Retirement and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans

The Company's net pension benefit cost for defined benefit plans recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, was as follows:



	Three months ended July 31,						Nine months ended July 31,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
	In millions
Service cost	$	26		$	36		$	79		$	106
Interest cost	55			53			168			155
Expected return on plan assets	(139		)	(137		)	(423		)	(401		)
Amortization and deferrals:
Actuarial loss	52			60			158			200
Prior service benefit	(4		)	(4		)	(12		)	(12		)
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost	(10		)	8			(30		)	48
Settlement loss	9			6			11			9
Special termination benefits	1			1			5			3
Plan expense allocation⁽¹⁾	—			(1		)	—			(17		)
Net benefit (credit) cost from continuing operations	—			14			(14		)	43
Summary of net benefit (credit) cost:
Continuing operations	—			14			(14		)	43
Discontinued operations	—			3			—			83
Net benefit (credit) cost	$	—		$	17		$	(14	)	$	126


(1)	Plan expense allocation represents the net cost impact of employees of HPE covered under Everett or Seattle plans and employees of Everett or Seattle covered under HPE plans.

Net pension benefit cost for the Company's post-retirement benefit plans was not material for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017.

401(k) Plan

Effective January 1, 2018, the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company 401(k) Plan ("HPE 401(k) Plan") was amended such that quarterly employer matching contributions will be 100% of an employee's contributions, up to a maximum of 4% of eligible compensation. During 2017, the Company's active U.S. employees were eligible to participate in the HPE 401(k) Plan, under which the annual employer matching contribution was 50% of an employee’s contributions, on a maximum of 6% of eligible compensation.