Earnings Per Share
As discussed above in Share-Based Compensation Expense, the DSU and PSU plans were amended on February 17, 2017 to provide for only cash settlement of awards. Prior to the amendment, PSU and DSUs were to be settled in common shares of the Company.
The impact on the calculation of earnings per share is as follows:
Prior to February 17, 2017
Basic earnings per share was calculated by dividing the net earnings attributable to Company shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, including the effect of stock options exercised, common shares repurchased under the normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) and DSUs outstanding.
Diluted earnings per share was calculated by dividing the net earnings attributable to Company shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, including the effect of stock options exercised, common shares repurchased under the NCIB and DSUs outstanding and for the effects of all dilutive potential outstanding stock options and contingently issuable shares.
Dilutive potential outstanding stock options included the total number of additional common shares that would have been issued by the Company assuming stock options with exercise prices below the average market price for the year were exercised and reduced by the number of shares that the Company could have repurchased if it had used the assumed proceeds from the exercise of stock options to repurchase them on the open market at the average share price for the period.
DSUs were not considered contingently issuable shares since the shares were issuable solely after the passage of time. As such, DSUs were treated as outstanding and included in the calculation of weighted average basic common shares.
PSUs were considered contingently issuable shares since the shares were issuable only after certain service and market-based performance conditions were satisfied. PSUs were treated as outstanding and included in the calculation of weighted average basic common shares only after the date when these conditions were satisfied at the end of the vesting period. PSUs were treated as outstanding and included in the calculation of weighted average diluted common shares, to the extent they are dilutive, when the applicable performance conditions had been satisfied as of the reporting period end date.
Subsequent to February 17, 2017
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the net earnings attributable to Company shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, including the effect of stock options exercised and common shares repurchased under the NCIB.
Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing the net earnings attributable to Company shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, including the effect of stock options exercised and common shares repurchased under the NCIB and for the effects of all dilutive potential outstanding stock options.
Dilutive potential outstanding stock options includes the total number of additional common shares that would have been issued by the Company assuming stock options with exercise prices below the average market price for the year were exercised and reduced by the number of shares that the Company could have repurchased if it had used the assumed proceeds from the exercise of stock options to repurchase them on the open market at the average share price for the period.
See Note 6 for more information regarding earnings per share.
