Shareholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Shareholders' Equity [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

13. Shareholders’ Equity

     On February 21, 2011, our Board of Directors authorized an increase in the payment of quarterly dividends on our common stock from $0.29 per share to $0.32 per share, effective for the first quarter of 2011. On February 22, 2010, our Board of Directors authorized an increase in our quarterly cash dividend from $0.27 per share to $0.29 per share, effective for the first quarter of 2010. Generally, our dividend date-of-record is in the last month of the quarter, and the dividend is paid the following month.

     On September 12, 2011, our Board of Directors announced the approval of a new program to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our outstanding common stock over an unspecified time period. The program is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2011.

     On February 27, 2008, our Board of Directors announced the approval of a program to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our outstanding common stock over an unspecified time period, and the program commenced in the second quarter of 2008. We repurchased 168,750 shares for $15.1 million and 112,500 shares for $11.0 million during the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. We repurchased 381,250 shares for $41.1 million and 337,500 shares for $34.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. To date, we have repurchased a total of 3,116,850 shares for $293.0 million under this program, and the program is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2011.