While the boards of big banks all set dollar-price targets for equity awards, some companies determine grants based on the number of shares. Alan Johnson, managing director of compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates, said he prefers a dollar target because setting a unit target could mean runaway compensation if a stock explodes in value.
“It works reasonably well, so long as you do it at the same time every year,” Johnson said. “Some people will say ‘My god, they’re getting a break, getting a low price,’ but that assumes there’s some kind of normal price.”
Bloomberg / February 22, 2016