Equity

Summary of Changes in Equity

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of equity is presented below:



	Six Months Ended
	September 26, 2015			September 27, 2014
	(millions)
Balance at beginning of period	$	3,891		$	4,034
Comprehensive income	222			289
Dividends declared	(85		)	(79		)
Repurchases of common stock, including shares surrendered for tax withholdings	(299		)	(281		)
Stock-based compensation	54			42
Shares issued and tax benefits recognized pursuant to stock-based compensation arrangements	28			38
Conversion of stock-based compensation awards	—			(14		)
Balance at end of period	$	3,811		$	4,029

Common Stock Repurchase Program

A summary of the Company's repurchases of Class A common stock under its common stock repurchase program is presented below:



	Six Months Ended
	September 26, 2015		September 27, 2014
	(millions)
Cost of shares repurchased	$	280	$	250
Number of shares repurchased	2.2		1.6

As of September 26, 2015, the remaining availability under the Company's Class A common stock repurchase program was approximately $300 million, reflecting the May 12, 2015 approval by the Company's Board of Directors to expand the program by up to an additional $500 million of Class A common stock repurchases. Repurchases of shares of Class A common stock are subject to overall business and market conditions.

In addition, during each of the six-month periods ended September 26, 2015 and September 27, 2014, 0.2 million shares of Class A common stock, at a cost of $19 million and $31 million, respectively, were surrendered to, or withheld by, the Company in satisfaction of withholding taxes in connection with the vesting of awards under the Company's 1997 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the "1997 Incentive Plan"), and its Amended and Restated 2010 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (the "2010 Incentive Plan").

Repurchased and surrendered shares are accounted for as treasury stock at cost and held in treasury for future use.

Dividends

Since 2003, the Company has maintained a regular quarterly cash dividend program on its common stock. On February 3, 2015, the Company's Board of Directors approved an increase to the Company's quarterly cash dividend on its common stock from $0.45 per share to $0.50 per share. The second quarter Fiscal 2016 dividend of $0.50 per share was declared on September 14, 2015, was payable to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 25, 2015, and was paid on October 9, 2015. Dividends paid amounted to $86 million and $79 million during the six-month periods ended September 26, 2015 and September 27, 2014, respectively.

Conversion of Stock-based Compensation Awards

During the first quarter of Fiscal 2015, the Company converted certain fully-vested and expensed stock-based compensation awards to a cash contribution into a deferred compensation account. The Company recorded the excess of these awards' then current redemption value over their original grant-date fair value to retained earnings, with a corresponding increase to other non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet.