Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

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STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS  
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

15. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

        Under the Huntsman Corporation Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the "Stock Incentive Plan"), a plan approved by stockholders, we may grant nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, phantom stock, performance awards and other stock-based awards to our employees, directors and consultants and to employees and consultants of our subsidiaries, provided that incentive stock options may be granted solely to employees. The terms of the grants are fixed at the grant date. As of September 30, 2014, we were authorized to grant up to 37.2 million shares under the Stock Incentive Plan. As of September 30, 2014, we had 9 million shares remaining under the Stock Incentive Plan available for grant. Option awards have a maximum contractual term of 10 years and generally must have an exercise price at least equal to the market price of our common stock on the date the option award is granted. Stock-based awards generally vest over a three-year period.

        The compensation cost from continuing operations under the Stock Incentive Plan for our Company and Huntsman International were as follows (dollars in millions):

 
  Three months
ended
September 30,
  Nine months
ended
September 30,
 
 
  2014   2013   2014   2013  

Huntsman Corporation compensation cost

  $ 6   $ 7   $ 22   $ 21  

Huntsman International compensation cost

    6     7     21     20  

        The total income tax benefit recognized in the statements of operations for us and Huntsman International for stock-based compensation arrangements was $4 million for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013.

STOCK OPTIONS

        The fair value of each stock option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model that uses the assumptions noted in the following table. Expected volatilities are based on the historical volatility of our common stock through the grant date. The expected term of options granted was estimated based on the contractual term of the instruments and employees' expected exercise and post-vesting employment termination behavior. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option was based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The assumptions noted below represent the weighted average of the assumptions utilized for stock options granted during the periods.

 
  Three months
ended
September 30,
  Nine months
ended
September 30,
 
 
  2014   2013   2014   2013  

Dividend yield

  N/A     2.9 %   2.4 %   2.8 %

Expected volatility

  N/A     60.9 %   60.3 %   62.5 %

Risk-free interest rate

  N/A     1.8 %   1.7 %   1.0 %

Expected life of stock options granted during the period

  N/A     5.6 years     5.7 years     5.6 years  

        During the three months ended September 30, 2014, no stock options were granted.

        A summary of stock option activity under the Stock Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2014 and changes during the nine months then ended is presented below:

Option Awards
  Shares   Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
  Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
  Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
 
  (in thousands)
   
  (years)
  (in millions)
 

Outstanding at January 1, 2014

    10,019   $ 15.39              

Granted

    1,116     21.22              

Exercised

    (1,648 )   19.22              

Forfeited

    (49 )   17.64              
                         

Outstanding at September 30, 2014

    9,438     15.39     5.1   $ 100  
                         
                         

Exercisable at September 30, 2014

    7,103     14.33     4.0     83  
                         
                         

        The weighted-average grant-date fair value of stock options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $9.63 per option. As of September 30, 2014, there was $14 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock option arrangements granted under the Stock Incentive Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.9 years.

        The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $12 million each.

NONVESTED SHARES

        Nonvested shares granted under the Stock Incentive Plan consist of restricted stock, which is accounted for as an equity award, and phantom stock, which is accounted for as a liability award because it can be settled in either stock or cash. A summary of the status of our nonvested shares as of September 30, 2014 and changes during the nine months then ended is presented below:

 
  Equity Awards   Liability Awards  
 
  Shares   Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
  Shares   Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
 
 
  (in thousands)
   
  (in thousands)
   
 

Nonvested at January 1, 2014

    1,830   $ 15.31     574   $ 16.03  

Granted

    730     21.22     237     21.22  

Vested

    (723 )(1)   16.08     (284 )   15.98  

Forfeited

    (17 )   18.27     (24 )   16.59  
                       

Nonvested at September 30, 2014

    1,820     17.35     503     18.48  
                       
                       

(1)
As of September 30, 2014, a total of 388,299 restricted stock units were vested but not yet issued, of which 44,534 vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2014. These shares have not been reflected as vested shares in this table because, in accordance with the restricted stock unit agreements, shares of common stock are not issued for vested restricted stock units until termination of employment.

        As of September 30, 2014, there was $27 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share compensation arrangements granted under the Stock Incentive Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.9 years. The value of share awards that vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $19 million and $18 million, respectively.