Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

v3.21.2
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
 9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
The Company provides defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans to certain employees. Net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit cost for the plans included the following:
  Three months ended June 30,
  Pension Other Postretirement
  2021 2020 2021 2020
Service cost $ 2,020  $ 2,170  $ 50  $ 64 
Interest cost * 1,560  1,933  94  140 
Expected return on plan assets * (2,761) (2,232) —  — 
Amortization:        
Prior service cost (46) (47) (91) (23)
Net actuarial loss * 2,730  2,386  —  — 
Curtailment gain * (220) —  —  — 
Prior service cost write-off * 526  —  —  — 
Net benefit cost $ 3,809  $ 4,210  $ 53  $ 181 

  Nine months ended June 30,
  Pension Other Postretirement
  2021 2020 2021 2020
Service cost $ 6,216  $ 6,510  $ 150  $ 192 
Interest cost * 4,654  5,799  282  420 
Expected return on plan assets * (8,286) (6,696) —  — 
Amortization:        
Prior service cost (104) (141) (273) (69)
Net actuarial loss * 8,774  7,159  —  — 
Curtailment gain * (220) —  —  — 
Prior service cost write-off * 526  —  —  — 
Net benefit cost $ 11,560  $ 12,631  $ 159  $ 543 
* Non-service components of pension and postretirement expense are included in other income (deductions), net.
Note 10.   Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (continued)

During the third quarter of fiscal 2021, the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors approved a resolution to freeze all future benefit accruals for all participants in the Company’s supplemental retirement plan and the defined benefit portion of the officers retirement restoration plan, effective April 30, 2021. Consequently, participants in these plans will no longer earn additional benefits after April 30, 2021. The freezing of these plans triggered curtailments, which resulted in the remeasurement of the projected benefit obligations and the immediate recognition of prior service costs in earnings, which were previously included within AOCI.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2021, the investment policy for the Company’s principal defined benefit retirement plan was updated to establish modified asset allocation targets. The updated investment objective is intended to reduce risk assets in favor of fixed income investments as the plan’s funding status increases. Accordingly, as of June 30, 2021, the principal defined benefit plans' asset allocation reflected 54% allocated to fixed income, cash and cash equivalents, 39% allocated to equity securities, and 7% allocated to other investments.

Benefit payments under the Company's principal retirement plan are made from plan assets, while benefit payments under the postretirement benefit plan are made from the Company's operating funds. During the third quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company contributed $15,000 to its principal retirement plan. Under IRS regulations, no further contributions are required to be made to the Company's principal retirement plan during fiscal 2021.

Contributions made and anticipated for fiscal year 2021 are as follows:
Contributions Pension Other Postretirement
Contributions during the nine months ended June 30, 2021:    
Principal retirement plan $ 15,000  $ — 
Supplemental retirement plan 607  — 
Other postretirement plan —  436 
Additional contributions expected in fiscal 2021:    
Supplemental retirement plan $ 298  $ — 
Other postretirement plan —  395