12. Stock-based Compensation

The Company grants qualified and non-qualified stock options, RSUs, common stock and other stock-based awards under various plans to directors, officers, employees and other individuals. Stock options are granted at exercise prices of not less than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. Additionally, the Company has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) that allows employees to purchase Company shares at a purchase price equal to 85% of the lower of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the first trading day of the offering period or on the last day of the offering period.

Stock Options

Stock options generally vest monthly over three to four years for employees and one year for directors. Stock options held by employees who qualify for retirement age (defined as employees that are a minimum of 55 years of age and the sum of their age plus years of full-time employment with the Company exceeds 70 years) vest on the earlier of scheduled vest date or the date of retirement.

The fair value of the stock options granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, was estimated based on the following weighted average assumptions:

Stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, was as follows:

As of September 30, 2018, $6.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.9 years.

Performance-Based Stock Options

As of September 30, 2018, the Company had 82,500 shares related to outstanding performance-based stock options with a grant date fair value of $0.4 million that will vest based on the achievement of corporate goals set by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. Of this amount, options related to 41,250 shares were deemed probable of achievement as of September 30, 2018 and therefore, the related expense is being recognized over the service period. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $56,000 and $0.2 million, respectively, related to these stock options. As of September 30, 2018, there was $0.3 million unrecognized compensation costs related to these outstanding performance-based stock options.

In December 2017, the Company granted 130,000 stock options to executives with corporate performance-based vesting conditions. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Board of Directors approved a modification of 80,000 of these options from performance-based vesting to service-based vesting. The remaining 50,000 stock options were cancelled in conjunction with an executive’s resignation.

Restricted Stock Units

RSUs generally vest annually over three years for employees and one year for directors. RSUs held by employees who qualify for retirement age (defined as employees that are a minimum of 55 years of age and the sum of their age plus years of full-time employment with the Company exceeds 70 years) vest on the earlier of scheduled vest date or the date of retirement. The valuation of RSUs is determined at the date of grant using the closing stock price.

RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, is summarized below:

As of September 30, 2018, $3,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to employee RSUs is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.1 years.

Stock-based Compensation Expense

The following table shows total stock-based compensation expense for stock options, RSUs and ESPP in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive (loss) income (in thousands):