Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LONG-TERM DEBT

v3.19.3
LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT LONG-TERM DEBT:

Long-term debt at September 30, 2019 and 2018 consisted of the following:
 
2019
 
2018
Revolving credit facilities
$
476,132

 
$
322,711

Securitization facility
93,950

 
102,250

Senior secured term loan
53,497

 
212,086

2025 Senior Notes
296,716

 
296,176

Notes payable to banks
16,376

 
17,895

Short-term borrowings
395

 
4,915

Capital lease obligations
3,631

 
4,569

 
940,697

 
960,602

Less current maturities
(42,503
)
 
(31,260
)
 
$
898,194

 
$
929,342



The Company has a domestic credit facility with a syndicate of financial institutions that includes a $900,000 senior secured revolving credit facility and a $250,000 senior secured amortizing term loan. A portion of the revolving credit facility (not to exceed $150,000) can be drawn in foreign currencies. The term loan requires scheduled principal payments of 5.0% of the outstanding principal in year one, 7.5% in year two, and 10.0% in years three through five, payable in quarterly installments.  Pursuant to the terms of the domestic credit facility agreement, principal payments may be made on the term loan prior to the scheduled due date. The balance of the revolving credit facility and the term loan are due on the maturity date of April 26, 2021. Borrowings under both the revolving credit facility and the term loan bear interest at LIBOR (Euro LIBOR for balances drawn in Euros) plus a factor ranging from 0.75% to 2.00% (1.50% at September 30, 2019) based on the Company's secured leverage ratio.  The secured leverage ratio is defined as net secured indebtedness divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) as defined within the domestic credit facility agreement.  The Company is required to pay an annual commitment fee ranging from 0.15% to 0.25% (based on the Company's leverage ratio) of the unused portion of the revolving credit facility.

The domestic credit facility requires the Company to maintain certain leverage and interest coverage ratios. A portion of the facility (not to exceed $35,000) is available for the issuance of trade and standby letters of credit. Outstanding U.S. dollar denominated borrowings on the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2019 and 2018 were $325,638 and $319,500, respectively. During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company borrowed €125.0 million on the revolving credit facility. Proceeds from the Euro denominated borrowing were used to make a principal payment of $140,000 on the outstanding balance of the term loan. Outstanding Euro denominated borrowings on the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2019 were €125.0 million ($136,470). There were no Euro denominated borrowings on the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2018. Outstanding borrowings on the term loan at September 30, 2019 and 2018 were $53,497 and $212,086, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings for the domestic credit facility (including the effects of interest rate swaps and Euro denominated borrowings) at September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 2.65% and 3.12%, respectively.

The Company has $300,000 of 5.25% senior unsecured notes due December 1, 2025 (the "2025 Senior Notes"). The 2025 Senior Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.25% per annum with interest payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year. The Company's obligations under the 2025 Senior Notes are guaranteed by certain of the Company's direct and indirect wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. The Company is subject to certain covenants and other restrictions in connection with the 2025 Senior Notes. The Company incurred direct financing fees and costs in connection with 2025 Senior Notes of $4,127, which are being deferred and amortized over the term of the 2025 Senior Notes.
9.     LONG-TERM DEBT, (continued)

The Company has a $115,000 accounts receivable securitization facility (the "Securitization Facility") with certain financial institutions which matures on April 11, 2020, and the Company intends to extend this facility. Under the Securitization Facility, the Company and certain of its domestic subsidiaries sell, on a continuous basis without recourse, their trade receivables to Matthews Receivables Funding Corporation, LLC (“Matthews RFC”), a wholly-owned bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of the Company. Matthews RFC in turn assigns a collateral interest in these receivables to certain financial institutions, and then may borrow funds under the Securitization Facility. The Securitization Facility does not qualify for sale treatment. Accordingly, the trade receivables and related debt obligations remain on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet. Borrowings under the Securitization Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus 0.75%. The Company is required to pay an annual commitment fee ranging from 0.25% to 0.35% of the unused portion of the Securitization Facility. Outstanding borrowings under the Securitization Facility at September 30, 2019 and 2018 were $93,950 and $102,250, respectively. The interest rate on borrowings under this facility at September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 2.77% and 3.01%, respectively.

The following table presents information related to interest rate contracts entered into by the Company and designated as cash flow hedges:
 
 
September 30, 2019
 
September 30, 2018
Pay fixed swaps - notional amount
 
$
293,750

 
$
343,750

Net unrealized (loss) gain
 
$
(534
)
 
$
11,309

Weighted-average maturity period (years)
 
1.9

 
2.7

Weighted-average received rate
 
2.02
%
 
2.26
%
Weighted-average pay rate
 
1.41
%
 
1.37
%

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 future variable interest payments 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 $534 ($403 after tax) and an unrealized gain of $11,309 ($8,538 after tax) at September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, that is included in shareholders' equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI").  Assuming market rates remain constant with the rates at September 30, 2019, a gain (net of tax) of approximately $48 included in AOCI is expected to be recognized in earnings over the next twelve months.
 
At September 30, 2019 and 2018, the interest rate swap contracts were reflected on a gross-basis in the consolidated balance sheets as follows:

Derivatives:
2019
 
2018
Current assets:
 
 
 
Other current assets
$
548

 
$
3,867

Long-term assets:
 

 
 

Other assets
297

 
7,442

Current liabilities:
 

 
 

Other current liabilities
(484
)
 

Long-term liabilities:
 

 
 

Other liabilities
(895
)
 

Total derivatives
$
(534
)
 
$
11,309


9.     LONG-TERM DEBT, (continued)

The gains recognized on derivatives was as follows:
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships
 
Location of Gain Recognized in Income on Derivatives
 
Amount of Gain Recognized in Income on Derivatives
 
 
 
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Interest rate swaps
 
Interest expense
 
$3,181
 
$1,380
 
$1,752

The Company recognized the following gains (losses) in AOCI:
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships
 
 Amount of (Loss) Gain Recognized in AOCI on Derivatives
 
Location of Gain Reclassified from AOCI into Income
 
Amount of Gain Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion*)
 
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
(Effective Portion*)
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
 
$(6,540)
 
$6,095
 
$7,043
 
Interest expense
 
$2,402
 
$1,042
 
$1,069
* There is no ineffective portion or amount excluded from effectiveness testing.
 
 


The Company, through certain of its European subsidiaries, has a credit facility with a European bank, which is guaranteed by Matthews.  The maximum amount of borrowings available under this facility is €35.0 million ($38,212).  The credit facility matures in December 2019 and the Company intends to extend this facility. Outstanding borrowings under this facility were €12.8 million ($14,024) and €2.8 million ($3,211) at September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings under this facility was 1.25% and 1.75% at September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The Company’s German subsidiary, Matthews Europe GmbH & Co. KG, has €15.0 million ($16,376) of senior unsecured notes with European banks.  The notes are guaranteed by Matthews and mature in November 2019.  A portion of the notes (€5.0 million) have a fixed interest rate of 1.40%, and the remainder bear interest at Euro LIBOR plus 1.40%.  The weighted-average interest rate on the notes at September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 1.40%.

Other debt totaled $395 and $5,399 at September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on these outstanding borrowings was 2.17% and 2.21% at September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The Company uses certain foreign currency debt instruments as net investment hedges of foreign operations. Currency losses of $3,320 (net of income taxes of $1,077), which represent effective hedges of net investments, were reported as a component of AOCI within currency translation adjustment for the fiscal year 2019. The Company did not have any net investments hedges in the prior year.

In September 2014, a claim was filed seeking to draw upon a letter of credit issued by the Company of £8,570,000 ($10,541 at September 30, 2019) with respect to a performance guarantee on an environmental solutions project in Saudi Arabia. Management assessed the customer's demand to be without merit and initiated an action with the court in the United Kingdom (the "U.K. Court"). Pursuant to this action, an order was issued by the U.K. Court in January 2015 requiring that, upon receipt by the customer, the funds were to be remitted by the customer to the U.K. Court pending resolution of the dispute between the parties. As a result, the Company made payment on the draw to the financial institution for the letter of credit and the funds were ultimately received by the customer. The customer did not remit the funds to the U.K. Court as ordered. On June 14, 2016, the U.K Court ruled completely in favor of Matthews following a trial on the merits. However, the ongoing dispute involves litigation in multiple foreign jurisdictions because the contract between the parties includes a venue clause requiring the venue for any litigation to be in the United Kingdom, while the enforcement of any final judgment is required to be executed in Saudi Arabia.  The Company is currently pursuing a trial on the merits in Saudi Arabia which may not finally be resolved until calendar year 2020.  It is necessary to obtain an equivalent favorable ruling in the courts of Saudi Arabia to effectively enforce judgment and commence collection efforts.  The Company remains confident regarding the pending trial on the merits in Saudi Arabia and expects to be in a position to enforce the judgment and initiate collection efforts following completion of that trial.   However, as the customer has neither yet remitted the funds nor complied with the final, un-appealed orders of the U.K. Court, it is possible the resolution of this matter could have an unfavorable financial impact on Matthews’ results of operations.   The Company’s level of success in recovering funds from the customer will depend upon a number of factors including, a successful completion of the pending trial on the merits in Saudi Arabia, the availability of recoverable funds, and the subsequent level of cooperation from the Saudi Arabian government to enforce a potential judgment against the creditor.   The Company has determined that resolution of this matter may take an extended period of time and therefore
9.     LONG-TERM DEBT, (continued)

has classified the funded letter of credit within other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2019 and 2018.  The Company will continue to assess the accounting and collectability related to this matter as facts and circumstances evolve.

As of September 30, 2019 and 2018, 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. The Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants as of September 30, 2019.

Aggregate maturities of long-term debt, including short-term borrowings and capital leases, is as follows:
2020
$
150,477

*
2021
490,957

 
2022
353

 
2023
313

 
2024
258

 
Thereafter
298,339

 
 
$
940,697

 

* The Company maintains certain debt facilities with current maturity dates in fiscal 2020 that it intends and has the ability to extend beyond fiscal 2020 totaling $107,974. These balances have been classified as non-current on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet.