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Valuing executive stock options: performance hurdles, early exercise and stochastic volatility

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  • Philip Brown
  • Alex Szimayer

Abstract

Accounting standards require companies to assess the fair value of any stock options granted to executives and employees. We develop a model for accurately valuing executive and employee stock options, focusing on performance hurdles, early exercise and uncertain volatility. We apply the model in two case studies and show that properly computed fair values can be significantly lower than traditional Black–Scholes values. We then explore the implications for pay‐for‐performance sensitivity and the design of effective share‐based incentive schemes. We find that performance hurdles can require a much greater fraction of total compensation to be a fixed salary, if pre‐existing incentive levels are to be maintained.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Brown & Alex Szimayer, 2008. "Valuing executive stock options: performance hurdles, early exercise and stochastic volatility," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 48(3), pages 363-389, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:48:y:2008:i:3:p:363-389
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2008.00259.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Susana Álvarez-Díez & J. Baixauli-Soler & María Belda-Ruiz, 2014. "Are we using the wrong letters? An analysis of executive stock option Greeks," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 22(2), pages 237-262, June.
    2. Xin Qu & Majella Percy & Jenny Stewart & Fang Hu, 2018. "Executive stock option vesting conditions, corporate governance and CEO attributes: evidence from Australia," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(2), pages 503-533, June.
    3. Timothy Kyng & David Pitt & Sachi Purcal & Jinhui Zhang, 2021. "Financial `metrics for comparing Australian retirement villages," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(4), pages 5581-5611, December.
    4. Carmona, Julio & León, Angel & Vaello-Sebastià, Antoni, 2012. "Does stock return predictability affect ESO fair value?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 223(1), pages 188-202.
    5. Ming-Cheng Wu & I-Cheng Lin, 2013. "Determining fair values of performance-vested and forfeiture-embedded employee stock options," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(4), pages 1083-1106, December.
    6. Susana Alvarez-Diez & J. Samuel Baixauli-Soler & Maria Belda-Ruiz, 2016. "Early Exercise Behaviour in Performance-vested Stock Option Grants," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 17(1), pages 55-78, May.
    7. Jamie Alcock & Godfrey Smith, 2017. "Non-parametric American option valuation using Cressie–Read divergences," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 42(2), pages 252-275, May.
    8. Len, Angel & Vaello-Sebasti, Antoni, 2009. "American GARCH employee stock option valuation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1129-1143, June.
    9. Stacey Beaumont & Raluca Ratiu & David Reeb & Glenn Boyle & Philip Brown & Alexander Szimayer & Raymond Silva Rosa & David Hillier & Patrick McColgan & Athanasios Tsekeris & Bryan Howieson & Zoltan Ma, 2016. "Comments on Shan and Walter: ‘Towards a Set of Design Principles for Executive Compensation Contracts’," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(4), pages 685-771, December.

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