Note 5.   Debt

The Company has a domestic Revolving Credit Facility with a syndicate of financial institutions.  The maximum amount of borrowings available under the facility is $500,000 and borrowings under the facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a factor ranging from .75% to 1.25% based on the Company’s leverage ratio.  The facility’s maturity is July 2018.  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 March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013 were $310,000 and $305,000, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings on this facility at March 31, 2014 and 2013 was 2.53% and 2.98%, respectively.

In connection with the pending acquisition of Schawk, Inc. ("SGK") (see Note 12.) the Company entered into a commitment letter with RBS Citizens in March 2014 to amend and increase the maximum amount of borrowings available under the facility to $850,000.  The amendment is conditional upon the closing of the SGK acquisition.

The Company has entered into the following interest rate swaps:

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 gain, net of unrealized losses, of $447 ($273 after tax) at March 31, 2014 and an unrealized loss, net of unrealized gains, of $908 ($554 after tax) at September 30, 2013.  The net unrealized gain and loss are included in shareholders’ equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”).  Assuming market rates remain consistent with the rates at March 31, 2014, approximately $1,131 net unrealized loss included in AOCI is expected to be recognized in earnings as an adjustment to interest expense over the next twelve months.

At March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013, the interest rate swap contracts were reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as follows:

 

The loss recognized on derivatives was as follows:

 

The Company recognized the following losses in AOCI:

 

*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.  The maximum amount of borrowing available under this facility was 25.0 million Euros ($34,425).  Outstanding borrowings under the credit facility totaled 21.9 million Euros ($30,144) and 22.5 million Euros ($30,454) at March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings under this facility at March 31, 2014 and 2013 was 1.48% and 1.37%, respectively.

The Company, through its German subsidiary, Saueressig GmbH & Co. KG (“Saueressig”), has several loans with various European banks.  Outstanding borrowings under these loans totaled 1.5 million Euros ($2,001) and 1.7 million Euros ($2,310) at March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings of Saueressig at March 31, 2014 and 2013 was 4.04% and 3.89%, respectively.

The Company, through its German subsidiary, Wetzel GmbH (“Wetzel”), has several loans with various European banks.  Outstanding borrowings under these loans totaled 6.5 million Euros ($8,932) and 7.4 million Euros ($10,000) at March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings of Wetzel at March 31, 2014 and 2013 was 7.75% and 7.17%, 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 7.1 million Euros ($9,766) and 5.1 million Euros ($6,871) at March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively.  Matthews International S.p.A. also has three lines of credit totaling 11.3 million Euros ($15,601) with the same Italian banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these lines were 4.3 million Euros ($5,932) and 5.6 million Euros ($7,639) at March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding Matthews International S.p.A. borrowings at March 31, 2014 and 2013 was 3.12% and 3.16%, respectively.