Can a company offer cheaper options than a previous grant?
February 14, 2005
Subject: Pre IPO Stock Option Grans and Reverse Splits
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005
From: Jon
Mike,
The company I work for is privately owned. It issued ISOs for 150,000 shares at $.15 per share. Later, the company had 1:25 reverse split, repricing the ISOs for 6,000 shares at $3.75 each.
Then the company made an additional grant of an option for 200,000 shares at $ .06.
How can they have an option price of $3.75 per share for one grant and $ .06 for the other?
Best regards,
Jon
Answer
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005
Hello Jon,
I don’t have enough details to answer your question. The option price is supposed to represent the fair market value of the stock on the date the option is granted. The value of a company’s stock changes all of the time because of its experience of profits or losses and whether additional investors become involved. Your situation may not be as unusual as you think.
Remember you can exercise the second option first.
Good luck!
Mike Gray