BE16-12 On January 1, 2006, Nichols Corporation granted 10,000 options to key executives. Each option allows the executive to purchase one share of Nichols’ $5 par value common stock at a price of $20 per share. The options were exercisable within a 2-year period beginning January 1, 2008, if the grantee is still employed by the company at the time of the exercise. On the grant date, Nichols’ stock was trading at $25 per share, and a fair value option-pricing model determines total compensation to be $400,000. On May 1, 2008, 8,000 options were exercised when the market price of Nichols’ stock was $30 per share. The remaining options lapsed in 2010 because executives decided not to exercise their options.