NOTE 11 — PENSION PLANS

We offer defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution pension plans, as well as several unfunded health care benefit plans primarily for certain of our retired employees. The following tables provide the retirement-related benefit plans’ impact on income before income taxes for the three month periods ended August 31, 2017 and 2016:

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Three Months Ended						Three Months Ended
	August 31,			August 31,			August 31,			August 31,
Pension Benefits	2017			2016			2017			2016
(In thousands)
Service cost	$	9,465		$	9,401		$	1,175		$	1,127
Interest cost		4,379			4,331			1,145			1,224
Expected return on plan assets		(8,086	)		(6,252	)		(1,978	)		(1,886	)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost (credit)		29			54			(6	)
Net actuarial losses recognized		3,618			5,540			419			573
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	9,405		$	13,074		$	755		$	1,038

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Three Months Ended						Three Months Ended
	August 31,			August 31,			August 31,		August 31,
Postretirement Benefits	2017			2016			2017		2016
(In thousands)
Service cost	$	-		$	-		$	311	$	284
Interest cost		43			57			224		222
Amortization of:
Prior service (credit)		(55	)		(58	)
Net actuarial losses recognized		6						79		60
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	(6	)	$	(1	)	$	614	$	566

The decrease in pension and postretirement benefit cost from fiscal 2017 to 2018 reflects the impact of slightly lower discount rates, higher expected returns on increased asset values and a change in estimate for lump sum valuations. 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, but such changes are not expected to be material to our consolidated financial results. We previously disclosed in our financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2017 that we expected to contribute approximately $1.0 million to our retirement plans in the U.S. and approximately $7.0 million to plans outside the U.S. during the current fiscal year. As of August 31, 2017, this has not changed.