11. Stock-Based Compensation

Equity Incentive Plans – The Company’s 2013 Equity Compensation Plan (the “2013 Plan”) was adopted for the purpose of providing equity incentives to employees, officers, directors and consultants including options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, other equity awards, annual incentive awards and dividend equivalents. The Company amended the 2013 Plan to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock under the Plan from 225,000 shares to 615,000 shares, which the Company’s stockholders approved on June 26, 2017. The Company further amended the 2013 Plan to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock under the Plan by 300,000 shares, which the Company’s stockholders approved and ratified on November 8, 2018. The Company is now authorized to issue 915,000 shares under the amended 2013 Plan.

Stock Options

The fair value of options is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The valuation determined by the Black-Scholes pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of highly complex and subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rate for the expected life at the time of grant, volatility is based on the average long-term implied volatilities of peer companies, the expected life is based on the estimated average of the life of options using the simplified method, and forfeitures are estimated on the date of grant based on certain historical data. The Company utilizes the simplified method to determine the expected life of its options due to insufficient exercise activity during recent years as a basis from which to estimate future exercise patterns. The expected dividend assumption is based on the Company’s history and expectation of dividend payouts.

Forfeitures are required to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:

On June 25, 2020, the Company granted 30,000 stock options. The stock option exercise price was $3.69 and the grant date fair value of this award was $90,840.

On March 11, 2019, the Company granted 30,000 stock options at a stock option exercise price of $2.23 and the grant date fair value was $53,400. The Company computes the grant date fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and the fair value of stock option awards are amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the stock option awards.

The following assumptions were utilized in the Black-Scholes option pricing for the stock option grants for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:

The Company recorded non-cash stock-based compensation expense of approximately $33,000 and $24,000 as a component of general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, pertaining to stock options awards.

Total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock options at December 31, 2020 was approximately $78,000 and is expected to be recognized through the second quarter of 2023.

Warrants

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were 125,000 warrants outstanding and exercisable, with a weighted average exercise price of $20.00 per share and these warrants are scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021.

Restricted Stock

A summary of restricted stock activity for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company granted 300,000 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to the Company’s Chief executive Officer Xin (Adam) He and 6,775 RSUs to a newly elected Board of Director. The RSU award grant to Mr. He vest 1/3 on grant date and the remaining 2/3 to vest equally on the annual grant date anniversary of the award over the next two years. The RSU award to the Board member fully vests on the one-year anniversary of the RSU award. The aggregate grant date fair value of the combined awards amounted to $1,132,000.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company granted 46,402 to certain Board of Directors and 1,166 RSUs to Mr. He for their board services. The RSUs awards had no voting or dividend rights. The fair value of the common stock on the dates of grant were $3.09 and $3.32 per share, based upon the closing market price on the grant dates. The aggregate grant date fair value of the combined awards amounted to $156,000.

The Company recorded non-cash stock-based compensation expense of approximately $587,000 and $201,000 as a component of general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, pertaining to restricted stock awards.

Total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock at December 31, 2020 was $559,000 and is expected to be recognized through the second quarter of 2022.