Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee benefit plans

Note 9 – Employee benefit plans:

The components of net periodic defined benefit pension cost are presented in the table below.

	Three months ended
	March 31,
	2017			2018
	(In thousands)
Interest cost	$	506		$	372
Expected return on plan assets		(689	)		(590	)
Recognized actuarial losses		394			365
Total	$	211		$	147

The components of net periodic postretirement benefits other than pension (OPEB) income are presented in the table below.  

	Three months ended
	March 31,
	2017			2018
	(In thousands)
Interest cost	$	20		$	15
Recognized actuarial gains		(54	)		(63	)
Total	$	(34	)	$	(48	)

Upon the adoption of ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, our net periodic defined benefit pension cost and other postretirement benefit cost is presented as a separate line item (“Other components of net periodic pension and OPEB cost”) in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for all periods presented.  See Note 16.

We currently expect our 2018 contributions to our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement plans to be approximately $2.5 million.