Horrocks Company granted 234,000 restricted stock awards of its no par common shares to executives, subject to forfeiture if employment is terminated within three years. Horrocks' common shares have a market price of $12 per share on January 1, 2023, the grant date, and at December 31, 2024, averaging $12 throughout the year. When calculating diluted EPS at December 31, 2024, the net increase in the denominator of the EPS fraction will be:

Multiple Choice

156,000 shares.

0 shares.

234,000 shares.

78,000 shares.