Note 11 — Stock Compensation Plans:

The Amended and Restated 2000 Graham Corporation Incentive Plan to Increase Shareholder Value provides for the issuance of up to 1,375 shares of common stock in connection with grants of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock awards and performance awards to officers, key employees and outside directors; provided, however, that no more than 250 shares of common stock may be used for awards other than stock options. Stock options may be granted at prices not less than the fair market value at the date of grant and expire no later than ten years after the date of grant.

During fiscal 2013, 49 stock options with a term of ten years from the date of grant were awarded to officers and key employees. No stock options were awarded in fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014. The stock option awards granted in fiscal 2013 vest 33 ¹/₃% per year over a three-year term. The Company has elected to use the straight-line method to recognize compensation costs related to such awards.

In fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, 30, 32 and 26 shares, respectively, of restricted stock were awarded. Restricted shares of 12, 14 and 18 granted to officers in fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively, vest 100% on the third anniversary of the grant date subject to the satisfaction of the performance metrics for the applicable three-year period. Restricted shares of 11 and 12 granted to officers and key employees in fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, respectively, vest 33 ¹/₃% per year over a three-year term. The restricted shares granted to directors of 7, 6 and 8 in fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively, vest 100% on the anniversary of the grant date. The Company recognizes compensation cost over the period the shares vest.

During fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014, and fiscal 2013, the Company recognized $598, $582, and $524, respectively, of stock-based compensation cost related to stock option and restricted stock awards, and $210, $205 and $184, respectively, of related tax benefits.

The weighted average fair value of options granted during fiscal 2013 was $4.97 using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

The expected life represents an estimate of the weighted average period of time that options are expected to remain outstanding given consideration to vesting schedules and the Company’s historical exercise patterns. Expected volatility is estimated based on the historical closing prices of the Company’s common stock over the expected life of the options. The risk free interest rate is estimated based on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s historical data for the maturity of nominal treasury instruments that corresponds to the expected term of the option. Expected dividend yield is based on historical trends.

The Company received cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options of $47, $581 and $83 in fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively. In fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, the Company recognized a $197, $268 and $41, respectively, increase in capital in excess of par value for the income tax benefit realized upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted shares in excess of the tax benefit amount recognized pertaining to the fair value of stock awards treated as compensation expense.

The following table summarizes information about the Company’s stock option awards during fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013:

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding at March 31, 2015:

The total intrinsic value of the stock options exercised during fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013 was $32, $1,221 and $203, respectively. As of March 31, 2015, there was $1,055 of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to non-vested stock options and restricted stock. The Company expects to recognize this expense over a weighted average period of 1.44 years.

The outstanding options expire between June 2016 and May 2022. Options, stock awards and performance awards available for future grants were 403 at March 31, 2015.

The following table summarizes information about the Company’s restricted stock awards during fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013:

During fiscal 2014, the Company terminated its Long-Term Incentive Plan, which provided for awards of share equivalent units (“SEUs”) for outside directors based upon the Company’s performance. Upon termination, the final value of the share equivalent units was determined and the related share equivalent units were cancelled. The liability at March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $158 and $315, respectively. During fiscal 2015, $157 was paid to the participating directors and the remaining $158 will be paid in fiscal 2016.

The Company has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), which allows eligible employees to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock on the last day of a six-month offering period at a purchase price equal to the lesser of 85% of the fair market value of the common stock on either the first day or the last day of the offering period. A total of 200 shares of common stock may be purchased under the ESPP. In fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, 12, 16 and 19 shares, respectively, were issued from treasury stock to the ESPP for the offering periods in each of the fiscal years. During fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, the Company recognized stock-based compensation cost of $55, $57 and $52, respectively, related to the ESPP and $19, $20 and $19, respectively, of related tax benefits. The Company recognized a $3, $3 and $2 increase in capital in excess of par value for the income tax benefit realized from disqualifying dispositions in excess of the tax benefit amount recognized pertaining to the compensation expense recorded in fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively.