Employee Benefits

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits

Cooper’s Retirement Income Plan (Plan), a defined benefit plan, covers substantially all full-time United States employees. Cooper’s contributions are designed to fund normal cost on a current basis and to fund the estimated prior service cost of benefit improvements. The unit credit actuarial cost method is used to determine the annual cost. Cooper pays the entire cost of the Plan and funds such costs as they accrue. Virtually all of the assets of the Plan are comprised of equities and participation in equity and fixed income funds.

Cooper’s results of operations for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 reflect the following components of net periodic pension costs:

Periods Ended July 31,	Three Months						Nine Months
(In thousands)	2012			2011			2012			2011
Service cost	$	1,234		$	1,187		$	3,702		$	3,561
Interest cost	763			743			2,290			2,230
Expected returns on assets	(856		)	(736		)	(2,568		)	(2,208		)
Amortization of prior service cost	6			6			18			18
Amortization of transition obligation	5			6			15			16
Recognized net actuarial loss	282			188			845			564
Net periodic pension cost	$	1,434		$	1,394		$	4,302		$	4,181

The Company contributed to the pension plan $1.2 million and $3.4 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2012, respectively, and expects to contribute an additional $1.8 million in fiscal 2012. The Company contributed to the pension plan $1.2 million and $3.2 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2011. The expected rate of return on plan assets for determining net periodic pension cost is 8.5%.