Employee benefit plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Employee benefit plans [Abstract]

Expense recognized for employee compensation plans

Expense recognized in the consolidated statements of income for these plans was as follows for the years ended December 31:

(in thousands)	2016		2015		2014
Performance-based compensation plans(1)	$	19,730	$	27,456	$	29,629
401(k) expense	8,309		7,628		7,209

⁽¹⁾ Includes expense for profit sharing contributions, as they vary based on our performance. Excludes expense for stock-based compensation, which is discussed in Note 10.