Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Equity [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

The Company held 18,263,589 shares in its treasury and was authorized to purchase an additional 10,496,421 shares at December 31, 2014. The holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends and other distributions in cash, stock or property of the Company as and when declared by its Board of Directors out of legally available funds. The Company repurchased 1,000,952 shares of its common stock in 2014 and 3,502,627 shares of its common stock in 2013 through an accelerated share repurchase program.

The Company has 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized. The shares are issuable in series with terms for each series fixed by, and such issuance subject to approval by, the Board of Directors. As of December 31, 2014, no preferred shares have been issued.

On October 4, 2013, the Company amended its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to confirm that shares of common stock the Company repurchases from time to time become treasury shares. As permitted by Georgia corporate law, the amendment was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company without shareholder action.

Accelerated Share Repurchase Program

In December 2013, the Company entered into an accelerated share repurchase program with a third-party financial institution to purchase $125.0 million of the Company’s common stock, as part of its previously announced share repurchase program. The Company paid $125.0 million at the beginning of the program and received an initial delivery of 3,502,627 shares, estimated to be approximately 80% of the total number of shares to be repurchased under the agreement, which reduced the Company's shares outstanding at December 31, 2013. The value of the initial shares received on the date of purchase was $100.0 million, reflecting a $28.55 price per share, which was recorded as treasury shares. The Company recorded the remaining $25.0 million as a forward contract indexed to its own common stock in additional paid-in capital for the year ended December 31, 2013.

In February 2014, the accelerated share repurchase program was completed and the Company received 1,000,952 additional shares determined using a volume weighted average price of the Company's stock (inclusive of a discount) during the trading period, which resulted in an effective average price per share of $27.76. All amounts initially classified as additional paid-in capital were reclassified to treasury shares during the first quarter of 2014 upon settlement.