Determining the Measurement Date for Stock Option, Purchase, and Award Plans Involving Junior Stock—an interpretation of APB Opinion No. 25
Summary
APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, specifies that the measurement date for determining compensation cost in stock option, purchase, and award plans is the first date on which are known both (a) the number of shares that an individual employee is entitled to receive and (b) the option or purchase price, if any. Opinion 25 also specifies that the measurement date for a grant or award of convertible stock is the date on which the ratio of conversion is known unless other terms are variable at that date. Questions have been raised about determining the measurement date for stock option, purchase, and award plans involving junior stock, a separate class of stock issued to certain employees that is subordinate to an employer's regular common stock but is convertible into common stock if specified future events occur. This Interpretation clarifies that the measurement date for grants under stock option, purchase, and award plans involving junior stock is the date on which the number of shares of the employer's regular common stock that an employee is entitled to receive in exchange for the junior stock is known. This Interpretation is effective for grants made to employees on or after March 14, 1984 under stock option, purchase, and award plans involving junior stock.