9. Pension plan

The Company has a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the “Plan”) that covers substantially all U.S. employees excluding U.S. employees of the acquired PF business and a closed noncontributory defined benefit pension plan in the U.S. covering all U.S. PF employees (collectively, the “Plans”). Components of net period pension cost for the Plans were as follows:


	First Quarters Ended
	September 30,		October 1,
	2017		2016 (1)
	(Thousands)
Service cost	$	3,868	$	10,848
Interest cost		5,783		3,774
Expected return on plan assets		(13,757)		(10,588)
Amortization of prior service credits		(393)		(393)
Recognized net actuarial loss		3,746		3,851
Net periodic pension (benefit) cost	$	(753)	$	7,492

⁽¹⁾

Includes discontinued operations

The Company contributed $8.0 million to the Plans during the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and expects to make an additional contribution to the Plans of $8.0 million in the remainder of fiscal 2018. No contributions were made to the acquired PF plan as that plan has been closed. The Company expects to combine the Plans into a single plan to provide pension benefits to eligible U.S. employees beginning in January 2018.

The Plans meet the definition of defined benefit plans and as a result, the Company applies ASC 715 pension accounting to the Plans. The Plans, however, are cash balance plans that are similar in nature to defined contribution plans in that a participant’s benefit is defined in terms of stated account balances. The cash balance plans provides the Company with the benefit of applying any earnings on the Plan’s investments beyond the fixed return provided to participants, toward the Company’s future cash funding obligations.

Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, to operating expenses during the first quarters of fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 were not material and substantially all related to net periodic pension costs including recognition of actuarial losses and amortization of prior service credits.

In connection with the sale of the TS business, a significant number of former employees became terminated vested employees under the Plan. If the aggregate amount of former employee withdrawals from their Plan balances reach a certain threshold during a fiscal year, a settlement charge is required under ASC 715 pension accounting in the period that such aggregate withdrawals exceed the threshold. The Company expects that this threshold will be exceeded in fiscal 2018 resulting in settlement charges of up to approximately $15 million.