Equilar’s research frequently appears in leading media publications, including Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, Reuters, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. To learn more about recent coverage of Equilar research, please review the articles below.

Members of the press who are interested in learning more about Equilar's research and data services may direct inquires to press@equilar.com.

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2006 Articles

The New York Times, December 29, 2006 Pay Packages Allow Executives to Jump Ship With Less Risk (PDF) "In late 2000, after losing out in the race to become chief executive at G.E., Mr. McNerney jumped to 3M, where he received a pay package worth more than $34 million in guaranteed salary, bonus, option grants and restricted stock to make up for what he left behind at G.E., according to an analysis by Equilar, a compensation research company in San Mateo, Calif."

The Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2006 Equity in Silicon Valley (PDF) "Total equity grants to executives at the 150 largest companies in Silicon Valley have increased slightly so far this year compared with last year, according to an analysis by Equilar Inc. The report covers grants of stock options, restricted stock and stockappreciation rights from Jan. 1 through Nov. 30 each year."

The Indianapolis Star, December 18, 2006 Smulyan gets credit for slashing his salary (PDF) "Smulyan is not the only CEO to join the $1 club. Five leaders of Fortune 500 companies, including Apple Computer's Steve Jobs and Ford's Bill Ford, had salaries of $1 or less in 2005, according to research firm Equilar."

Entrepreneur Magazine, December 11, 2006 Offering Stock Options (PDF) "The top dogs have been taking fewer options, according to research prepared for Entrepreneur by compensation research firm Equilar Inc. Among companies with fewer than 100 employees and more than $1 million in revenue, the prevalence of stock option grants for the chief executive fell from 52.2 percent in 2003 to 45.5 percent in 2005, though the median value of the options rose over that three-year period. By contrast, the use of restricted stock doubled among these companies, from 12 percent to 24.6 percent."

Agenda Magazine, December 04, 2006 Merrill Requires Director Stock Ownership (PDF) "These moves reflect dominant trends in executive compensation. The most common method of establishing stock ownership guidelines for CEOs at S&P 500 companies has been to use a multiple of five times annual salary, according to Equilar’s research."

The Charlotte Observer, December 03, 2006 50 CEOs equal 6,200 workers (PDF) "Pay for the Carolinas 50 varied hugely in 2005, according to an analysis of corporate reports by the Observer and California compensation research firm Equilar. The group includes some of the nation's largest companies and smaller firms not listed on national pay reports."

The Charlotte Observer, December 03, 2006 Proxies to feature total compensation (PDF) "To gauge the impact, the Observer looked at how the Top 10 would change by including option grants instead of actual option gains. The group accounted for more than 80 percent, or $47 million, of option gains. Their option grants, 32 percent of the total, tallied only $18 million, based on standardized valuations calculated by Equilar, a California compensation research firm. Four CEOs would have been bumped using grant values."

Seattle Business, December 01, 2006 What is Your CEO Worth? (PDF) "For Getty Images CEO Jonathan Klein, the online image empire decided he was worth $17.1 million in salary, bonuses, special payments and stock options in 2005. Klein tops the latest list of Washington’s highest-paid CEOs, according to data collected by Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, Calif. company specializing in tracking executive compensation."

The Indianapolis Star, November 20, 2006 Health insurance CEOs feast on exec pay (PDF) "WellPoint, of course, is not alone in impressive paydays. In fact, the insurer ranks well behind some rivals, according to a two-year snapshot of CEO pay. From 2004 to 2005, WellPoint Chief Executive Larry Glasscock made $14.12 million in total realized compensation (salary, bonus, restricted-stock awards, long-term incentive payouts, stock-option gains and other compensation), according to Equilar Inc., a compensation research firm."

The Charlotte Observer, November 12, 2006 Charlotte execs' personal flights often on shareholders' tab (PDF) "In 2005, about two-thirds of Fortune 100 chief executives received compensation tied to their personal use of corporate aircraft, according to an analysis of filings by Equilar Inc., a compensation research firm in San Mateo, Calif. For these executives, the median value of aircraft perquisites provided in 2005 was $106,315."

The New York Times, November 06, 2006 Chief Bids to Buy Out Hotel Chain (PDF) "The bet appears to have paid off handsomely for Mr. Sharp: today those one million stock options would be worth about $76 million — a little more than a quarter of the $288 million he now stands to receive. Mr. Sharp was paid $1.93 million last year, according to an analysis by the executive compensation firm Equilar. The arrangement raises some questions about why Mr. Sharp is selling now."

CNN Money, November 06, 2006 CEO pay seen outpacing investor returns (PDF) "Eugene Isenberg, CEO of Nabors Industries, brought home $71.4 million in 2005, according to Equilar, a San Mateo, Calif.-based compensation research firm, which calculated the results for Fortune magazine. Other members of the top 10 include Occidental Petroleum CEO Ray Irani, who made $70 million; Yahoo chairman and CEO Terry Semel, who earned $56.8 million; and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who made $52.3 million."

WIB Magazine, October 30, 2006 Evolving Board Composition and Compensation Practices (PDF) "For a more focused look at how these widely acknowledged trends are emerging among western banking companies, compensation research firm Equilar Inc. analyzed SEC data for fiscal years 2003 through 2005 of 50 banks in the western United States with net assets of less than $3 billion."

The New York Times, October 17, 2006 Old Options Still Haunt an Insurer (PDF) "When Stephen J. Hemsley joined UnitedHealth Group after 23 years with the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, he was greeted with a grant of 400,000 stock options dated shortly after he started in June 1997." (See Graphic for Equilar Data)

The New York Times, October 16, 2006 Chief Executive at Health Insurer Is Forced Out in Options Inquiry (PDF) "Dr. William W. McGuire, a medical entrepreneur who built the UnitedHealth Group into a colossus in its field, was forced to resign from the company yesterday and to give up a portion of the $1.1 billion he holds in harshly criticized stock options." (See Graphic for Equilar Data)

Fortune, October 10, 2006 10 Best-paid executives: They're all men (PDF) "The top-earning woman executive is Safra Catz, President and CFO of Oracle, who took home a cool $26.1 million in total compensation last year, according to Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, Calif.-based compensation research firm, which calculated the results for Fortune magazine. Second-highest paid is Susan Decker, CFO of Yahoo!, who brought in $24.3 million."

Fortune, October 05, 2006 10 Highest Paid Women "Total compensation includes annualized base salary, bonuses, the present value of option grants (calculated by Equilar using the Black-Scholes formula as of the grant date), restricted stock awards, long-term incentive-plan payouts, and other compensation as disclosed in company proxies. Equilar Inc. of San Mateo, Calif., prepared the chart by looking at companies with more than $1 billion in revenues that filed proxies as of Sept. 1."

The Indianapolis Star, October 04, 2006 CEO boosts Lilly holdings (PDF) "More than 20 percent of publicly traded Fortune 500 companies disclosed holding requirements for executive officers on shares acquired through the exercise of stock options or the vesting of other stockbased awards, according to an analysis of 2005 proxy filings by Equilar, a compensation research firm in San Mateo, Calif."

Base and Bonus, October 03, 2006 3M, Chevron Cut Multiplier for Severance (PDF) "Research by Equilar has shown roughly three fifths of the largest 100 companies have formal severance protections in place for execs, many of them as part of employment agreements."

Fortune Small Business, September 25, 2006 The Richest - These execs each have $19 million or more in stock and options "How much are you worth? For the top insiders at FSB 100 companies, the answer is largely a matter of public record. Equilar, an executive-compensation research firm in San Mateo, Calif., reviewed proxy statements for firms on our list. When the shares owned outright and vested options are factored in, these 25 executives have the most bling."

The Globe and Mail, September 17, 2006 Top CFOs are playing catch-up on compensation "The bean counters are taking home more beans. Equilar Inc., a compensation and corporate governance consultancy, reports that chief financial officers have seen bigger pay raises in recent years than chief executive officers."

San Jose Mercury News, September 10, 2006 Firms tweaking ways of awarding options (PDF) "Some companies are tweaking their stock option plans to better peg payoffs to performance, encourage executives to manage with a long-term view and to make it harder to manipulate the pricing of options. Here's a sampler of changes recently disclosed, according to Equilar, a San Mateo provider of information on executive compensation."

The Wall Street Journal, August 24, 2006 Oracle Corp.: Cost of CEO’s Home Security Rises to More Than $1.8 Million (PDF) "Among 479 publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, 6.9% disclosed the value for security services or systems provided to their CEO, according to Equilar Inc., a compensation research firm."

Bloomberg, August 23, 2006 KB Home Reviews Options Awarded to Chief Executive (PDF) "James Johnson, 62, the former chairman of mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae and now vice chairman of Washington-based merchant bank Perseus LLC, is on six compensation committees and is chairman of five, more than any other board member in the U.S., according to Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, California-based proxy-research firm."

The New York Times, August 21, 2006 At Comverse, Many Smart Business Moves and Maybe a Bad One (PDF) "Mr. Alexander alone accounted for half the options-related profits — about $140 million. In addition, Mr. Alexander received about $28 million in salary, bonuses and other perks during those years, according to Equilar, a compensation analysis firm in San Mateo, Calif."

Staffing Industry Report, August 18, 2006 Restricted stock boosts pay packages at public companies (PDF) "Once again, Staffing Industry Report is presenting compensation data for top executives in public companies. Our parent, Staffing Industry Analysts Inc., contracted with Equilar Inc. for data on 71 chief and second highest paid executives. Equilar is a compensation research firm located in San Mateo CA."

Bloomberg, August 10, 2006 UnitedHealth Option-Granting Board Holds $230 Million in Stock (PDF) "That's more than any other board member in the U.S., according to Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, California-based proxy- research firm. Former 9/11 commission Co-Chairman Kean, 70, who formerly served as chairman of UnitedHealth's compensation panel, is a member of four compensation committees of S&P 500 companies."

Agenda Magazine, August 07, 2006 Bristol Myers Reinstates Options Linking Pay, Performance (PDF) "Despite these drawbacks, performance-based stock options seem to be making a small comeback. Coca-Cola Enterprises, Qwest Communications, E-Trade and SLM Corp. all used them this year, according to the compensation research firm Equilar."

Financial Week, July 17, 2006 CFO pay the silver lining of SOX (PDF) "The median total direct compensation for CFOs at Fortune 500 companies was $1.9 million in 2001, the year before SOX was enacted, according to data compiled by Equilar Inc., a compensation research firm based in San Mateo, Calif. Equilar calculated total direct pay by adding together base salary, bonus, restricted stock awards, the estimated value of stock-option awards, long-term incentive plan payouts and other compensation."

The Seattle Times, July 09, 2006 How we calculated compensation figures (PDF) "For consistency, The Seattle Times' 2005 CEO pay report estimates the value of options using the widely accepted Black-Scholes approach. The Times hired Equilar, a San Mateo, Calif., compensation-analysis and consulting firm, to gather the data and calculate the option- grant values."

Reuters, July 03, 2006 Tech Firms Cut Options (PDF) "Not everything is recovering in Silicon Valley. The compensation of many tech CEOs fell in fiscal 2005, according to an analysis prepared by the compensation-research firm Equilar Inc. The plunge was driven primarily by a shift in equity compensation as companies traded stock options for restricted stock."

The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 02, 2006 Fewer New Jobs, Except in IT (PDF) "Actually, chief executive officers' salaries and bonuses aren't up, Equilar Inc. found in an analysis of local publicly traded firms it compiled for The Inquirer. They are down slightly, from $1.5 million in 2004 to $1.4 million last year. But salaries and bonuses are not the main way many CEOs are paid. Much of their compensation comes through profits from the sale of stock options. Adding in those profits, local chief executives' compensation rose 33 percent, from $3.6 million in 2004 to $4.8 million last year, the Equilar analysis showed."

Electronic Business, June 29, 2006 Stock Option Karma (PDF) "Meanwhile, Equilar, which tracks executive compensation trends, reports that total CEO compensation at 150 largest Silicon Valleycompanies did not keep pace with other CEOs in 2005. It fell 13.1 percent from 2004 to 2005."

Fortune, June 28, 2006 Five commandments for paying the boss (PDF) "The median pay for S&P 500 CEOs hit $8.4 million in 2005, according to Equilar, a California compensation-research firm - a raise from the heady days of 2001. But over the same period shareholders' returns were close to zero."

The Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2006 Tech CEOs' Pay Falls As Firms Cut Out Options (PDF) "According to a study by Equilar being released today, CEO pay at Silicon Valley's 150 biggest companies is headed south. In fiscal 2005, the median total compensation of Silicon Valley CEOs dropped to $2.6 million, down 13% from a year ago. Their pay packages are getting hit even as CEO compensation elsewhere rises. Indeed, median total pay for CEOs of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index increased 2.2% to $8.4 million in 2005, Equilar says."

Agenda Magazine, June 05, 2006 Directors Now Paid in Full-Value Shares at Eli Lilly, BellSouth (PDF) "Research by Equilar shows that in the 2005 director compensation plans of the S&P 500, full-value shares were about 77% prevalent, and stock options were only about 53% prevalent."

Pittsburg Tribune Review, June 04, 2006 Top execs flying high (PDF) "By comparison, the median cost for such expenses among the nation's 100-largest corporations last year was $108,579, according to research by Equilar, a compensation research firm in San Mateo, Calif."

The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 28, 2006 Ammon at top of a highly paid heap (PDF) "Total direct compensation for 722 local executives averaged $2.3 million, according to data compiled for The Inquirer by Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, Calif., compensation-research firm."

The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2006 As Tech Rebounds, A Software Mogul Builds Big in Hawaii (PDF) "Executive officers of Silicon Valley's 150 biggest companies exercised more than $1.84 billion in stock options in fiscal 2005, up 77% from 2003, according to compensation-research firm Equilar. Some of the proceeds are again going into real estate far from Silicon Valley."

BusinessWeek, May 23, 2006 Home Depot's CEO Cleans Up (PDF) "Data provided by Equilar, a compensation research firm in San Mateo, Calif., shows the median CEO bonus for the 500 largest U.S. companies last year was $1.5 million. For the largest retailers in that group, including Wal-Mart and Home Depot rival Lowe's Cos., the median was $770,849, just over one-tenth of Nardelli's total bonus."

San Francisco Chronicle, May 21, 2006 Top 100 Bay Area Executives by Compensation (PDF) "Last year, Yahoo Inc.'s top five executives raked in $135 million (mostly in restricted stock and stock options), down from $155 million the year before, according to calculations from Equilar, a San Mateo research firm that specializes in executive compensation."

San Jose Mercury News, May 21, 2006 $2.6 Billion for Valley's Top Execs (PDF) "Besides, neither grumpy shareholders nor accounting rules could alter the valley's options culture overnight. Last year, companies doled out options to 548 executives worth nearly $1.1 billion, Equilar estimates. Fifty-three received options worth at least $5 million, with 15 receiving grants worth at least double that."

Bloomberg, May 18, 2006 Health Insurance Chiefs, Unloved, Not Overpaid (PDF) "Total pay is the sum of: base salary; annual bonus; my estimate for the present value of stock options granted in 2005 and measured using the Black-Scholes model; the value at grant of free share awards made in 2005; payouts in 2005 under other long- term incentive compensation plans; and miscellaneous compensation. Pay data were furnished by Equilar Inc., an independent provider of executive compensation information.)"

Compliance Week, May 16, 2006 Executives' Interest In Stock Trading Plans Is Surging (PDF) "According to a new study by compensation research firm Equilar, the number of executives participating in so-called “10b5-1 plans” jumped 22 percent last year and the number of companies offering such plans rose 21 percent."

The Washington Post, May 12, 2006 Corporate Bigwigs Fly in the Face of the Rabble (PDF) "Equilar, a corporate research firm, found that of the 100 biggest U.S. public companies, two-thirds now allow the practice, with the typical chief executive receiving $108,579 worth of personal air travel."

The New York Times, May 10, 2006 Executives Take Company Planes as if Their Own (PDF) "Equilar, an independent compensation research firm, reviewed the government filings of the 100 largest public companies that had made their 2005 government filings and found that companies reporting personal use of corporate aircraft billed shareholders 45 percent more for such travel than in the previous year. The number of companies reporting personal use of jets rose as well, to 67 from 60."

The Wall Street Journal, May 04, 2006 Extra Pay: Many CEOs Receive Dividends on 'Phantom' Stock (PDF) "All told, among the 50 large-company CEOs who received the largest dollar grants of restricted stock over the past three years and whose companies pay dividends, 37 are paid dividends in cash before the shares vest, according to an analysis for The Wall Street Journal by Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, Calif., compensation-research firm."

Bloomberg, May 03, 2006 Oil Executives Strike Gushers as Highest Paid (PDF) "Total pay is the sum of: base salary; annual bonus; my estimate for the present value at grant of stock options granted during 2005, using the Black-Scholes model; the value at grant of free shares awarded during 2005; payouts made in 2005 under other long-term incentive plans; and miscellaneous compensation. Data for this study were obtained Equilar Inc., a provider of executive pay information."

Fortune, May 02, 2006 CEO pay: They didn't earn it - and should return it (PDF) "Last month in a Brooklyn federal courtroom, Sanjay Kumar, the ousted CEO of Computer Associates (now called CA), pled guilty to charges that he had inflated the company's sales in 1999 and 2000 and interfered with a subsequent investigation." (See Graphic for Equilar Data)

The Wall Street Journal, May 01, 2006 Fresh Crop of Investors Grows in Silicon Valley (PDF) "The resurgence is partly owing to techies cashing in stock options at a rate not seen since 2000: In fiscal 2004, named executive officers at Silicon Valley's 150 biggest companies cashed in $1.55 billion of options, up 50% from 2003 and up nearly threefold from 2002, according to compensation-research firm Equilar Inc."

Treasury and Risk Magazine, May 01, 2006 Will Transparency Lead to a Little More Modesty in Pay? (PDF) "San Mateo, Calif.-based Equilar also provided Treasury & Risk Management with a detailed analysis of CFO compensation for 50 companies."

CFO Magazine, April 28, 2006 Stock-trading Plans Catch On (PDF) "During 2005, 434 executives at 138 companies chose to use a 10b5-1 plan, compared with 355 executives at 114 companies during 2004, according to Equilar. The growing popularity of the plans appears to be continuing. In the first quarter of 2006, 297 executives at 105 companies made 10b5-1 transactions."

Associated Press, April 19, 2006 CEO Pay Rising More Slowly (PDF) "Major companies that awarded their CEOs pay raises of between 25 percent and 50 percent averaged total shareholder return of 7.4 percent, according to Equilar Inc., a compensation analysis firm. Companies who gave their top executives raises of more than 50 percent averaged total shareholder return of 11.1 percent, according to the analysis of the pay packages at 197 large firms."

Compliance Week, April 18, 2006 Coke Director Pay Plan Raises Eyebrows (PDF) "Compensation research firm Equilar, meanwhile, scrutinized of proxies filed for the Dec. 31, 2005 fiscal year and found that companies appear to be moving away from meeting fees. At least 15 corporations scrapped board or committee meeting fees, including such names as AMN Healthcare Services, Cytec Industries, Idex Corp., Flir Systems and Fortune Brands."

The New York Times, April 18, 2006 Banker's Haul (Graphic) A Farewell to Citigroup (PDF) "Entering his sun-filled office in Citigroup's Manhattan headquarters, Sanford I. Weill punched a few buttons on a computer near a window before looking over his shoulder and smiling broadly. When asked if he had just looked at Citigroup's stock price, he shrugged his shoulders as if to suggest he could not help himself." (See Graphic for Equilar Data)

The New York Times, April 10, 2006 Outside Advice on Boss's Pay May Not Be So Independent (PDF) "The median compensation for chief executives at roughly 200 large companies rose modestly to $8.4 million last year, from $8.2 million in 2004, according to Equilar Inc., a compensation analysis firm in San Mateo, Calif. The median was $7.2 million in 2003."

The New York Times, April 09, 2006 Smaller Fish Are Also Doing Swimmingly (PDF) "Another early tally, by Equilar, suggests that small-company compensation is down after sharp increases in 2004. Median annual pay declined by 5.5 percent, compared with a 21.4 percent increase in 2004."

Fortune, April 07, 2006 Exposing CEO pay (PDF) "Such early birds are few and far between, however: In an analysis by Equilar of 134 proxy statements filed up to March 17, only 8 percent disclosed total compensation for top executives, and just 10 percent revealed payouts for departing CEOs."

Investment News, April 03, 2006 Firms show execs the money (PDF) "In its recent proxy statement, Ameriprise Financial Inc. of Minneapolis provides estimates of how much it expects to pay its executives in retirement benefits. James M. Cracchiolo, the company's chairman and chief executive, for example, is expected to collect an annual benefit of $565,346. "It's a big surprise for me," Tim Ranzetta, president of Equilar Inc., a San Mateo, Calif., proxy-research firm, said of the early shift toward more disclosure."

The Indianapolis Star, April 03, 2006 Policy perk: Bonus pays for CEO's life insurance (PDF) "In years past, executives across the nation have enjoyed split-dollar policies many times larger than Lemond's. But in 2004 only about 4 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs had splitdollar life insurance policies disclosed in SEC filings, according to compensation research firm Equilar."

Associated Press, March 31, 2006 There's No Point Complaining About CEO Pay (PDF) "It's not surprising, then, to learn that CEO compensation is still climbing. In a preliminary reading from the new crop of proxy disclosures, Equilar Inc. estimates that the median payday rose 1.6 percent to $8.2 million in fiscal 2005 among Standard & Poor's 500 companies where the CEO's have held the post at least three years. Average pay rose 5.3 percent to $11.3 million in cash, stock awards and option grants."

The Wall Street Journal, March 22, 2006 Tech Companies Give Stock-Options Value, And Actually Survive (PDF) "According to the compensation-research firm, Equilar, 3.1% of all outstanding shares belonging to a representative group of 124 tech companies were given out as stock options in 2003. Last year, that figure fell to 2.4%, a 23% decline."

CFO Magazine, March 17, 2006 What's in Your Wallet? (PDF) "For example, while most companies now disclose how many times annual salary an executive is due upon departure, in the past "you weren't exactly sure what was being multiplied, in terms of salary and bonus," says Tim Ranzetta, president and chief operating officer of San Mateo, Calif.-based compensation-research firm Equilar Inc."

The Wall Street Journal, March 15, 2006 Silicon Valley's Tech Revival Spurs New Fever for Cashing In Options (PDF) "According to an analysis for The Wall Street Journal by compensation- research firm Equilar Inc., the named executive officers at Silicon Valley's 150 biggest public companies by revenue cashed in $1.55 billion of options in their fiscal 2004, the most recent year for which comprehensive data are available."

The Wall Street Journal, March 14, 2006 North Fork Executives to Receive $288 Million for Capital One Deal (PDF) "Meanwhile, the three top executives -- Mr. Kanas, Vice Chairman John Bohlsen and Chief Financial Officer Daniel M. Healy -- will also receive one-time payouts totaling about $26 million, according Equilar Inc., a pay consulting firm in San Mateo, Calif. Those payments are based on an average of the executives' previous annual taxable compensation."

Associated Press, March 10, 2006 'Consulting' Jobs Ease Out CEOs (PDF) "Estimates of the number of companies offering post-retirement consulting gigs range widely: from 10 percent among the Standard & Poor's 500, according to The Corporate Library, to possibly half of major-exchange listed companies, according to consultants Watson Wyatt & Co. and Equilar Inc."

Compliance Week, March 07, 2006 Some Companies Embracing SEC Pay Proposals Now (PDF) "In its February newsletter, Equilar noted several examples of companies already providing enhanced disclosure of perks and director compensation— areas where some of the most dramatic alterations are expected to occur when the SEC proposal becomes a reality."

BusinessWeek, March 06, 2006 Pretty Plush Director's Chairs (PDF) "pay? In a sampling of 34 companies in the Russell 3000 index that increased directors' pay, compensation research firm Equilar reveals that average cash retainers for directors soared 72%, to $44,000, since January, 2005. Those awarded cash and stock retainers gave themselves 39% raises, to $140,000 on average. Equilar conducted the study for BusinessWeek."

The Indianapolis Star, March 06, 2006 Soaring Stock Gives Execs at Brightpoint a Great Ride (PDF) "The stock options Brightpoint doled out in 2004, though, mostly went to a few insiders, with the top five executives getting 58 percent of all options granted to employees, according to the company's most recent proxy filing. By comparison, the 150 largest public companies in California's Silicon Valley granted a median of just 16 percent of total options to the top tier of executive officers, according to compensation research firm Equilar."

MSN, March 05, 2006 Town and Country Executives to Score Big with Merger Deal (PDF) "Many of those perks are relatively common for change-of-control agreements. In a summer 2005 survey of Fortune 100 companies, Equilar found that three times salary =and bonus was the median for change-of-control agreements."

The New York Times, February 19, 2006 A 'Holy Cow' Moment in Payland (PDF) "Indeed, a study of the country's 96 largest publicly traded companies conducted last fall by Equilar Inc., a compensation analysis firm in San Mateo, Calif., found that 75 offered deferred compensation arrangements for their executives. Of those companies, only 10 allowed for deferral of stock option grants."

National Journal, February 10, 2006 Pots of Gold (PDF) "In 2004, the CEO of a company listed in the Standard & Poor's 500 index received a median base salary and bonus, excluding stock options, of $3.7 million, up 22.4 percent from the year before, according to Equilar, a compensation-research firm in San Mateo, Calif."

The Providence Journal, January 05, 2006 Bancorp RI Takes Action to Cut Costs (PDF) "According to Equilar Inc., a compensation-research firm, nearly 400 companies through late November had accelerated the vesting of options so they could avoid recording them as expenses this year and in future years. The firm said it expected the trend to accelerate in December as the Jan. 1 deadline approached."

The Indianapolis Star, January 02, 2006 Firms Confuse Investors when Vesting Options Early (PDF) "Emmis Communications Corp., Hillenbrand Industries and ITT Educational Services are among Indiana companies accelerating options vesting. About 585 companies nationwide have fast-forwarded the vesting, according to compensation research firm Equilar."