STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:

Common Stock Shares Outstanding



	Three Months Ended
(In thousands)	March 31, 2019		March 31, 2018
Beginning balance	28,889		29,782
Common stock issued under employee stock plans	342		346
Repurchased	(121	)	(498	)
Ending balance	29,110		29,630

Common Stock Repurchases

As of December 31, 2018, the Company had approximately $51.2 million remaining under its stock-repurchase program. In the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company repurchased approximately 121,000 shares of its common stock for approximately $7.3 million. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had approximately $43.9 million remaining under its current repurchase program, which has no expiration date. Authorization of future repurchase programs is at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions and other factors.

Cash Dividends

In January 2019, the Company’s board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends in the amount of $0.17 per share to be paid to stockholders of record at the end of each quarter in 2019. For the three months ended March 31, 2019, and March 31, 2018, cash dividends declared and paid were as follows:



	Three Months Ended
(In thousands, except per share amounts)	March 31, 2019		March 31, 2018
Dividends declared and paid	$	4,937	$	4,775
Dividends declared per common share	$	0.17	$	0.16