2. STOCK BASED COMPENSATION

The Company maintains stock equity incentive plans under which the Company grants non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance awards, or stock units to employees, directors and consultants.

Stock Option Compensation Expense

The compensation cost for stock options granted to employees and directors is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award using the Black-Scholes pricing model, and is recognized as an expense, on a straight-line basis, over the requisite service period (the vesting period of the stock option) which is one to ten years. We recorded stock-based compensation expense, related to stock options granted to employees and directors, of approximately $260,000 and $112,000 during the three months ended January 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Stock Option Activity

During the three months ended January 31, 2017, we granted options to purchase 106,000 shares of common stock to employees and directors at a weighted average exercise price of $5.00 per share pursuant to the ITUS Corporation 2010 Share Incentive Plan (the "2010 Share Plan”).  We did not grant any stock options during the three months ended January 31, 2016.  During the three months ended January 31, 2017, stock options to purchase 2,200 shares of common stock were exercised with aggregate proceeds of approximately $6,000.  During the three months ended January 31, 2016 no stock options to purchase shares of common stock were exercised.  During the three months ended January 31, 2017, stock options to purchase 28,000 shares of common stock expired.  No stock options to purchase shares of common stock expired in the same period of the prior year.

Stock Option Plans

As of January 31, 2017, we have two stock option plans:  the ITUS Corporation 2003 Share Incentive Plan (the "2003 Share Plan") and the ITUS Corporation 2010 Share Incentive Plan (the “2010 Share Plan”), which were adopted by our Board of Directors on April 21, 2003 and July 14, 2010, respectively.  

The 2003 Share Plan provides for the grant of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance awards and stock units to key employees, directors and consultants.  In accordance with the provisions of the 2003 Share Plan, the plan terminated with respect to the ability to grant future options on April 21, 2013.  Information regarding the 2003 Share Plan for the three months ended January 31, 2017 is as follows:

			Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share			Aggregate Intrinsic Value
	Shares
Options Outstanding and exercisable at     October 31, 2016	225,600		$	18.69
Options Outstanding and exercisable at      January 31, 2017	195,400		$	19.05		$	78,195

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2003 Share Plan as of January 31, 2017:

		Number Outstanding and Exercisable		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)
							Weighted Average Exercise Price
Range of Exercise Prices
$1.79 - $7.75		39,000		1.56		$	2.92
$13.50 - $17.50		22,400		0.66		$	16.33
$18.75 - $23.00		94,000		0.58		$	22.04
$29.25		40,000		0.55		$	29.25

The 2010 Share Plan provides for the grant of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance awards and stock units to key employees, directors and consultants.  As of January 31, 2017, the 2010 Share Plan had 764,000 shares available for future grants.  Information regarding the 2010 Share Plan for the three months ended January 31, 2017 is as follows:

			Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share			Aggregate Intrinsic Value
	Shares
Options Outstanding at October 31, 2016	1,080,872		$	3.12
Options Outstanding  at January 31, 2017	1,186,872		$	3.29		$	2,079,574
Options Exercisable at January 31, 2017	732,217		$	3.14		$	1,389,686

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2010 Share Plan as of January 31, 2017:

		Options Outstanding					Options Exercisable
			Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)					Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)
										Weighted Average Exercise Price
					Weighted Average Exercise Price
Range of Exercise Prices		Number Outstanding					Number Exercisable
$2.58 - $9.25		1,186,872	7.67	$	3.29		732.217	6.70	$	3.14
										.

In addition to options granted under the 2003 Share Plan and the 2010 Share Plan, the Board of Directors approved the grant of stock options to purchase 1,780,000 shares.  Information regarding stock options outstanding that were not granted under the 2003 Plan or the 2010 Plan for the three months ended January 31, 2017 is as follows:

			Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share			Aggregate Intrinsic Value
	Shares
Options Outstanding at October 31, 2016	1,780,000		$	2.70
Options Outstanding  and exercisable at      January 31, 2017	1,780,000		$	2.70		$	3,948,150

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable that were not granted under the 2003 Share Plan or the 2010 Share Plan as of January 31, 2017:

		Number Outstanding and Exercisable		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)
							Weighted Average Exercise Price
Range of Exercise Prices
$2.58 - $5.56		1,780,000		5.51		$	2.70
							.

Stock Awards

We account for stock awards granted to employees and consultants based on the grant date market price of the underlying common stock.  During the three months ended January 31, 2017 and 2016, we issued 3,463 shares and 2,000 shares, respectively, of common stock to consultants for services rendered.  We recorded consulting expense for the three months ended January 31, 2017 and 2016 of approximately $18,000 and $6,000, respectively, for the shares of common stock issued to consultants.