PENSION, OTHER POST RETIREMENT BENEFIT AND PROFIT SHARING PLANS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

PENSION, OTHER POST RETIREMENT BENEFIT AND PROFIT SHARING PLANS [Abstract]

Summary Of Defined Benefit Retirement Plans

	Pension Benefits
	2016	2015	2014
Change in benefit obligations:	(In thousands)
Projected benefit obligations at beginning of year	$      259,511	$      263,497	$      201,696
Service cost	8,852	10,460	8,936
Interest cost	9,364	10,351	9,358
Actuarial (gain) loss	9,302	(14,308)	53,131
Benefits paid	(10,343)	(10,078)	(9,029)
Administrative expenses paid	(702)	(411)	(595)
Projected benefit obligations at end of year	$      275,984	$      259,511	$      263,497
Change in plans' assets:
Fair value of plans' assets at beginning of year	$      195,019	$      201,352	$      196,447
Actual return on assets	11,745	1,761	12,525
Employer contributions	19,395	2,395	2,004
Benefits paid	(10,343)	(10,078)	(9,029)
Administrative expenses paid	(702)	(411)	(595)
Fair value of plans' assets at end of year	$      215,114	$      195,019	$      201,352
Funded status:
Projected benefit obligations	$      (275,984)	$      (259,511)	$      (263,497)
Fair value of plans' assets	215,114	195,019	201,352
Net amount recognized	$        (60,870)	$        (64,492)	$        (62,145)

Amounts Recognized In The Consolidated Balance Sheets

	Pension Benefits
	2016	2015	2014
	(In thousands)
Prepaid benefit cost	$        57,048	$        50,724	$        64,838
Accrued benefit liability	(25,352)	(24,617)	(23,902)
Accumulated other comprehensive
loss adjustment	(92,566)	(90,599)	(103,081)
Net amount recognized	$        (60,870)	$        (64,492)	$        (62,145)

Pre-Tax Amounts Recognized In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

	December 31,
	2016	2015
	(In thousands)
Net prior service benefit	$            (3,162)	$            (3,880)
Net actuarial loss	95,728	94,479
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	$           92,566	$           90,599

Components Of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

	Pension Benefits
	2016	2015	2014
Components of net periodic benefit cost:	(In thousands)
Service cost	$          8,852	$        10,460	$          8,936
Interest cost	9,364	10,351	9,358
Expected return on assets	(10,453)	(10,775)	(10,534)
Amortization of unrecognized transition amount	-	-	18
Recognized prior service benefit	(718)	(718)	(768)
Recognized net loss	6,761	7,905	3,702
Net periodic benefit cost	$        13,806	$        17,223	$        10,712

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used To Determine Benefit Obligation And Net Periodic Benefit Cost

	Basic Plan		Restoration Plan		Supplemental Plan
	2016	2015	2016	2015	2016	2015
Discount rate	4.10%	4.44%	3.94%	4.20%	3.35%	3.40%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 were as follows:

	Basic Plan
	2016	2015	2014
Discount rate	4.44%	4.10%	4.90%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	5.50%	5.50%	5.50%
	Restoration Plan
	2016	2015	2014
Discount rate	4.20%	3.90%	4.50%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Supplemental Plan
	2016	2015	2014
Discount rate	3.40%	3.10%	3.65%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	N/A	N/A	N/A

Plans With Accumulated Benefit Obligations In Excess Of Plan Assets

	2016	2015
	(In thousands)
Projected benefit obligation	$      275,984	$      259,511
Accumulated benefit obligation	274,326	252,949
Fair value of assets	215,114	195,019

Weighted-Average Asset Allocation

	Plan assets at December 31		Target for
Asset category:	2016	2015	2017
Equity securities	42%	33%	45%
Debt securities	53%	66%	55%
Cash and equivalents	5%	1%	0%
Total	100%	100%

Expected Future Benefit Payments

	Pension
	Benefits
Expected future benefit payments:	(In thousands)
2017	$           13,248
2018	14,733
2019	15,613
2020	15,567
2021	16,383
2022-2026	83,353

Fair Value Of Plan Assets

	Pension Benefits
	2016	2015
Investments, at fair value:	(In thousands)
Cash	$       4,650	$               -
U.S. agency debt obligations	43,533	65,406
Mutual funds	132,580	118,313
Common stock of BancorpSouth, Inc.	2,554	1,974
Money market funds	6,045	1,761
Brokered certificates of deposit	25,166	6,957
Total investments, at fair value	214,528	194,411
Accrued interest and dividends	586	608
Fair value of plan assets	$   215,114	$   195,019

Fair values are determined based on valuation techniques categorized as follows:  Level 1 means the use of quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets; Level 2 means the use of quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active or are directly or indirectly observable; Level 3 means the use of unobservable inputs.  Quoted market prices, when available, are used to value investments.  Pension plan investments include funds which invest in various types of investment securities and in various companies within various markets.  Investment securities are exposed to several risks, such as interest rate, market and credit risks.  Because of the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in the values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect the amounts reported.

The following tables set forth by level, within the FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (“FASB ASC 820”), fair value hierarchy, the plan investments at fair value as of December 31, 2016 and 2015:

	December 31, 2016
	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Total
	(In thousands)
Cash	$       4,650	$                -	$               -	$          4,650
U.S. agency debt obligations	-	43,533	-	43,533
Mutual funds	132,580	-	-	132,580
Common stock of BancorpSouth, Inc.	2,554	-	-	2,554
Money market funds	-	6,045	-	6,045
Brokered certificates of deposit	-	25,166	-	25,166
Total	$   139,784	$      74,744	$               -	$      214,528

	December 31, 2015
	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Total
	(In thousands)
U.S. agency debt obligations	$              -	$        65,406	$              -	$         65,406
Mutual funds	118,313	-	-	118,313
Common stock of BancorpSouth, Inc.	1,974	-	-	1,974
Money market funds	-	1,761	-	1,761
Brokered certificates of deposit	-	6,957	-	6,957
Total	$  120,287	$        74,124	$              -	$       194,411

Investments Representing 5% Or More Of Total Plan Asset Value

	2016
	(In thousands)
Fidelity Advisor New Insights Institutional Fund	$            15,411
Fidelity Total Bond	10,733
Franklin Mutual Discovery Z Fund	12,450
T. Rowe Price Growth Stock Fund	11,080
Pioneer Multi-Asset Floating Rate Fund	24,662