NOTE 14 CAPITAL STOCK

We have 199 million authorized shares of common stock. The number of shares of common stock and treasury stock and the share activity were as follows:


	Common Shares		Treasury Shares
	2017	2016	2017	2016
Balance at the beginning of the year	66,012,843	66,685,378	3,865,863	4,168,489
Employee option exercises	1,173,936	1,001,748	(394,991)	(302,626)
Director option exercises	—	22,167	—	—
Restricted stock vestings	67,708	30,228	—	—
Common stock repurchases	—	—	1,411,017	—
Common stock repurchased and retired	(511,997)	(1,726,678)	—	—
Balance at the end of the year	66,742,490	66,012,843	4,881,889	3,865,863

The cash dividends paid on the common stock for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 aggregated $79.9 million, $76.7 million and $71.2 million, respectively.