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STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS
The Company has one active equity compensation plan from which new grants may be made, the Graphic Packaging Holding Company 2024 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the "2024 Plan"). Prior to the approval of the 2024 Plan and the expiration of the 2014 Plan, the Company made all new grants under the 2014 Plan. The 2024 Plan and 2014 Plan allow for granting shares of stock, options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units ("RSUs"), restricted stock awards ("RSAs"), and other types of stock-based and cash awards. Awards under the 2024 Plan and 2014 Plan vest and expire in accordance with terms established at the time of grant. Shares issued pursuant to awards under the 2024 Plan and 2014 Plan are from GPHC's authorized but unissued shares. Compensation costs are recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award and are adjusted for actual performance for performance-based awards. As of September 30, 2025, there were 9.9 million shares remaining available for grant under the 2024 Plan.
Stock Awards, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units

Under the 2024 and 2014 Plans and related RSU grant agreements, RSUs granted to employees generally vest and become payable in one to three years from the date of grant. RSUs granted to employees generally contain some combination of service and performance objectives based on various financial targets that must be met for the performance RSUs to vest, and a relative total shareholder return modifier. The 2022 and 2023 award agreements contain vesting provisions that allow retiring employees to vest on a daily pro-rata basis from the date of grant through their retirement date. In the 2024 and 2025 grant agreements, the vesting provisions were changed to allow retiring employees to vest in full upon an eligible retirement. This change required the Company to accelerate the recognition of the compensation expense for the 2024 and 2025 grants for active retirement-eligible employees. Retirement eligibility is dependent upon meeting certain age and/or years of service and notice requirements.

RSUs granted as deferred compensation for non-employee directors are fully vested but not payable until the distribution date elected by the director. RSAs issued to non-employee directors as part of their compensation for service on the Board are unrestricted on the grant date.

Data concerning RSUs and RSAs granted in the first nine months of 2025 is as follows:

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
RSUs - Employees and Non-Employee Directors1,509,403 $26.49 
RSAs - Board of Directors35,075 $22.81 

Stock compensation expense for the incremental expense related to the change of vesting provisions in the 2024 and 2025 grants versus the vesting provision in the 2023 grants is included in Business Combinations, Exit Activities and Other Special Items, Net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Compensation expense for stock incentive plans due to Company performance adjustments on performance-based awards is included in Selling, General and Administrative and Business Combinations, Exit Activities and Other Special Items, Net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Stock compensation expense included in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations is as follows:

 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
In millions2025202420252024
Selling, General and Administrative$1 $10 $3 $42 
Business Combinations, Exit Activities and Other Special Items, Net
— 2 (3)8 
Total$1 $12 $— $50 
During the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, 1.7 million and 1.3 million shares, respectively, were issued. The shares issued were primarily related to RSUs granted to employees during 2022 and 2021 and equity grants to non-employee directors