We offer defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution pension plans, and various postretirement benefit plans. The following tables provide the retirement-related benefit plans’ impact on income before income taxes for the three- and nine-month periods ended February 29, 2024 and February 28, 2023:


	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Three Months Ended						Three Months Ended
(In thousands)	February 29,			February 28,			February 29,			February 28,
Pension Benefits	2024			2023			2024			2023
Service cost	$	10,913		$	10,890		$	887		$	951
Interest cost		8,992			7,173			1,935			1,728
Expected return on plan assets		(10,518	)		(9,536	)		(2,400	)		(1,727	)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)		1			-			(31	)		(27	)
Net actuarial losses recognized		4,205			4,487			209			125
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	13,593		$	13,014		$	600		$	1,050


	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Three Months Ended						Three Months Ended
(In thousands)	February 29,			February 28,			February 29,			February 28,
Postretirement Benefits	2024			2023			2024			2023
Service cost	$	-		$	-		$	569		$	287
Interest cost		22			21			390			368
Amortization of:
Prior service (credit)		-			(30	)		-			-
Net actuarial (gains) losses recognized		(4	)		11			(12	)		(14	)
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	18		$	2		$	947		$	641


	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Nine Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
(In thousands)	February 29,			February 28,			February 29,			February 28,
Pension Benefits	2024			2023			2024			2023
Service cost	$	32,739		$	32,670		$	2,661		$	2,853
Interest cost		26,976			21,519			5,805			5,184
Expected return on plan assets		(31,554	)		(28,608	)		(7,200	)		(5,181	)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)		3			-			(93	)		(81	)
Net actuarial losses recognized		12,615			13,461			627			375
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	40,779		$	39,042		$	1,800		$	3,150


	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Nine Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
(In thousands)	February 29,			February 28,			February 29,			February 28,
Postretirement Benefits	2024			2023			2024			2023
Service cost	$	-		$	-		$	1,707		$	861
Interest cost		66			63			1,170			1,104
Amortization of:
Prior service (credit)		-			(90	)		-			-
Net actuarial (gains) losses recognized		(12	)		33			(36	)		(42	)
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	54		$	6		$	2,841		$	1,923

Net periodic pension cost for fiscal 2024 is similar to our fiscal 2023 cost due to higher interest costs, which are partially offset by an increase in expected return on plan assets. We expect that pension expense will fluctuate on a year-to-year basis, depending upon the investment performance of plan assets and potential changes in interest rates, and these fluctuations may have a material impact on our consolidated financial results in the future. We previously disclosed in our financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2023 that we are required and expect to contribute approximately $0.7 million to our retirement plans in the U.S. and approximately $5.7 million to plans outside the U.S. during the current fiscal year and that we will evaluate whether to make additional contributions throughout fiscal 2024. As a result of this evaluation, we contributed $41.2 million to the main pension plan in the U.S. during the current quarter, which will increase our total expected U.S. contributions to $41.9 million during fiscal year 2024.