Reporting concepts
Stock compensation expense and valuation assumptions
Distinguish share FMV, option fair value, exercise cost, and recognized compensation expense with a simplified expense example.
On this page
Separate four different amounts
| Measure | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Share FMV | The value per underlying share at a relevant date |
| Option fair value | The modeled value of the option right, using its terms and valuation assumptions |
| Exercise cost | The strike multiplied by the quantity exercised |
| Recognized compensation expense | Cost attributed to the reporting period under the applicable accounting treatment |
A financing’s headline company valuation is another measure. It cannot simply replace each of these per-share and award-specific values.
Understand why valuation assumptions matter
Cap Table’s option calculation uses Black-Scholes with a share value, strike, expected term, volatility, and risk-free rate, assuming no dividends. Its RSU calculation uses recorded grant-date share FMV. Those are model inputs and conventions, not values the app independently establishes.
For US reporting context, the SEC’s SAB 107 discusses share-based payment valuation assumptions. Appropriate estimates and accounting treatment depend on the award and reporting framework.
Work through a simplified expense schedule
Assume an award has a reviewed grant-date fair value of $48,000 and a four-year service period. Under an illustrative straight-line attribution with no forfeiture or other adjustment, annual expense is $48,000 ÷ 4 = $12,000.
After two complete years, cumulative expense is $24,000 and unrecognized cost is $24,000. These are accounting amounts; the example does not mean an employee received $12,000 cash each year.
Graded attribution treats individual vesting tranches over their own periods and can change the timing. In the app, a recorded unvested forfeiture can reverse prior attributed expense in the cancellation period.
Review scope before relying on an export
Check grant-date inputs, attribution, reporting period, and all fallback notes. A ten-year assumed term or strike used in place of missing FMV may produce a number while leaving an unresolved input problem.
The app does not cover every ASC 718 arrangement, modification, liability award, or performance condition. Confirm the treatment of those facts outside the standard schedule and reconcile the reviewed export with the accounting records.