8.	EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the earnings of the entity. For CCA, diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares after considering the additional dilution related to restricted stock grants and stock options.

A reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the basic earnings per share computation to the numerator and denominator of the diluted earnings per share computation is as follows (in thousands, except per share data):


	For the Three Months Ended September 30,					For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2014		2013			2014		2013
NUMERATOR
Basic:
Income from continuing operations	$	57,546	$	52,506		$	165,016	$	257,121
Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes		—		(663	)		—		(3,757	)

Net income	$	57,546	$	51,843		$	165,016	$	253,364

Diluted:
Income from continuing operations	$	57,546	$	52,506		$	165,016	$	257,121
Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes		—		(663	)		—		(3,757	)

Diluted net income	$	57,546	$	51,843		$	165,016	$	253,364

DENOMINATOR
Basic:
Weighted average common shares outstanding		116,185		115,282			116,025		107,640

Diluted:
Weighted average common shares outstanding		116,185		115,282			116,025		107,640
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options		886		1,165			895		1,335
Restricted stock-based compensation		318		425			263		325

Weighted average shares and assumed conversions		117,389		116,872			117,183		109,300

BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations	$	0.50	$	0.46		$	1.42	$	2.38
Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes		—		(0.01	)		—		(0.03	)

Net income	$	0.50	$	0.45		$	1.42	$	2.35

DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations	$	0.49	$	0.45		$	1.41	$	2.35
Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes		—		(0.01	)		—		(0.03	)

Net income	$	0.49	$	0.44		$	1.41	$	2.32

As discussed in Note 7, on May 20, 2013, CCA paid a special dividend in connection with its conversion to a REIT. The shareholders were allowed to elect to receive their payment of the special dividend either in all cash, all shares of CCA common stock, or a combination of cash and CCA common stock, except that CCA placed a limit on the aggregate amount of cash payable to the shareholders. Under ASC 505, “Equity” and ASU 2010-01, “Accounting for Distributions to Shareholders with Components of Stock and Cash, a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force”, a distribution that allows shareholders to elect to receive cash or stock with a potential limitation on the total amount of cash that all shareholders can elect to receive in the aggregate is considered a share issuance that is reflected in earnings per share prospectively. As such, the stock portion of the special dividend, totaling 13.9 million shares, is presented prospectively in basic and diluted earnings per share and was not presented retroactively for all periods presented.

Approximately 16,000 stock options were excluded from the computations of diluted earnings per share for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 because they were anti-dilutive. Approximately 16,000 and 15,000 stock options were excluded from the computations of diluted earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, because they were anti-dilutive.