Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY

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STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Equity [Abstract]  
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company paid $64.1 million, or $0.13 per share, in cash dividends compared to $49.2 million, or $0.10 per share, during the same period in 2022.
During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and during the same period in 2022, the Company did not repurchase shares on the open market. However, in 2023 the Company purchased shares on behalf of employees for the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") discussed below.
The Company repurchases shares from employees for the payment of their taxes on restricted shares that have vested. The Company repurchased $9.8 million and $6.4 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Restricted Shares and Performance Share Unit Awards
As more fully discussed in Note 14 of the Company’s notes to the consolidated financial statements in its 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, time-lapse restricted awards and restricted stock units (“restricted shares”) have been issued to officers and other management employees under the Company’s Employee Stock Incentive Plans. Beginning with the 2023 grant, restricted shares vest in 25 percent increments over four years from the date of the grant. Prior grants vest either over five years or over six years from the date of grant, depending on the year of the grant.
During the first quarter of 2023, certain executives were granted Performance Share Unit awards (PSUs) in addition to restricted shares, representing 25% of their total annual stock compensation awards. 50% of the PSUs will be determined by the Company’s 3-year average Adjusted EBITDA Margin, and the other 50% will be determined by Rollins' 3-year average Revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR). As well as the standard PSUs offered, there will also be a “kicker” option that can be earned based upon the Company’s 3-year average TSR value as compared to the S&P 500. In accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, the PSUs will be accounted for as equity awards with the fair value of the awards determined as of the grant date. These awards will be expensed on a straight-line basis over the
three-year vesting period. The grant date fair value of the awards was determined with the assistance of a third party specialist based on a range of potential outcomes relative to the market condition.
The Company issues new shares from its authorized but unissued share pool. As of March 31, 2023, approximately 5.3 million shares of the Company’s common stock were reserved for issuance.
The following table summarizes the components of the Company’s stock-based compensation programs recorded as expense:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
(in thousands) 2023 2022
Restricted shares and PSUs:
Pre-tax compensation expense $ 5,755  $ 6,138 
Tax benefit (1,396) (1,324)
Compensation expense, net of tax $ 4,359  $ 4,814 
The following table summarizes information on unvested awards outstanding as of March 31, 2023:
(number of shares in thousands) Number of
Shares		 Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
Unvested restricted shares and PSUs at December 31, 2022 2,685 $ 28.97 
Forfeited (37) 29.61 
Vested (790) 26.45 
Granted 546 36.18 
Unvested restricted shares and PSUs at March 31, 2023 2,404 $ 31.43 
As of March 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the Company had $68.6 million and $52.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost, respectively, related to restricted shares and PSUs that are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 3.4 years and 3.5 years, respectively.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
As more fully discussed in Note 14 of the Company’s notes to the consolidated financial statements in its 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, shareholders approved the Rollins, Inc. 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan which provides eligible employees with the option to purchase shares of Company common stock, at a discount, through payroll deductions. The first purchase period for the ESPP began on July 1, 2022 and ended on December 30, 2022. The Company recorded compensation expense of $0.2 million associated with the purchase period which is included in cost of services provided and sales, general and administrative expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2023.