Pensions and Other Post-retirement Benefits

We maintain various defined benefit and defined contribution plans covering the majority of our employees. Our principal U.S. plan is funded in compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). It is our general policy to fund current costs for the international plans, except in Germany and Mexico, where it is common practice and permissible under tax laws to accrue book reserves.

We provide health care benefits and limited life insurance for certain retired employees who are covered by our principal U.S. defined benefit pension plan until they become Medicare-eligible.

Information pertaining to defined benefit pension plans and other post-retirement benefits plans is provided in the following table:



	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
(In thousands)	2017			2016			2017			2016
Change in Benefit Obligations
Benefit obligations at January 1	$	503,997		$	491,180		$	23,680		$	22,974
Service cost	11,023			10,417			403			426
Interest cost	18,450			18,752			882			946
Participant contributions	100			100			264			222
Plan amendments	—			(1,092		)	(1,694		)	(400		)
Actuarial losses	27,967			9,123			1,465			1,285
Benefits paid	(28,953		)	(19,550		)	(2,973		)	(1,773		)
Curtailments	—			(163		)	—			—
Settlements	(573		)	(381		)	—			—
Special termination benefits	11,384			—			—			—
Currency translation	16,990			(4,389		)	—			—
Benefit obligations at December 31	560,385			503,997			22,027			23,680
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets at January 1	433,262			419,088			—			—
Actual return on plan assets	81,192			31,418			—			—
Employer contributions	4,094			3,878			2,709			1,551
Participant contributions	100			100			264			222
Settlements	(573		)	(381		)	—			—
Benefits paid	(28,953		)	(19,550		)	(2,973		)	(1,773		)
Administrative Expenses Paid	(222		)	—			—			—
Currency translation	3,777			(1,291		)	—			—
Fair value of plan assets at December 31	492,677			433,262			—			—
Funded Status
Funded status at December 31	(67,708		)	(70,735		)	(22,027		)	(23,680		)
Unrecognized transition losses	6			8			—			—
Unrecognized prior service credit	(764		)	(646		)	(2,328		)	(1,505		)
Unrecognized net actuarial losses	162,032			187,738			5,007			3,643
Net amount recognized	93,566			116,365			(19,348		)	(21,542		)
Amounts Recognized in the Balance Sheet
Noncurrent assets	83,060			62,916			—			—
Current liabilities	(5,126		)	(4,620		)	(1,584		)	(1,638		)
Noncurrent liabilities	(145,642		)	(129,031		)	(20,443		)	(22,042		)
Net amount recognized	(67,708		)	(70,735		)	(22,027		)	(23,680		)
Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Net actuarial losses	162,032			187,738			5,007			3,643
Prior service credit	(764		)	(646		)	(2,328		)	(1,505		)
Unrecognized net initial obligation	6			8			—			—
Total (before tax effects)	161,274			187,100			2,679			2,138
Accumulated Benefit Obligations for all Defined Benefit Plans	525,385			465,448			—			—



	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
(In thousands)	2017			2016			2015			2017			2016			2015
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost
Service cost	$	11,023		$	10,417		$	11,517		$	403		$	426		$	444
Interest cost	18,450			18,752			18,314			882			946			863
Expected return on plan assets	(35,417		)	(34,751		)	(34,130		)	—			—			—
Amortization of transition amounts	2			2			2			—			—			—
Amortization of prior service (credit) cost	(19		)	(14		)	66			(307		)	(419		)	(335		)
Recognized net actuarial losses	12,955			11,921			15,545			100			68			27
Settlement/curtailment loss (credit)	148			5			641			(562		)	—			—
Special termination charge	11,384			—			—			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	18,526		$	6,332		$	11,955		$	516		$	1,021		$	999

Effective December 31, 2017, the Company changed the method it uses to estimate the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost for pension and other postretirement benefits for a majority of its U.S. and foreign plans. Historically, the service and interest cost components for these plans were estimated using a single weighted-average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the projected benefit obligation at the beginning of the period. The Company has elected to utilize a spot rate approach, which discounts the individual plan specific expected cash flows underlying the service and interest cost using the applicable spot rates derived from a yield curve used in the determination of the benefit obligation to the relevant projected cash flows. The Company made this change to improve the correlation between projected benefit cash flows and the corresponding yield curve spot rates and to provide a more precise measurement of service and interest costs. This change does not affect the measurement of total benefit obligations. We estimate that service and interest cost for the pension and OPEB plans will be reduced by approximately $1.8 million in 2018 as a result of this change. The Company has accounted for this change to the spot rate approach as a change in accounting estimate that is inseparable from a change in accounting principle, pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, and accordingly has accounted for it prospectively. For plans where the discount rate is not derived from plan specific expected cash flows, the Company will continue to employ the current approaches for measuring both the project benefit obligations and the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost for pension and other postretirement benefits.

We recognize, as of a measurement date, any unrecognized actuarial net gains or losses that exceed 10% of the larger of the projected benefit obligations or the plan assets, defined as the "corridor." Amounts inside the corridor are amortized over the plan participants' life expectancy.

Amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be recognized in 2018 net periodic benefit costs.



(In thousands)	Pension Benefits			Other Benefits
Loss recognition	$	12,971		$	305
Prior service credit recognition	(23		)	(405		)
Transition obligation recognition	1			—

Information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets.



(In thousands)	2017		2016
Aggregate accumulated benefit obligations (ABO)	$	169,065	$	147,531
Aggregate projected benefit obligations (PBO)	182,159		160,543
Aggregate fair value of plan assets	31,471		26,986



	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Average discount rate	3.34	%	3.67	%	3.57	%	4.05	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00	%	2.99	%	—		—
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Average discount rate	3.67	%	3.92	%	4.05	%	4.20	%
Expected return on plan assets	8.04	%	8.18	%	—		—
Rate of compensation increase	2.99	%	3.06	%	—		—

Discount rates for a majority of our U.S. and foreign plans were determined using the aforementioned spot rate methodology for 2017. All remaining plans' discount rates as well as all discount rates for 2016 were determined using various corporate bond indexes as indicators of interest rate levels and movements and by matching our projected benefit obligation payment stream to current yields on high quality bonds.

The expected return on assets for the 2017 net periodic pension cost was determined by multiplying the expected returns of each asset class (based on historical returns) by the expected percentage of the total portfolio invested in that asset class. A total return was determined by summing the expected returns over all asset classes.



	Pension Plan Assets at December 31,
	2017		2016
Equity securities	57	%	70	%
Fixed income securities	26		20
Pooled investment funds	12		5
Insurance contracts	3		4
Cash and cash equivalents	2		1
Total	100	%	100	%

The overall objective of our pension investment strategy is to earn a rate of return over time to satisfy the benefit obligations of the pension plans and to maintain sufficient liquidity to pay benefits and meet other cash requirements of our pension funds. Investment policies for our primary U.S. pension plan are determined by the plan’s Investment Committee and set forth in the plan’s investment policy. Asset managers are granted discretion for determining sector mix, selecting securities and timing transactions, subject to the guidelines of the investment policy. An aggressive, flexible management of the portfolio is permitted and encouraged, with shifts of emphasis among equities, fixed income securities and cash equivalents at the discretion of each manager. No target asset allocations are set forth in the investment policy. For our non-U.S. pension plans, our investment objective is generally met through the use of pooled investment funds and insurance contracts.

The fair values of the Company's pension plan assets are determined using net asset value (NAV) as a practical expedient, or by information categorized in the fair value hierarchy level based on the inputs used to determine fair value, as further discussed in Note 18. The fair values at December 31, 2017 were as follows:



					Fair Value
(In thousands)	Total		NAV		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Equity securities	$	278,606	$	64,840	$	213,766	$	—	$	—
Fixed income securities	127,128		—		40,778		86,350		—
Pooled investment funds	60,014		60,014		—		—		—
Insurance contracts	17,834		—		—		—		17,834
Cash and cash equivalents	9,095		7,974		1,121		—		—
Total	$	492,677	$	132,828	$	255,665	$	86,350	$	17,834

The fair values of the Company's pension plan assets at December 31, 2016 were as follows:



					Fair Value
(In thousands)	Total		NAV		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Equity securities	$	304,460	$	62,094	$	242,161	$	205	$	—
Fixed income securities	87,776		—		25,109		62,667		—
Pooled investment funds	20,156		20,156		—		—		—
Insurance contracts	14,948		—		—		—		14,948
Cash and cash equivalents	5,922		5,231		691		—		—
Total	$	433,262	$	87,481	$	267,961	$	62,872	$	14,948

Equity securities consist primarily of publicly traded U.S. and non-U.S. common stocks. Equities are valued at closing prices reported on the listing stock exchange.

Fixed income securities consist primarily of U.S. government and agency bonds and U.S. corporate bonds. Fixed income securities are valued at closing prices reported in active markets or based on yields currently available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings. When quoted prices are not available for identical or similar bonds, the bond is valued under a discounted cash flow approach that maximizes observable inputs, such as current yields of similar instruments, and may include adjustments, for certain risks that may not be observable, such as credit and liquidity risks.

A financial instrument's categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Pooled investment funds consist of mutual and collective investment funds that invest primarily in publicly traded equity and fixed income securities. Pooled investment funds are valued using the net asset value (NAV) provided by the administrator of the fund. The NAV is based on the value of the underlying assets owned by the fund, minus its liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding. The underlying securities are generally valued at closing prices reported in active markets, quoted prices of similar securities, or discounted cash flows approach that maximizes observable inputs such as current value measurement at the reporting date. These investments are not classified in the fair value hierarchy in accordance with guidance in ASU 2015-07.

Insurance contracts are valued in accordance with the terms of the applicable collective pension contract. The fair value of the plan assets equals the discounted value of the expected cash flows of the accrued pensions which are guaranteed by the counterparty insurer.

Cash equivalents consist primarily of money market and similar temporary investment funds. Cash equivalents are valued at closing prices reported in active markets.

The preceding methods may produce fair value measurements that are not indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Although we believe the valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Level 3 assets:



(In thousands)	Insurance Contracts
Balance January 1, 2016	$	13,681
Net realized and unrealized gains included in earnings	975
Net purchases, issuances and settlements	292
Balance December 31, 2016	14,948
Net realized and unrealized gains included in earnings	2,741
Net purchases, issuances and settlements	145
Balance December 31, 2017	$	17,834

We expect to make net contributions of $5.0 million to our pension plans in 2018 which are primarily associated with our International segment.

For the 2017 beginning of the year measurement purposes (net periodic benefit expense), a 6.5% increase in the costs of covered health care benefits was assumed, decreasing by 0.5% for each successive year to 4.5% in 2021 and thereafter. For the 2017 end of the year measurement purposes (benefit obligation), a 6.5% increase in the costs of covered health care benefits was assumed, decreasing by 0.5% for each successive year to 4.5% in 2022 and thereafter. A one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have increased or decreased the other post-retirement benefit obligations and current year plan expense by approximately $760 thousand and $100 thousand, respectively.

Expense for defined contribution pension plans was $8.1 million in 2017, $5.1 million in 2016 and $6.8 million in 2015.

Estimated pension benefits to be paid under our defined benefit pension plans during the next five years are $23.6 million in 2018, $23.8 million in 2019, $24.9 million in 2020, $25.8 million in 2021 and $26.5 million in 2022, and an aggregated $146.8 million for the five years thereafter. Estimated other post-retirement benefits to be paid during the next five years are $1.6 million in 2018, $1.7 million in 2019, $1.7 million in 2020, $1.8 million in 2021, $1.8 million in 2022, and are expected to aggregate $7.4 million for the five years thereafter.