10.    Share-based awards

Equity incentive plans

The Company has had a number of equity incentive plans over the years. The plans were adopted in order to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of substantial authority and to provide additional incentive to employees, directors, and consultants to promote the success of the Company’s business. Incentive compensation was awarded under the Amended and Restated Restricted Stock Option Plan until April 2002 and under the 2002 Equity Incentive Plan through July 2007, at which time the 2007 Incentive Award Plan was adopted. All of the plans generally provided for the grant of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other types of awards to employees, consultants and directors. Unless provided otherwise by the administrator of the plan, options vested over four years at the rate of 25% per year from the date of grant and most must be exercised within ten years. Options were granted with the exercise price equal to the fair value of the underlying stock on the date of grant.

2011 Incentive award plan

In June 2011, the Company adopted the 2011 Incentive Award Plan (the 2011 Plan). The 2011 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance awards, dividend equivalent rights, stock payments, deferred stock and cash-based awards to employees, consultants, and directors. Following its adoption, awards are only being made under the 2011 Plan, and no further awards will be made under any prior plan. As of January 30, 2016, the 2011 Plan reserves for the issuance upon grant or exercise of awards up to 4,096 shares of the Company’s common stock.

The Company recorded stock compensation expense of $15,594, $14,923 and $16,003 for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Cash received from option exercises under all share-based payment arrangements for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $19,646, $10,639 and $21,890, respectively. The total income tax benefit recognized in the income statement for equity compensation arrangements was $5,354, $3,526 and $4,812 for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from option exercise and restricted stock vesting of the share-based payment arrangements totaled $14,970, $6,892 and $18,169, respectively, for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Employee stock options

The Company measures share-based compensation cost on the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and recognizes the expense on a straight-line method over the requisite service period for awards expected to vest. The Company estimated the grant date fair value of stock options using a Black-Scholes valuation model using the following weighted-average assumptions:

The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The risk free interest rate is based on the United States Treasury yield curve in effect on the date of grant for the respective expected life of the option. The expected life represents the time the options granted are expected to be outstanding. The expected life of options granted is derived from historical data on Ulta Beauty stock option exercises. Forfeitures of options are estimated at the grant date based on historical rates of the Company’s stock option activity and reduce the compensation expense recognized. The Company does not currently pay a regular dividend.

The Company granted 294 stock options during fiscal 2015. The compensation cost that has been charged against income for stock option grants was $7,899, $9,078, and $10,214 for fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $56.44, $32.38 and $34.31, respectively. The total fair value of stock options issued that vested during fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $8,236, $8,799 and $10,544, respectively. At January 30, 2016, there was approximately $23,032 of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options. The unrecognized compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately three years. The total intrinsic value of options exercised was $36,610, $15,032 and $49,404 in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s stock option activity is presented in the following table (shares in thousands):

The following table presents information related to options outstanding and options exercisable at January 30, 2016, under the Company’s stock option plans based on ranges of exercise prices (shares in thousands):

The aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding and exercisable options as of January 30, 2016 was $71,947 and $37,819, respectively. The last reported sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on January 30, 2016 was $181.17 per share.

Restricted stock units

The Company issues restricted stock units to certain employees and its Board of Directors. Employee grants will generally cliff vest after three years and director grants will cliff vest within one year. The grant date fair value of restricted stock units is based on the closing market price of shares of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. Restricted stock units are expensed straight-line over the requisite service period. The compensation expense recorded in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $6,040, $5,845 and $5,789, respectively. Forfeitures of restricted stock units are estimated at the grant date based on historical rates of the Company’s stock award activity and reduce the compensation expense recognized. At January 30, 2016, unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock awards was $9,445. The unrecognized compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately two years.

A summary of the status of the Company’s restricted stock units activity is presented in the following table (shares in thousands):

Performance-based restricted stock units

The Company began granting performance-based restricted stock units in fiscal 2015 to certain employees. These awards will cliff vest after three years based upon achievement of pre-established goals at the end of the second year of the term. Consistent with restricted stock units, the grant date fair value of performance-based restricted stock units is based on the closing market price of shares of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. Performance-based units are expensed on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, based on the probability of achieving the performance goal, with changes in expectations recognized as an adjustment to earnings in the period of the change. If the performance goal is not met, no compensation cost is recognized and any previously recognized compensation cost is reversed. The compensation expense recorded in fiscal 2015 was $1,655. Forfeitures of performance-based restricted stock awards are estimated at the grant date based on historical rates of the Company’s stock award activity and reduce the compensation expense recognized. At January 30, 2016, unrecognized compensation cost related to performance-based restricted stock units was $2,239. The unrecognized compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately two years.

A summary of the status of the Company’s performance-based restricted stock unit activity is presented in the following table (shares in thousands):

The number of performance-based units presented is based on achieving the targeted performance goals as defined in the performance-based unit agreements. As of January 30, 2016, the maximum number of units that could vest under the provisions of the agreements was 40.