High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Restricted stock, also known as letter stock or restricted securities, refers to stock of a company that is not fully transferable until certain conditions have been met. Upon satisfaction of those conditions, the stock becomes transferable by the person holding the award. Another type of restricted stock is a form of compensation granted by a company. Typically, the conditions that allow the shares to be transferred are continued employment during a period of time, upon which they vest. However, those restrictions can also be some sort of performance condition, such as the company reaching earnings per share goals or financial targets. Restricted stock is becoming a more prominent form of employee compensation, particularly to executives. It has come to prominence as stock options have fallen out of favor after the perceived excesses of the stock market in the early 21st century.