Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LONG-TERM DEBT

v2.4.0.8
LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
LONG-TERM DEBT [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
7.
LONG-TERM DEBT:

Long-term debt at September 30, 2013 and 2012 consisted of the following:

   
2013
   
2012
 
Revolving credit facilities
  $ 335,420     $ 281,323  
Notes payable to banks
    21,530       26,626  
Short-term borrowings
    7,639       4,322  
Capital lease obligations
    9,093       7,443  
      373,682       319,714  
Less current maturities
    (22,614     (21,566
    $ 351,068     $ 298,148  

The Company has a domestic Revolving Credit Facility with a syndicate of financial institutions.  In July 2013, the maximum amount of borrowings available under the facility was increased from $400,000 to $500,000 and the facility’s maturity was extended to July 2018.  Borrowings under the amended facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a factor ranging from .75% to 1.25% based on the Company’s leverage ratio.  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 .15% to .25% (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 $30,000) is available for the issuance of trade and standby letters of credit. Outstanding borrowings on the Revolving Credit Facility at September 30, 2013 and 2012 were $305,000 and $281,323, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings at September 30, 2013 and 2012 was 2.81% and 2.83%, respectively.
 
The Company has entered into the following interest rate swaps:

Effective Date
Amount
Fixed Interest Rate
Interest Rate Spread at September 30, 2013
 
Maturity Date
May 2011
  $25,000
1.37%
1.25%
May 2014
October 2011
  25,000
1.67%
1.25%
October 2015
November 2011
  25,000
2.13%
1.25%
November 2014
March 2012
  25,000
2.44%
1.25%
March 2015
June 2012
  40,000
1.88%
1.25%
June 2022
August 2012
  35,000
1.74%
1.25%
June 2022
September 2012
  25,000
3.03%
1.25%
December 2015
September 2012
  25,000
1.24%
1.25%
March 2017
November 2012
  25,000
1.33%
1.25%
November 2015

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, net of unrealized gains, of $908 ($554 after tax) and $9,133 ($5,571 after tax) at September 30, 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 September 30, 2013, a loss (net of tax) of approximately $1,580 included in AOCL is expected to be recognized in earnings as an adjustment to interest expense over the next twelve months.

At September 30, 2013 and 2012, the interest rate swap contracts were reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as follows:

Liability Derivatives
     
Balance Sheet Location:
 
2013
   
2012
 
Current assets
           
Other current assets
  $ 427     $ -  
Long-term assets
               
Other assets
    3,309       -  
Current liabilities:
               
Other current liabilities
    2,590       2,851  
Long-term liabilities:
               
Other liabilities
    2,054       6,282  
Total derivatives
  $ 908     $ 9,133  
                 

The loss recognized on derivatives was as follows:

 
Location of
Amount of
Derivatives in
Loss
Loss
Cash Flow Hedging
Recognized in
Recognized in Income
Relationships
Income on Derivatives
on Derivatives
   
2013
 
2012
         
Interest rate swaps
Interest expense
$(4,170)
 
$(3,418)

The Company recognized the following losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCL”):

               
       
Location of Gain
 
Amount of Loss
 
       
or (Loss)
 
Reclassified from
 
Derivatives in
 
Amount of Gain or
 
Reclassified from
 
AOCL
 
Cash Flow
 
(Loss) Recognized in
 
AOCL
 
into Income
 
Hedging
 
AOCL on Derivatives
 
into Income
 
(Effective Portion*)
 
Relationships
 
2013
   
2012
 
(Effective Portion*)
 
2013
   
2012
 
                           
Interest rate swaps
    $2,474       $(3,288)  
Interest expense
    $(2,544)       $(2,085)  
                                   
*There is no ineffective portion or amount excluded from effectiveness testing.
 

In March 2013, the Company, through certain of its European subsidiaries, entered into a credit facility with a bank.  The maximum amount of borrowings available under this facility is 25.0 million Euros ($33,815).  Outstanding borrowings under the credit facility totaled 22.5 million Euros ($30,434) at September 30, 2013.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings under the facility at September 30, 2013 was 1.37%.

The Company, through its German subsidiary, Saueressig GmbH & Co. KG (“Saueressig”), has several loans with various European banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these loans totaled 1.7 million Euros ($2,310) and 8.2 million Euros ($10,514) at September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings of Saueressig at September 30, 2013 and 2012 was 4.04% and 6.10%, respectively.

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 5.1 million Euros ($6,871) and 6.3 million Euros ($8,080) at September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  Matthews International S.p.A. also has three lines of credit totaling 11.4 million Euros ($15,379) with the same Italian banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these lines were 5.6 million Euros ($7,639) and 3.4 million Euros ($4,322) at September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding Matthews International S.p.A. borrowings at September 30, 2013 and 2012 was 3.16% and 3.08%, respectively.

As of September 30, 2013 and 2012, the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt, including current maturities, which is classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy, approximated the carrying value included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
Aggregate maturities of long-term debt, including short-term borrowings and capital leases, follows:

2014
  $ 22,614  
2015
    34,785  
2016
    5,032  
2017
    1,623  
2018
    306,365  
Thereafter
    3,263  
    $ 373,682