Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

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STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

NOTE 3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

We issue employee share-based awards under the UPS Incentive Compensation Plan, which permits the grant of nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, performance shares, performance units and management incentive awards to eligible employees. The primary compensation programs offered under the UPS Incentive Compensation Plan include the UPS Management Incentive Awards Program, the UPS Long-Term Incentive Program and the UPS Long-Term Incentive Performance Award Program. We also maintain an employee stock purchase plan which allows eligible employees to purchase shares of UPS class A common stock at a discount. Additionally, our matching contributions to the primary employee defined contribution plan are made in shares of UPS class A common stock.

During the first quarter of 2011, we granted target restricted performance units (“RPUs”) under the UPS Long-Term Incentive Performance Award Program to eligible management. Of the total 2011 target award, 90% of the target award will be divided into three substantially equal tranches, one for each calendar year in the three-year award cycle from 2011 to 2013, using performance criteria targets established each year. For 2011, those targets consist of consolidated operating return on invested capital and growth in consolidated revenue. The remaining 10% of the total 2011 target award will be based upon our achievement of adjusted earnings per share for the year ending 2013 compared to a target established at the beginning of the award cycle.

The number of RPUs earned each year will be the target number adjusted for the percentage achievement of performance criteria targets for the year. The percentage of achievement used to determine the RPUs earned may be a percentage less than or more than 100% of the target RPUs for each tranche. Based on the date that the eligible management population and performance targets were approved for the 2011 performance tranches, we determined the award measurement date to be March 1, 2011; therefore the target RPUs grant was valued for stock compensation expense purposes using the closing New York Stock Exchange price of $72.35 on that date.

During the second quarter of 2011, we granted stock option and RPU awards to eligible management employees under the UPS Long-Term Incentive Program. Stock options are granted to a limited group of senior management, while the entire eligible population receives awards in the form of RPUs. Stock option and RPU awards will generally vest over a five year period with approximately 20% of the award vesting at each anniversary date of the grant (except in the case of death, disability, or retirement, whereby immediate vesting occurs). The options granted will expire ten years after the date of grant. In the second quarter of 2011, we granted 0.2 million stock options and 1.6 million RPUs at a grant price of $74.25. In the second quarter of 2010, we granted 0.2 million stock options and 1.8 million RPUs at a grant price of $67.18. The fair value of our employee stock options granted, as determined by the Black-Scholes valuation model, was $15.92 and $14.83 for 2011 and 2010, respectively, using the following assumptions:

 

     2011     2010  

Expected life (in years)

     7.5        7.5   

Risk-free interest rate

     2.90     3.30

Expected volatility

     24.26     23.59

Expected dividend yield

     2.77     2.70

Historically, awards granted under the Management Incentive Awards Program were normally granted during the fourth quarter of each year, while awards granted under the UPS Long-Term Incentive Program were granted during the second quarter of each year. The UPS Long-Term Incentive award granted in the second quarter of 2011 will be the last award made under that existing program. Prospectively, the compensation provided by the UPS Long-Term Incentive Program has been combined with the Management Incentive Awards Program, and we anticipate that the combined Management Incentive Awards grant will be made in the first quarter of 2012. The combined Management Incentive Awards Program will consist of cash and RPU awards, and the amount of the awards granted each year will be adjusted for the percentage of achievement of performance criteria targets. The Company’s actual performance compared with the performance criteria can result in an award grant that is less than or more than 100% of the target grant. The RPU awards will vest over a five year period, with approximately 20% of the award vesting at each anniversary date of the grant (except in the case of death, disability, or retirement, whereby immediate vesting occurs).

Compensation expense for share-based awards recognized in net income for the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 was $152 and $136 million pre-tax, respectively. Compensation expense for share-based awards recognized in net income for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 was $272 and $238 million pre-tax, respectively.