Final answer:
The correct answer is option a. Typically, stock options are exercisable several years after the grant date. This waiting period incentivizes employees to stay with the company and contribute to its long-term success.
Step-by-step explanation:
Typically, stock options are exercisable a. several years after the grant date. This means that employees must wait for a specific period of time before they can exercise their stock options. The purpose of this waiting period is to incentivize employees to stay with the company and contribute to its long-term success.
By granting stock options with a vesting period, companies are able to reward employees for their loyalty and service. The vesting period is typically structured in a way that allows for incremental exercise of stock options over time. For example, an employee may be able to exercise 25% of their options after one year, 50% after two years, and so on.
Once the vesting period has ended, employees are free to exercise their stock options. This means that they can purchase the specified number of shares at the predetermined strike price, which is usually set at the market price on the grant date.