Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

EQUITY-BASED AWARDS

v3.10.0.1
EQUITY-BASED AWARDS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
EQUITY-BASED AWARDS
EQUITY-BASED AWARDS
The Company grants awards in the form of LTIP units and restricted common shares to provide equity based incentive compensation to members of its senior management team, independent trustees, advisers, consultants, other personnel, and as consideration for self storage property acquisitions.
LTIP units were first granted under the 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "2013 Plan"), which authorized up to 2.5 million LTIP units for issuance. In connection with the Company's initial public offering, the Company terminated the 2013 Plan but the awards granted thereunder remained outstanding after its termination. Restricted common shares were first granted under the 2015 National Storage Affiliates Trust Equity Incentive Plan (the "2015 Plan"), which authorizes the Company's compensation, nominating, and corporate governance committee to grant share options, restricted common shares, phantom shares, dividend equivalent rights, LTIP units and other restricted limited partnership units issued by its operating partnership and other equity-based awards up to an aggregate of 5% of the common shares issued and outstanding from time to time on a fully diluted basis (assuming, if applicable, the exercise of all outstanding options and the conversion of all warrants and convertible securities, including OP units and LTIP units, into common shares).
As of December 31, 2018, the Company did not have outstanding under its equity compensation plan, any options, warrants or rights to purchase the Company's common shares.
LTIP Units
Through December 31, 2018, an aggregate of 2,474,710 LTIP units have been issued under the 2013 Plan, 565,672 LTIP units have been issued under the 2015 Plan, and 313,759 LTIP units have been issued under the LP Agreement. Some of the granted LTIP units vested immediately or upon completion of the Company's initial public offering. Others vest upon the contribution of self storage properties or along a schedule at certain times through May 15, 2022.
Compensatory Grants
The Company grants two types of compensatory LTIP units, time-based LTIP unit awards that are subject to time-based vesting typically over a period of one to three years from the grant date, so long as such person remains an employee or trustee, and performance-based LTIP unit awards, which are designed to align the interests of the Company's executive officers with those of the Company's shareholders in a pay-for-performance structure. The performance-based LTIP unit awards vest contingent upon the achievement of performance criteria measured over a period of three years from the grant date, which is based on the Company's total shareholder return ("TSR") relative to the TSR of the companies in the Morgan Stanley Capital International US REIT Index and the Company's TSR relative to the TSR of its peers in the self storage industry. The value of the performance-based LTIP unit awards take into consideration the probability that the awards will ultimately vest; therefore previously recorded compensation expense is not adjusted in the event that the performance criteria is not achieved.
Compensation expense related to compensatory LTIP units granted to members of the Company's senior management team, the Company's independent trustees, advisers, consultants and other personnel is included in general and administrative expense in the accompanying statements of operations. Total compensation cost recognized for the compensatory LTIP unit awards was $3.6 million$3.5 million and $2.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. At December 31, 2018, total unvested compensation cost not yet recognized was $3.7 million. The Company expects to recognize this compensation cost over a period of approximately 3.4 years.
Time-based LTIP unit awards are granted with a fair value equal to the closing market price of the Company's common shares on the date of grant. The following table summarizes activity for the time-based LTIP unit awards for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
 
Time-Based LTIP Unit Awards
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
Number of LTIP units
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
 
Number of LTIP units
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
 
Number of LTIP units
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding unvested at beginning of year
227,766

 
$
20.37

 
294,529

 
$
14.74

 
236,265

 
$
10.41

Granted
100,176

 
27.08

 
128,051

 
22.89

 
177,546

 
17.59

Vested
(104,130
)
 
20.18

 
(194,814
)
 
13.43

 
(119,282
)
 
10.41

Unvested at end of year
223,812

 
$
23.54

 
227,766

 
$
20.37

 
294,529

 
$
14.74


The aggregate fair value of the time-based LTIP unit awards that vested during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $2.1 million$2.6 million and $1.2 million, respectively.
The following table summarizes activity for the performance-based LTIP unit awards granted during the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, including the minimum, target and maximum number of LTIP units that may be earned upon the achievement of the performance criteria measured over the period of three years from the grant date.
 
Performance-Based LTIP Unit Awards
 
Minimum
 
Target
 
Maximum
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding unvested at December 31, 2016

 

 

 
$

Granted

 
40,390

 
90,874

 
27.63

Outstanding unvested at December 31, 2017

 
40,390

 
90,874

 
$
27.63

Granted

 
46,017

 
69,025

 
24.67

Outstanding unvested at December 31, 2018

 
86,407

 
159,899

 
$
26.35


The fair value of the performance-based LTIP unit awards, which have a market condition, is estimated on the date of grant using a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation requires assumptions for expected volatility, risk-free rate of return, and dividend yield. The following table summarizes the assumptions used to value the performance-based LTIP unit awards granted during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:
 
2018
 
2017
Risk-free interest rate
2.04
%
 
1.58
%
Dividend yield
4.11
%
 
4.35
%
Expected volatility
24.44
%
 
29.96
%

Acquisition Consideration Grants
On December 31, 2013, the Company granted 1,683,560 LTIP units under the 2013 Plan to PROs as part of the consideration for their respective self storage property acquisitions and contributions. The following table presents the number of units vested and forfeited for acquisition grants during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
 
Total LTIP units
Total unvested units, December 31, 2015
423,800

Units vested in 2016 related to properties contributed or sourced by PROs
(45,100
)
Units forfeited
(118,300
)
Total unvested units, December 31, 2016
260,400

Units vested in 2017 related to properties contributed or sourced by PROs
(36,400
)
Total unvested units, December 31, 2017
224,000

Units vested in 2018 related to properties contributed or sourced by PROs

Total unvested units, December 31, 2018
224,000

The aggregate fair value of purchase consideration recognized during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $0.9 million and $0.8 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, the remaining unvested LTIP units will vest as additional self storage properties are contributed or sourced by the PROs. The fair value of such LTIP units will be recorded as additional acquisition consideration based on the fair value in the period such acquisitions are completed.
LP Agreement Grants to Consultants
Pursuant to the LP Agreement, during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company issued 174, 776 and 2,758 LTIP units, respectively, that were immediately vested to consultants that provided acquisition services. During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the self storage properties acquired were accounted for as asset acquisitions and accordingly, the acquisition costs related to the LTIP units granted to consultants were capitalized as part of the basis of the acquired properties. Prior to January 1, 2017, the Company's self storage property acquisitions were accounted for as business combinations and accordingly, the acquisition costs related to the LTIP units granted to consultants during the year ended December 31, 2016 are included in acquisition costs in the accompanying statements of operations. The aggregate fair value of the LTIP units was less than $0.1 million, less than $0.1 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Restricted Common Shares
Through December 31, 2018, an aggregate of 54,136 restricted common shares have been issued under the 2015 Plan. These restricted common shares vest over a weighted average period of approximately 3.0 years. Restricted common shares are granted with a fair value equal to the closing market price of the Company's common shares on the date of grant. 
The following table summarizes activity for restricted common shares for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
Number of Restricted Common Shares
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
 
Number of Restricted Common Shares
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
 
Number of Restricted Common Shares
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding at beginning of year
21,585

 
$
22.43

 
13,590

 
$
12.40

 
11,000

 
$
12.40

Granted
12,311

 
27.26

 
16,525

 
24.04

 
8,090

 
17.19

Vested
(8,041
)
 
21.88

 
(8,530
)
 
14.11

 
(5,500
)
 
12.40

Forfeited
(3,266
)
 
25.35

 

 

 

 

Unvested at end of year
22,589

 
$
24.83

 
21,585

 
$
22.43

 
13,590

 
$
12.40


The aggregate fair value of restricted common shares that vested during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $0.2 million$0.1 million and $0.1 million respectively. Total compensation cost recognized for restricted common shares during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $0.3 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At December 31, 2018, total unvested compensation cost not yet recognized was $0.3 million. The Company expects to recognize this compensation cost over a period of approximately 2.0 years. If the grantee has a termination of service for any reason during the vesting period, the unvested restricted common shares will be forfeited. Compensation expense related to restricted common shares is included in general and administrative expense in the accompanying statements of operations.