millions)
 
$
45

 
$
22

 
$
1



Phantom Units Awards
 
Phantom units are share-based awards granted to employees over a vesting period that entitle the grantee to receive the cash equivalent to the value of a share of our common stock upon each vesting. We did not issue any phantom units to our employees and non-employee directors during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Phantom units are not eligible to receive quarterly distributions. These awards vest based on service conditions (two, three or four-year service periods).

The table below provides a summary of our phantom units outstanding (in millions):
 
 
Units
Non-vested at January 1, 2019
 
0.3

Granted
 

Vested
 
(0.2
)
Forfeited
 

Non-vested at December 31, 2019
 
0.1



The value of phantom units vested during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $11 million$91 million and $86 million, respectively.