The Company has a domestic Revolving Credit Facility with a syndicate of financial institutions.  The maximum amount of borrowings available under the facility is $400,000 and borrowings under the facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a factor ranging from 1.00% to 1.50% based on the Company's leverage ratio.  The facility's maturity is March 2017.  The leverage ratio is defined as net indebtedness divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).  The Company is required to pay an annual commitment fee ranging from .20% to .30% (based on the Company's leverage ratio) of the unused portion of the facility.

The Revolving Credit Facility requires the Company to maintain certain leverage and interest coverage ratios.  A portion of the facility (not to exceed $25,000) is available for the issuance of trade and standby letters of credit. Outstanding borrowings on the Revolving Credit Facility at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2012 were $325,000 and $281,323, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings on this facility at March 31, 2013 and 2012 was 2.98% and 2.89%, respectively.

The Company enters into interest rate swaps in order to achieve a mix of fixed and variable rate debt that it deems appropriate. The interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of the future variable interest payments under the Revolving Credit Facility, which are considered probable of occurring.  Based on the Company's assessment, all of the critical terms of each of the hedges matched the underlying terms of the hedged debt and related forecasted interest payments, and as such, these hedges were considered highly effective.

The fair value of the interest rate swaps reflected an unrealized loss of $6,289 ($3,837 after tax) and $6,825 ($4,163 after tax) at March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, that is included in shareholders' equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive loss ("AOCL").  Assuming market rates remain constant with the rates at March 31, 2013, approximately $1,664 of the $3,837 loss included in AOCL is expected to be recognized in earnings as an adjustment to interest expense over the next twelve months.

 

In March 2013, the Company, through certain of its European subsidiaries, entered into a credit facility with a European bank.  The maximum amount of borrowing available under this facility was 25.0 million Euros ($32,000).  Outstanding borrowings under the credit facility totaled 25.0 million Euros ($32,000) at March 31, 2013. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings under this facility at March 31, 2013 was 1.37%.

 

The Company, through its German subsidiary, Saueressig GmbH & Co. KG ("Saueressig"), has several loans with various European banks.  Outstanding borrowings under these loans totaled 2.9 million Euros ($3,719) and 8.2 million Euros ($10,514) at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2012, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings of Saueressig at March 31, 2013 and 2012 was 3.89% and 6.10%, respectively.

The Company, through its German subsidiary, Wetzel GmbH ("Wetzel"), acquired in November 2012, has several loans with various European banks.  Outstanding borrowings under these loans totaled 8.3 million Euros ($10,701) at March 31, 2013.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings of Wetzel at March 31, 2013 was 7.17%.

The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Matthews International S.p.A., has several loans with various Italian banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these loans totaled 5.3 million Euros ($6,767) and 6.3 million Euros ($8,080) at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2012, respectively.  Matthews International S.p.A. also has four lines of credit totaling 11.4 million Euros ($14,574) with the same Italian banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these lines were 5.2 million Euros ($6,714) and 3.4 million Euros ($4,322) at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2012, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding Matthews International S.p.A. borrowings at March 31, 2013 and 2012 was 3.16% and 3.15%, respectively.

As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2012 the fair value of the Company's long-term debt, including current maturities, approximated the carrying value included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.