Note 3 - Share-based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

3 . Share-b ased Compensation

The following table summarizes the components of our share-based compensation program expense (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	201 7		201 6		201 7		201 6
Restricted share units:
Pretax compensation expense	$	5,977	$	5,390	$	22,987	$	22,298
Tax benefit		2,146		2,048		7,793		8,473
Restricted share unit expense, net of tax	$	3,831	$	3,342	$	15,194	$	13,825
Performance share units:
Pretax compensation expense	$	1,867	$	1,868	$	7,966	$	7,875
Tax benefit		670		710		2,700		2,992
Performance share unit expense, net of tax	$	1,197	$	1,158	$	5,266	$	4,883

As of

September 30, 2017,

we had

$55.0

million and

$11.4

million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to restricted share units and performance share units, respectively, that is to be recognized over the remaining weighted average period of approximately

3.7

years for restricted share units and

2.3

years for performance share units. During the

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017,

we issued

379,161

shares for vested restricted share units,

155,867

shares for vested performance share units. Of these totals,

364,538

shares for vested restricted share units and

155,867

for performance share units were issued during the

third

quarter,

2017.