Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Stock Based Compensation

v3.25.2
Stock Based Compensation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Stock Based Compensation Stock Based Compensation
The Company replaced its expired 2015 Stock Option and Incentive Plan with a new equity incentive plan named the Finward Bancorp 2025 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which was adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors on March 21, 2025, and approved by the Company’s shareholders on May 22, 2025. The maximum number of shares of common stock cumulatively available for issuance under the 2025 Omnibus Plan is 265,174 shares. Awards granted under the Plan may be in the form of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, unrestricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, stock appreciation rights, or any combination thereof, as provided in the Plan. Unvested awards granted under the prior plan will continue to be governed by the terms of the award agreements entered into with the participants under the prior plan. Shares of common stock underlying awards granted under the prior plan that expire, terminate, or are canceled or forfeited under the terms of the prior plan will be available for issuance under the new plan.

As required by the Stock Compensation Topic, companies are required to record compensation cost for stock options and awards provided to employees in return for employment service. For the three months ended June 30, 2025, stock based compensation expense of $131 thousand was recorded, compared to $133 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, stock based compensation expense of $229 thousand was recorded, compared to $306 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2024. It is anticipated that current outstanding unvested awards will result in additional compensation expense of approximately $0.7 million with a weighted average life of 2.0 years.
Restricted stock awards are issued with an award price equal to the market price of the Company’s common stock on the award date and vest one year after the grant date for independent directors and three years after the grant date for employees. Forfeiture provisions exist for personnel that separate employment before the vesting period expires. A summary of restricted stock activity under the Company’s Plan described above for the six months ended June 30, 2025, follows:
Non-vested Shares Shares Weighted
 Average
 Grant
Date
 Fair Value
Non-vested at January 1, 2025 44,570 $ 36.74 
Granted 16,415 26.95 
Vested (16,469) 27.33 
Forfeited (611) 25.92 
Non-vested at June 30, 2025 43,905 $ 36.76