operating profit increased $ 119.2 million , or 189.0 % , to $ 56.1 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as compared to operating loss of $ 63.1 million in 2017 , primarily due to increases of $ 61.6 million and $ 45.3 million in the core u.s. and acceptance now segments , respectively , as discussed further in the segment performance sections below . operating profit ( loss ) expressed as a percentage of total revenue was 2.1 % for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as compared to ( 2.3 ) % for 2017 . excluding other charges , profit was $ 115.5 million or 4.3 % of revenue or the year ended december 31 , 2018 , compared to $ ( 3.8 ) million or ( 0.1 ) % of revenue for the comparable period of 2017 . income tax expense ( benefit ) . income tax expense for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2018 was $ 5.3 million , as compared to an income tax benefit of $ 116.9 million in 2017 , primarily due to the impact of the tax cuts and jobs act of 2017 ( “ tax act ” ) 22 on our deferred tax balances in the prior year . the effective tax rate was 38.6 % for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2018 , compared to 106.0 % in 2017 . excluding impacts from the tax act , the effective tax rate was 41.5 % for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2017. net earnings . net earnings were $ 8.5 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 as compared to $ 6.7 million in 2017 . excluding impacts from other charges and the tax act , net earnings were $ 57.8 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 as compared to net loss of $ 28.7 million in 2017 . comparison of the years ended december 31 , 2017 and 2016 store revenue . total store revenue decreased by $ 258.1 million , or 8.8 % , to $ 2,680.4 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from $ 2,938.5 million for 2016. this was primarily due to a decrease of approximately $ 234.3 million in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . same store revenue is reported on a constant currency basis and generally represents revenue earned in 3,376 locations that were operated by us for 13 months or more , excluding any store that receives a certain level of customer accounts from another store ( acquisition or merger ) . receiving stores will be eligible for inclusion in the same store sales base in the twenty-fourth full month following the account transfer . in addition , due to the severity of the hurricane impacts , we instituted a change to the same store sales store selection criteria to exclude stores in geographically impacted regions for 18 months . same store revenues decreased by $ 99.2 million , or 5.4 % , to $ 1,753.9 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , as compared to $ 1,853.1 million in 2016. the decrease in same store revenues was primarily attributable to a decline in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . cost of rentals and fees . cost of rentals and fees consists primarily of depreciation of rental merchandise . cost of rentals and fees for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , decreased by $ 39.5 million , or 5.9 % , to $ 625.4 million , as compared to $ 664.8 million in 2016. this decrease in cost of rentals and fees was primarily attributable to a decrease of $ 35.7 million in the core u.s. segment as a result of lower rentals and fees revenue . cost of rentals and fees expressed as a percentage of rentals and fees revenue increased to 27.6 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 as compared to 26.6 % in 2016. cost of merchandise sold . cost of merchandise sold represents the net book value of rental merchandise at time of sale . cost of merchandise sold decreased by $ 1.1 million , or 0.3 % , to $ 322.6 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from $ 323.7 million in 2016. the gross margin percent of merchandise sales decreased to 2.6 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from 7.8 % in 2016. these decreases were primarily attributable to a decrease of $ 6.4 million in the core u.s. segment , partially offset by an increase of $ 5.3 million in the acceptance now segment driven by a focused effort to encourage ownership and reduce returned product . gross profit . gross profit decreased by $ 216.5 million , or 11.2 % , to $ 1,718.5 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from $ 1,935.0 million in 2016 , due primarily to a decrease of $ 191.5 million in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . gross profit as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 63.6 % in 2017 compared to 65.3 % in 2016. store labor . store labor includes all salaries and wages paid to store-level employees and district managers ' salaries , together with payroll taxes and benefits . story_separator_special_tag most of our store leases are five year leases and contain renewal options for additional periods ranging from three to five years at rental rates adjusted according to agreed-upon formulas . contractual cash commitments . the table below summarizes debt , lease and other minimum cash obligations outstanding as of december 31 , 2018 : replace_table_token_16_th ( 1 ) includes interest payments of $ 9.7 million on each may 15 and november 15 of each year . ( 2 ) includes interest payments of $ 5.9 million on each may 1 and november 1 of each year . ( 3 ) as of december 31 , 2018 , we have recorded $ 38.2 million in uncertain tax positions . because of the uncertainty of the amounts to be ultimately paid as well as the timing of such payments , uncertain tax positions are not reflected in the contractual obligations table . seasonality . our revenue mix is moderately seasonal , with the first quarter of each fiscal year generally providing higher merchandise sales than any other quarter during a fiscal year , primarily related to the receipt of federal income tax refunds by our customers . generally , our customers will more frequently exercise the early purchase option on their existing rental purchase agreements or purchase pre-leased merchandise off the showroom floor during the first quarter of each fiscal year . furthermore , we tend to experience slower growth in the number of rental purchase agreements in the third quarter of each fiscal year when compared to other quarters throughout the year . we expect these trends to continue in the future . 29 critical accounting estimates , uncertainties or assessments in our financial statements the preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the united states of america requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities , disclosure of contingent losses and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period . in applying accounting principles , we must often make individual estimates and assumptions regarding expected outcomes or uncertainties . our estimates , judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experience . because of the use of estimates inherent in the financial reporting process , actual results could differ from those estimates . we believe the following are areas where the degree of judgment and complexity in determining amounts recorded in our consolidated financial statements make the accounting policies critical . if we make changes to our reserves in accordance with the policies described below , our earnings would be impacted . increases to our reserves would reduce earnings and , similarly , reductions to our reserves would increase our earnings . a pre-tax change of approximately $ 0.7 million in our estimates would result in a corresponding $ 0.01 change in our diluted earnings per common share . self-insurance liabilities . we have self-insured retentions with respect to losses under our workers ' compensation , general liability , vehicle liability and health insurance programs . we establish reserves for our liabilities associated with these losses by obtaining forecasts for the ultimate expected losses and estimating amounts needed to pay losses within our self-insured retentions . we continually institute procedures to manage our loss exposure and increases in health care costs associated with our insurance claims through our risk management function , including a transitional duty program for injured workers , ongoing safety and accident prevention training , and various other programs designed to minimize losses and improve our loss experience in our store locations . we make assumptions on our liabilities within our self-insured retentions using actuarial loss forecasts , company-specific development factors , general industry loss development factors , and third-party claim administrator loss estimates which are based on known facts surrounding individual claims . these assumptions incorporate expected increases in health care costs . periodically , we reevaluate our estimate of liability within our self-insured retentions . at that time , we evaluate the adequacy of our reserves by comparing amounts reserved on our balance sheet for anticipated losses to our updated actuarial loss forecasts and third-party claim administrator loss estimates , and make adjustments to our reserves as needed . as of december 31 , 2018 , the amount reserved for losses within our self-insured retentions with respect to workers ' compensation , general liability and vehicle liability insurance was $ 101.6 million , as compared to $ 118.0 million at december 31 , 2017 . however , if any of the factors that contribute to the overall cost of insurance claims were to change , the actual amount incurred for our self-insurance liabilities could be more or less than the amounts currently reserved . income taxes . our annual tax rate is affected by many factors , including the mix of our earnings , legislation and acquisitions , and is based on our income , statutory tax rates and tax planning opportunities available to us in the jurisdictions in which we operate . tax laws are complex and subject to differing interpretations between the taxpayer and the taxing authorities . significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense , evaluating our tax positions and evaluating uncertainties . deferred income tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable in future years . such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities , as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards . we evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the future expected taxable income from all sources , including reversal of taxable temporary differences , forecasted operating earnings and available tax planning strategies . these sources of income rely heavily on estimates . we use our historical experience and our short- and long-range business

cash flow from operations was $ 227.5 million for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2018 . we paid down debt by $ 139.3 million during the year , ending the period with $ 155.4 million of cash and cash equivalents . 20 the following table is a reference for the discussion that follows . replace_table_token_3_th comparison of the years ended december 31 , 2018 and 2017 store revenue . total store revenue decreased by $ 52.5 million , or 2.0 % , to $ 2,627.9 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , from $ 2,680.4 million for 2017 . this was primarily due to a decrease of approximately $ 75.4 million in the acceptance now segment , partially offset by an increase of $ 20.3 million in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . same store revenue is reported on a constant currency basis and generally represents revenue earned in 2,575 locations that were operated by us for 13 months or more , excluding any store that receives a certain level of customer accounts from another store ( acquisition or merger ) . receiving stores will be eligible for inclusion in the same store sales base in the twenty-fourth full month 21 following the account transfer . in addition , due to the severity of the hurricane impacts , we instituted a change to the same store sales store selection criteria to exclude stores in geographically impacted regions for 18 months . same store revenues increased by $ 74.8 million , or 4.7 % , to $ 1,653.4 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as compared to $ 1,578.6 million in 2017 . the increase in same store revenues was primarily attributable to an improvement in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . cost of rentals and fees . cost of rentals and fees consists primarily of depreciation of rental merchandise . cost of rentals and fees for the year ended december 31 , 2018 decreased by $ 3.5 million , or 0.6 % , to $ 621.9


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```cash flow from operations was $ 227.5 million for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2018 . we paid down debt by $ 139.3 million during the year , ending the period with $ 155.4 million of cash and cash equivalents . 20 the following table is a reference for the discussion that follows . replace_table_token_3_th comparison of the years ended december 31 , 2018 and 2017 store revenue . total store revenue decreased by $ 52.5 million , or 2.0 % , to $ 2,627.9 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , from $ 2,680.4 million for 2017 . this was primarily due to a decrease of approximately $ 75.4 million in the acceptance now segment , partially offset by an increase of $ 20.3 million in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . same store revenue is reported on a constant currency basis and generally represents revenue earned in 2,575 locations that were operated by us for 13 months or more , excluding any store that receives a certain level of customer accounts from another store ( acquisition or merger ) . receiving stores will be eligible for inclusion in the same store sales base in the twenty-fourth full month 21 following the account transfer . in addition , due to the severity of the hurricane impacts , we instituted a change to the same store sales store selection criteria to exclude stores in geographically impacted regions for 18 months . same store revenues increased by $ 74.8 million , or 4.7 % , to $ 1,653.4 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as compared to $ 1,578.6 million in 2017 . the increase in same store revenues was primarily attributable to an improvement in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . cost of rentals and fees . cost of rentals and fees consists primarily of depreciation of rental merchandise . cost of rentals and fees for the year ended december 31 , 2018 decreased by $ 3.5 million , or 0.6 % , to $ 621.9
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 Suspicious Activity Report : operating profit increased $ 119.2 million , or 189.0 % , to $ 56.1 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as compared to operating loss of $ 63.1 million in 2017 , primarily due to increases of $ 61.6 million and $ 45.3 million in the core u.s. and acceptance now segments , respectively , as discussed further in the segment performance sections below . operating profit ( loss ) expressed as a percentage of total revenue was 2.1 % for the year ended december 31 , 2018 , as compared to ( 2.3 ) % for 2017 . excluding other charges , profit was $ 115.5 million or 4.3 % of revenue or the year ended december 31 , 2018 , compared to $ ( 3.8 ) million or ( 0.1 ) % of revenue for the comparable period of 2017 . income tax expense ( benefit ) . income tax expense for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2018 was $ 5.3 million , as compared to an income tax benefit of $ 116.9 million in 2017 , primarily due to the impact of the tax cuts and jobs act of 2017 ( “ tax act ” ) 22 on our deferred tax balances in the prior year . the effective tax rate was 38.6 % for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2018 , compared to 106.0 % in 2017 . excluding impacts from the tax act , the effective tax rate was 41.5 % for the twelve months ended december 31 , 2017. net earnings . net earnings were $ 8.5 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 as compared to $ 6.7 million in 2017 . excluding impacts from other charges and the tax act , net earnings were $ 57.8 million for the year ended december 31 , 2018 as compared to net loss of $ 28.7 million in 2017 . comparison of the years ended december 31 , 2017 and 2016 store revenue . total store revenue decreased by $ 258.1 million , or 8.8 % , to $ 2,680.4 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from $ 2,938.5 million for 2016. this was primarily due to a decrease of approximately $ 234.3 million in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . same store revenue is reported on a constant currency basis and generally represents revenue earned in 3,376 locations that were operated by us for 13 months or more , excluding any store that receives a certain level of customer accounts from another store ( acquisition or merger ) . receiving stores will be eligible for inclusion in the same store sales base in the twenty-fourth full month following the account transfer . in addition , due to the severity of the hurricane impacts , we instituted a change to the same store sales store selection criteria to exclude stores in geographically impacted regions for 18 months . same store revenues decreased by $ 99.2 million , or 5.4 % , to $ 1,753.9 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , as compared to $ 1,853.1 million in 2016. the decrease in same store revenues was primarily attributable to a decline in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . cost of rentals and fees . cost of rentals and fees consists primarily of depreciation of rental merchandise . cost of rentals and fees for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , decreased by $ 39.5 million , or 5.9 % , to $ 625.4 million , as compared to $ 664.8 million in 2016. this decrease in cost of rentals and fees was primarily attributable to a decrease of $ 35.7 million in the core u.s. segment as a result of lower rentals and fees revenue . cost of rentals and fees expressed as a percentage of rentals and fees revenue increased to 27.6 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 as compared to 26.6 % in 2016. cost of merchandise sold . cost of merchandise sold represents the net book value of rental merchandise at time of sale . cost of merchandise sold decreased by $ 1.1 million , or 0.3 % , to $ 322.6 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from $ 323.7 million in 2016. the gross margin percent of merchandise sales decreased to 2.6 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from 7.8 % in 2016. these decreases were primarily attributable to a decrease of $ 6.4 million in the core u.s. segment , partially offset by an increase of $ 5.3 million in the acceptance now segment driven by a focused effort to encourage ownership and reduce returned product . gross profit . gross profit decreased by $ 216.5 million , or 11.2 % , to $ 1,718.5 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , from $ 1,935.0 million in 2016 , due primarily to a decrease of $ 191.5 million in the core u.s. segment , as discussed further in the segment performance section below . gross profit as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 63.6 % in 2017 compared to 65.3 % in 2016. store labor . store labor includes all salaries and wages paid to store-level employees and district managers ' salaries , together with payroll taxes and benefits . story_separator_special_tag most of our store leases are five year leases and contain renewal options for additional periods ranging from three to five years at rental rates adjusted according to agreed-upon formulas . contractual cash commitments . the table below summarizes debt , lease and other minimum cash obligations outstanding as of december 31 , 2018 : replace_table_token_16_th ( 1 ) includes interest payments of $ 9.7 million on each may 15 and november 15 of each year . ( 2 ) includes interest payments of $ 5.9 million on each may 1 and november 1 of each year . ( 3 ) as of december 31 , 2018 , we have recorded $ 38.2 million in uncertain tax positions . because of the uncertainty of the amounts to be ultimately paid as well as the timing of such payments , uncertain tax positions are not reflected in the contractual obligations table . seasonality . our revenue mix is moderately seasonal , with the first quarter of each fiscal year generally providing higher merchandise sales than any other quarter during a fiscal year , primarily related to the receipt of federal income tax refunds by our customers . generally , our customers will more frequently exercise the early purchase option on their existing rental purchase agreements or purchase pre-leased merchandise off the showroom floor during the first quarter of each fiscal year . furthermore , we tend to experience slower growth in the number of rental purchase agreements in the third quarter of each fiscal year when compared to other quarters throughout the year . we expect these trends to continue in the future . 29 critical accounting estimates , uncertainties or assessments in our financial statements the preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the united states of america requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities , disclosure of contingent losses and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period . in applying accounting principles , we must often make individual estimates and assumptions regarding expected outcomes or uncertainties . our estimates , judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experience . because of the use of estimates inherent in the financial reporting process , actual results could differ from those estimates . we believe the following are areas where the degree of judgment and complexity in determining amounts recorded in our consolidated financial statements make the accounting policies critical . if we make changes to our reserves in accordance with the policies described below , our earnings would be impacted . increases to our reserves would reduce earnings and , similarly , reductions to our reserves would increase our earnings . a pre-tax change of approximately $ 0.7 million in our estimates would result in a corresponding $ 0.01 change in our diluted earnings per common share . self-insurance liabilities . we have self-insured retentions with respect to losses under our workers ' compensation , general liability , vehicle liability and health insurance programs . we establish reserves for our liabilities associated with these losses by obtaining forecasts for the ultimate expected losses and estimating amounts needed to pay losses within our self-insured retentions . we continually institute procedures to manage our loss exposure and increases in health care costs associated with our insurance claims through our risk management function , including a transitional duty program for injured workers , ongoing safety and accident prevention training , and various other programs designed to minimize losses and improve our loss experience in our store locations . we make assumptions on our liabilities within our self-insured retentions using actuarial loss forecasts , company-specific development factors , general industry loss development factors , and third-party claim administrator loss estimates which are based on known facts surrounding individual claims . these assumptions incorporate expected increases in health care costs . periodically , we reevaluate our estimate of liability within our self-insured retentions . at that time , we evaluate the adequacy of our reserves by comparing amounts reserved on our balance sheet for anticipated losses to our updated actuarial loss forecasts and third-party claim administrator loss estimates , and make adjustments to our reserves as needed . as of december 31 , 2018 , the amount reserved for losses within our self-insured retentions with respect to workers ' compensation , general liability and vehicle liability insurance was $ 101.6 million , as compared to $ 118.0 million at december 31 , 2017 . however , if any of the factors that contribute to the overall cost of insurance claims were to change , the actual amount incurred for our self-insurance liabilities could be more or less than the amounts currently reserved . income taxes . our annual tax rate is affected by many factors , including the mix of our earnings , legislation and acquisitions , and is based on our income , statutory tax rates and tax planning opportunities available to us in the jurisdictions in which we operate . tax laws are complex and subject to differing interpretations between the taxpayer and the taxing authorities . significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense , evaluating our tax positions and evaluating uncertainties . deferred income tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable in future years . such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities , as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards . we evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the future expected taxable income from all sources , including reversal of taxable temporary differences , forecasted operating earnings and available tax planning strategies . these sources of income rely heavily on estimates . we use our historical experience and our short- and long-range business

