EQUITY	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Equity [Abstract]
EQUITY	EQUITY We have generated considerable tax benefits, including net operating loss carry-forwards and federal and state tax credits. Our use of the tax benefits in the future would be limited if we experience an “ownership change” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative increase in the Company’s ownership by “5-percent shareholders” (as defined under U.S. income tax laws) that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. On November 23, 2010, our Board of Directors declared a dividend of preferred share purchase rights (“Rights”) in respect to our common stock which were issued pursuant to a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, dated as of November 23, 2010 (the “Tax Benefits Preservation Plan”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as rights agent. Each Right represents the right to purchase, upon the terms and subject to the conditions in the Plan, 1/10,000th of a share of our Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series C, no par value, for $6.00, subject to adjustment. The Tax Benefits Preservation Plan is designed to reduce the likelihood that the Company will experience an ownership change by discouraging any person from becoming a beneficial owner of 4.99% or more of our common stock (a “Threshold Holder”). On January 29, 2014, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan to extend it for up to an additional two years (until February 18, 2016). Subsequently, our Board of Directors determined in January 2016 that it was no longer necessary to continue the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan because we have utilized a significant portion of our tax benefits and we expect to be able to utilize the remaining benefits even if an ownership change occurs. As a result, our Tax Benefits Preservation Plan expired in accordance with its terms on February 18, 2016. To further protect our tax benefits, on January 26, 2011, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to our restated articles of incorporation to restrict transfers of our stock if the effect of an attempted transfer would cause the transferee to become a Threshold Holder or to cause the beneficial ownership of a Threshold Holder to increase (the “Protective Charter Amendment”). At our annual meeting of shareholders on April 27, 2011, we proposed the amendment which shareholders approved. On January 29, 2014, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Protective Charter Amendment to extend it for up to an additional two years (until May 2, 2016). Our shareholders approved the Protective Charter Amendment on April 25, 2014. Subsequently, our Board of Directors determined in January 2016 that it was no longer necessary to continue the Protective Charter Amendment because we had utilized a significant portion of our tax benefits and we expect to be able to utilize the remaining benefits even if an ownership change occurs. As a result, our Protective Charter Amendment expired in accordance with its terms on May 2, 2016. As a Hawaii state-chartered bank, Central Pacific Bank may only pay dividends to the extent it has retained earnings as defined under Hawaii banking law (“Statutory Retained Earnings”), which differs from GAAP retained earnings. As of September 30, 2016, the bank had Statutory Retained Earnings of $78.8 million. Dividends are payable at the discretion of the Board of Directors and there can be no assurance that the Board of Directors will continue to pay dividends at the same rate, or at all, in the future. Our ability to pay cash dividends to our shareholders is subject to restrictions under federal and Hawaii law, including restrictions imposed by the FRB and covenants set forth in various agreements we are a party to, including covenants set forth in our subordinated debentures. In January 2016, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $30.0 million of the Company's common stock from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to a newly authorized share repurchase program (the "2016 Repurchase Plan"). The 2016 Repurchase Plan replaces and supersedes in its entirety the CPF Repurchase Plan previously approved by the Company's Board of Directors. In the nine months ended September 30, 2016, 636,922 shares of common stock, at a cost of $14.1 million, were repurchased under the 2016 Repurchase Plan.

EQUITY

We have generated considerable tax benefits, including net operating loss carry-forwards and federal and state tax credits. Our use of the tax benefits in the future would be limited if we experience an “ownership change” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative increase in the Company’s ownership by “5-percent shareholders” (as defined under U.S. income tax laws) that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period.

On November 23, 2010, our Board of Directors declared a dividend of preferred share purchase rights (“Rights”) in respect to our common stock which were issued pursuant to a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, dated as of November 23, 2010 (the “Tax Benefits Preservation Plan”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as rights agent. Each Right represents the right to purchase, upon the terms and subject to the conditions in the Plan, 1/10,000th of a share of our Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series C, no par value, for $6.00, subject to adjustment. The Tax Benefits Preservation Plan is designed to reduce the likelihood that the Company will experience an ownership change by discouraging any person from becoming a beneficial owner of 4.99% or more of our common stock (a “Threshold Holder”). On January 29, 2014, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan to extend it for up to an additional two years (until February 18, 2016). Subsequently, our Board of Directors determined in January 2016 that it was no longer necessary to continue the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan because we have utilized a significant portion of our tax benefits and we expect to be able to utilize the remaining benefits even if an ownership change occurs. As a result, our Tax Benefits Preservation Plan expired in accordance with its terms on February 18, 2016.

To further protect our tax benefits, on January 26, 2011, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to our restated articles of incorporation to restrict transfers of our stock if the effect of an attempted transfer would cause the transferee to become a Threshold Holder or to cause the beneficial ownership of a Threshold Holder to increase (the “Protective Charter Amendment”). At our annual meeting of shareholders on April 27, 2011, we proposed the amendment which shareholders approved. On January 29, 2014, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Protective Charter Amendment to extend it for up to an additional two years (until May 2, 2016). Our shareholders approved the Protective Charter Amendment on April 25, 2014. Subsequently, our Board of Directors determined in January 2016 that it was no longer necessary to continue the Protective Charter Amendment because we had utilized a significant portion of our tax benefits and we expect to be able to utilize the remaining benefits even if an ownership change occurs. As a result, our Protective Charter Amendment expired in accordance with its terms on May 2, 2016.

As a Hawaii state-chartered bank, Central Pacific Bank may only pay dividends to the extent it has retained earnings as defined under Hawaii banking law (“Statutory Retained Earnings”), which differs from GAAP retained earnings. As of September 30, 2016, the bank had Statutory Retained Earnings of $78.8 million.

Dividends are payable at the discretion of the Board of Directors and there can be no assurance that the Board of Directors will continue to pay dividends at the same rate, or at all, in the future. Our ability to pay cash dividends to our shareholders is subject to restrictions under federal and Hawaii law, including restrictions imposed by the FRB and covenants set forth in various agreements we are a party to, including covenants set forth in our subordinated debentures.

In January 2016, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $30.0 million of the Company's common stock from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to a newly authorized share repurchase program (the "2016 Repurchase Plan"). The 2016 Repurchase Plan replaces and supersedes in its entirety the CPF Repurchase Plan previously approved by the Company's Board of Directors. In the nine months ended September 30, 2016, 636,922 shares of common stock, at a cost of $14.1 million, were repurchased under the 2016 Repurchase Plan.