CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES:



The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated
financial statements of Matthews International Corporation ("Matthews" or the
"Company") and related notes thereto included in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q and the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2020.  Any forward-looking statements contained herein are
included pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results
in future periods to be materially different from management's expectations.
Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such
expectations will prove correct.  Factors that could cause the Company's results
to differ materially from the results discussed in such forward-looking
statements principally include changes in domestic or international economic
conditions, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in the cost of
materials used in the manufacture of the Company's products, changes in
mortality and cremation rates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result
of consolidation in the industries in which the Company operates, changes in
product demand or pricing as a result of domestic or international competitive
pressures, ability to achieve cost-reduction objectives, unknown risks in
connection with the Company's acquisitions, cybersecurity concerns,
effectiveness of the Company's internal controls, compliance with domestic and
foreign laws and regulations, technological factors beyond the Company's
control, impact of pandemics or similar outbreaks, or other disruptions to our
industries, customers or supply chains, and other factors described in Item 1A -
"Risk Factors" in this Form 10-Q and Item 1A - "Risk Factors" in the Company's
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.  In addition, although
the Company does not have any customers that would be considered individually
significant to consolidated sales, changes in the distribution of the Company's
products or the potential loss of one or more of the Company's larger customers
are also considered risk factors. Matthews cautions that the foregoing list of
important factors is not all inclusive. Readers are also cautioned not to place
undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which reflect management's
analysis only as of the date of this report, even if subsequently made available
by Matthews on its website or otherwise. Matthews does not undertake to update
any forward looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from
time to time by or on behalf of Matthews to reflect events or circumstances
occurring after the date of this report.

Included in this report are measures of financial performance that are not
defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
("GAAP"). These non-GAAP financial measures assist management in comparing the
Company's performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business
decision-making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes
do not directly reflect the Company's core operations. For additional
information and reconciliations from the consolidated financial statements
see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below.


RESULTS OF OPERATIONS:



The Company manages its businesses under three segments: SGK Brand Solutions,
Memorialization and Industrial Technologies. The SGK Brand Solutions segment
consists of brand management, pre-media services, printing plates and cylinders,
engineered products, imaging services, digital asset management, merchandising
display systems, and marketing and design services primarily for the consumer
goods and retail industries. The Memorialization segment consists primarily of
bronze and granite memorials and other memorialization products, caskets, and
cremation and incineration equipment primarily for the cemetery and funeral home
industries. The Industrial Technologies segment includes marking and coding
equipment and consumables, industrial automation products and order fulfillment
systems for identifying, tracking, picking and conveying consumer and industrial
products.

The Company's primary measure of segment profitability is adjusted earnings
before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted
EBITDA"). Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company as earnings before interest,
income taxes, depreciation, amortization and certain non-cash and/or
non-recurring items that do not contribute directly to management's evaluation
of its operating results. These items include stock-based compensation, the
non-service portion of pension and postretirement expense, acquisition costs,
ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges. This
presentation is consistent with how the Company's chief operating decision maker
(the "CODM") evaluates the results of operations and makes strategic decisions
about the business. For these reasons, the Company believes that adjusted EBITDA
represents the most relevant measure of segment profit and loss.
                                       22


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued



In addition, the CODM manages and evaluates the operating performance of the
segments, as described above, on a pre-corporate cost allocation basis.
Accordingly, for segment reporting purposes, the Company does not allocate
corporate costs to its reportable segments. Corporate costs include management
and administrative support to the Company, which consists of certain aspects of
the Company's executive management, legal, compliance, human resources,
information technology (including operational support) and finance departments.
These costs are included within "Corporate and Non-Operating" in the following
table to reconcile to consolidated adjusted EBITDA and are not considered a
separate reportable segment. Management does not allocate non-operating items
such as investment income, other income (deductions), net and noncontrolling
interest to the segments.

The following table sets forth the sales and adjusted EBITDA for the Company's
three reporting segments for the three and six-month periods ended March 31,
2021 and 2020. Refer to Note 13, "Segment Information" in Item 1 - "Financial
Statements" for the Company's financial information by segment.

                                 Three Months Ended             Six Months Ended
                                     March 31,                     March 31,
                                2021           2020           2021           2020
Sales:                                    (Dollar amounts in thousands)
SGK Brand Solutions          $ 171,024      $ 172,855      $ 339,164      $ 347,735
Memorialization                205,457        161,819        388,731        316,224
Industrial Technologies         40,673         40,126         75,916         75,785
Consolidated Sales           $ 417,154      $ 374,800      $ 803,811      $ 739,744



          Adjusted EBITDA:
          SGK Brand Solutions              $ 20,832      $ 22,224      $  

42,168 $ 40,962


          Memorialization                    51,606        35,193         

95,678 65,286


          Industrial Technologies             5,809         6,212          

9,302 10,526

Corporate and Non-Operating (17,307) (14,232) (31,445) (27,147)

Total Adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 60,940 $ 49,397 $ 115,703 $ 89,627

(1) Total Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below.



Sales for the six months ended March 31, 2021 were $803.8 million, compared to
$739.7 million for the six months ended March 31, 2020, representing an increase
of $64.1 million.  The increase in fiscal 2021 sales primarily reflected higher
sales in the Memorialization segment partially offset by lower sales in the SGK
Brand Solutions segment. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates were
estimated to have a favorable impact of $14.1 million on fiscal 2021
consolidated sales compared to a year ago. Fiscal 2021 sales continued to be
impacted by the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19"), which
has caused some commercial impacts in certain of the Company's segments and
geographic locations. These impacts have included higher sales volumes for
memorialization products and services, but have also included temporary business
disruptions and customer project delays for certain of the Company's businesses.
While substantially all of the Company's operations have remained open during
the COVID-19 pandemic, management expects COVID-19 to continue to impact its
sales and results of operations in the short-term until the pandemic subsides
(see "Forward Looking Information" below).

In the SGK Brand Solutions segment, sales for the first six months of fiscal
2021 were $339.2 million, compared to $347.7 million for the first six months of
fiscal 2020.  The decrease primarily resulted from lower retail-based sales
(principally merchandising solutions and private label brand market sales), and
reduced sales of cylinders and surfaces products, all of which continued to be
unfavorably impacted by COVID-19. These decreases were partially offset by
higher sales of purpose-built engineered products (primarily in support of the
automobile and energy storage industries). Changes in foreign currency exchange
rates had a favorable impact of $10.4 million on the segment's sales compared to
the prior year. Memorialization segment sales for the first six months of fiscal
2021 were $388.7 million, compared to $316.2 million for the first six months of
fiscal 2020. The increase in sales predominantly resulted from increased unit
sales of caskets due to COVID-19. The segment also reported higher sales of
bronze and granite memorial products, mausoleums, and cremation equipment. The
increase in sales also reflected improved price realization and benefits from a
recently completed acquisition of a small cemetery products business. Changes in
foreign currency exchange rates had a favorable impact of $2.3 million on the
segment's sales compared to the prior year. Industrial Technologies segment
sales were $75.9 million for the first six months of fiscal 2021, compared to
$75.8 million for the first six months of fiscal 2020. The sales increase
primarily reflected a $1.4 million favorable impact from
                                       23


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued



changes in foreign exchange rates, partially offset by lower product
identification sales. Orders for warehouse automation solutions remained strong,
but access to job sites to complete these projects has been restricted due to
COVID-19.
Gross profit for the six months ended March 31, 2021 was $266.5 million,
compared to $240.5 million for the same period a year ago.  Consolidated gross
profit as a percent of sales was 33.2% and 32.5% for the first six months of
fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, respectively.  The increase in gross profit
primarily reflected higher sales, benefits from the realization of productivity
improvements and cost-reduction initiatives, and improved margins for cylinders
and engineered products within the SGK Brand Solutions segment. These
improvements were partially offset by the impact of higher material and
transportation costs, particularly in the Memorialization segment. Gross profit
also included acquisition integration costs and other charges primarily in
connection with cost-reduction initiatives totaling $10.7 million and $4.4
million for the six months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Selling and administrative expenses for the six months ended March 31, 2021 were
$203.0 million, compared to $204.3 million for the first six months of fiscal
2020.  Consolidated selling and administrative expenses, as a percent of sales,
were 25.3% for the six months ended March 31, 2021, compared to 27.6% for the
same period last year.  The decrease in selling and administrative expenses
reflected benefits from ongoing cost-reduction initiatives, and reduced travel
and entertainment ("T&E") costs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, partially
offset by increased performance-based compensation compared to fiscal 2020.
Selling and administrative expenses also included acquisition integration and
related systems-integration costs, and other charges primarily in connection
with cost-reduction initiatives totaling $8.3 million in fiscal 2021, compared
to $19.2 million in fiscal 2020. Intangible amortization for the six months
ended March 31, 2021 was $38.2 million, compared to $35.8 million for the six
months ended March 31, 2020. The increase in intangible amortization reflected
$5.1 million of incremental amortization resulting from a reduction in useful
lives for certain customer relationships. Refer to Note 15, "Goodwill and Other
Intangible Assets" in Item 1 - "Financial Statements" for further details.
Intangible amortization also included accelerated amortization resulting from
the fiscal 2019 reduction in useful lives for certain trade names that are being
discontinued. Amortization for these trade names totaled $16.5 million and $18.7
million for the six months ended March 31, 2021 and March 31, 2020,
respectively. During the second quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company recorded a
goodwill write-down totaling $90.4 million related to its two reporting units
within the SGK Brand Solutions segment (Graphics Imaging and Cylinders, Surfaces
and Engineered Products).

Adjusted EBITDA was $115.7 million for the six months ended March 31, 2021 and
$89.6 million for the six months ended March 31, 2020. Adjusted EBITDA for the
SGK Brand Solutions segment was $42.2 million for the first six months of fiscal
2021 compared to $41.0 million for the same period a year ago. The increase in
segment adjusted EBITDA primarily reflected benefits from cost-reduction
initiatives, reduced T&E costs resulting from COVID-19, and improved margins for
cylinders and engineered products. These increases were partially offset by the
impact of lower sales and increased performance-based compensation compared to
fiscal 2020. Memorialization segment adjusted EBITDA was $95.7 million for the
first six months of fiscal 2021 compared to $65.3 million for the first six
months of fiscal 2020. The increase in segment adjusted EBITDA primarily
reflected the impact of higher sales, benefits from productivity initiatives and
lower T&E costs, partially offset by the impact of higher material and
transportation costs and increased performance-based compensation compared to
fiscal 2020. Adjusted EBITDA for the Industrial Technologies segment for the six
months ended March 31, 2021 was $9.3 million, compared to $10.5 million for the
same period a year ago. Industrial Technologies segment adjusted EBITDA
primarily reflected the impact of lower product identification sales, increased
performance-based compensation expense and higher product development costs,
partially offset by benefits from cost-reduction initiatives and reduced T&E
costs.

Investment income was $2.0 million for the six months ended March 31, 2021 and
$191,000 for the six months ended March 31, 2020. Investment income for both
periods primarily reflected changes in the value of investments (primarily
marketable securities) held in trust for certain of the Company's benefit
plans.  Interest expense for the first six months of fiscal 2021 was $15.0
million, compared to $18.9 million for the same period last year.  The decrease
in interest expense reflected a decrease in average borrowing levels and lower
average interest rates in the current fiscal year.  Other income (deductions),
net, for the six months ended March 31, 2021 represented a decrease in pre-tax
income of $4.3 million, compared to a decrease in pre-tax income of $4.7 million
for the same period last year.  Other income (deductions), net includes the
non-service components of pension and postretirement expense, which totaled $3.8
million and $4.5 million for the six months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020,
respectively. Other income (deductions), net also includes banking-related fees
and the impact of currency gains and losses on certain intercompany debt and
foreign denominated cash balances.

Income tax provisions for the Company's interim periods are based on the
effective income tax rate expected to be applicable for the full year. The
Company's consolidated income taxes for the six months ended March 31, 2021 were
an expense of $5.0 million, compared to a benefit of $16.5 million for the first
six months of fiscal 2020. The difference between the Company's consolidated
income taxes for the first six months of fiscal 2021 versus the same period for
fiscal 2020 primarily resulted from
                                       24


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued



fiscal 2021 having consolidated pre-tax income while fiscal 2020 had a pre-tax
loss. Additionally, fiscal 2021 included discrete tax expenses related to
foreign operating losses, discrete tax benefits related to expirations of
uncertain tax liabilities, a net operating loss ("NOL") carryback to tax years
where the U.S. federal statutory rate was 35%, and additional foreign tax
credits. Fiscal 2020 included discrete tax benefits resulting from the closure
of several tax audits. The Company's fiscal 2021 six-month effective tax rate
varied from the U.S. statutory tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to discrete tax
expenses related to foreign operating losses, discrete tax benefits related to
expirations of uncertain tax liabilities, a NOL carryback to tax years where the
U.S. federal statutory rate was 35%, and additional foreign tax credits.
Additionally, state taxes, foreign statutory rate differentials, and tax credits
all affected the fiscal 2021 effective tax rate. The Company's fiscal 2020
six-month effective tax rate varied from the U.S. statutory tax rate of 21.0%
primarily due to state taxes, foreign statutory rate differentials, tax credits,
the goodwill write-down, and discrete tax benefits recognized in fiscal 2020.

Net losses attributable to noncontrolling interests were $71,000 for the six
months ended March 31, 2021 and the six months ended March 31, 2020.  The net
losses attributable to noncontrolling interests primarily reflected losses in
less than wholly-owned businesses.


NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES:



Included in this report are measures of financial performance that are not
defined by GAAP. The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures to assist in
comparing its performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business
decision-making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes
do not directly reflect the Company's core operations including acquisition
costs, ERP integration costs, strategic initiative and other charges (which
includes non-recurring charges related to operational initiatives and exit
activities), stock-based compensation and the non-service portion of pension and
postretirement expense. Management believes that presenting non-GAAP financial
measures is useful to investors because it (i) provides investors with
meaningful supplemental information regarding financial performance by excluding
certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company's
core operations, (ii) permits investors to view performance using the same tools
that management uses to budget, forecast, make operating and strategic
decisions, and evaluate historical performance, and (iii) otherwise provides
supplemental information that may be useful to investors in evaluating the
Company's results. The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP
financial measures, when considered together with the corresponding GAAP
financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provided herein,
provides investors with an additional understanding of the factors and trends
affecting the Company's business that could not be obtained absent these
disclosures.

The Company believes that adjusted EBITDA provides relevant and useful
information, which is used by the Company's management in assessing the
performance of its business. Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company as
earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and certain
non-cash and/or non-recurring items that do not contribute directly to
management's evaluation of its operating results. These items include
stock-based compensation, the non-service portion of pension and postretirement
expense, acquisition costs, ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and
other charges. Adjusted EBITDA provides the Company with an understanding of
earnings before the impact of investing and financing charges and income taxes,
and the effects of certain acquisition and ERP integration costs, and items that
do not reflect the ordinary earnings of the Company's operations. This measure
may be useful to an investor in evaluating operating performance. It is also
useful as a financial measure for lenders and is used by the Company's
management to measure business performance. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of
the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as
an alternative to net income or other performance measures derived in accordance
with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a
measure of the Company's liquidity. The Company's definition of adjusted EBITDA
may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.
                                       25


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued

The reconciliation of net income to adjusted EBITDA is as follows:


                                                      Three Months Ended                     Six Months Ended
                                                           March 31,                             March 31,
                                                    2021               2020               2021               2020
                                                                    (Dollar amounts in thousands)
Net income (loss)                               $   5,152          $ (86,595)         $   3,160          $ (96,901)
Income tax provision (benefit)                        972            (11,066)             4,952            (16,463)
Income (loss) before income taxes                   6,124            (97,661)             8,112           (113,364)
Net (income) loss attributable
to noncontrolling interests                          (163)               231                 71                 71
Interest expense                                    7,233              9,613             14,961             18,853
Depreciation and amortization *                    35,179             29,317             62,530             58,250
Acquisition related items (1)**                      (702)               742               (360)             2,221
ERP integration costs (2)**                           216                750                359              1,415
Strategic initiatives and other charges: (3)**
Workforce reductions and related costs              1,792              1,387              8,818              3,649
Other cost-reduction initiatives                    3,787              7,750              7,468             16,208

Non-recurring / incremental COVID-19 costs (4)      1,572                663              2,696                663
Goodwill write-down (5)                                 -             90,408                  -             90,408
Joint Venture depreciation, amortization,
interest expense and other charges (6)                  -              1,462                  -              2,259
Stock-based compensation                            4,001              2,508              7,247              4,539
Non-service pension and postretirement expense
(7)                                                 1,901              2,227              3,801              4,455
Total Adjusted EBITDA                           $  60,940          $  49,397          $ 115,703          $  89,627


(1) Includes certain non-recurring items associated with recent acquisition activities.
(2) Represents costs associated with global ERP system integration efforts.
(3) Includes certain non-recurring costs associated with productivity and cost-reduction
initiatives intended to result in improved operating performance, profitability and working
capital levels.
(4) Includes certain non-recurring direct incremental costs (such as costs for purchases of
computer peripherals and devices to facilitate working-from-home, additional personal
protective equipment and cleaning supplies and services, etc.) incurred in response to
COVID-19. This amount does not include the impact of any lost sales or underutilization due
to COVID-19.
(5) Represents the goodwill write-down for two reporting units within the SGK Brand
Solutions segment.
(6) Represents the Company's portion of depreciation, intangible amortization, interest
expense, and other non-recurring charges incurred by non-consolidated subsidiaries accounted
for as equity-method investments within the Memorialization segment.
(7) Non-service pension and postretirement expense includes interest cost, expected return
on plan assets and amortization of actuarial gains and losses. These benefit cost components
are excluded from adjusted EBITDA since they are primarily influenced by external market
conditions that impact investment returns and interest (discount) rates. The service cost
and prior service cost components of pension and postretirement expense are included in the
calculation of adjusted EBITDA, since they are considered to be a better reflection of the
ongoing service-related costs of providing these benefits. Please note that GAAP pension and
postretirement expense or the adjustment above are not necessarily indicative of the current
or future cash flow requirements related to these employee benefit plans.


* Depreciation and amortization was $26.7 million and $21.8 million for the SGK
Brand Solutions segment, $5.7 million and $4.8 million for the Memorialization
segment, $1.4 million and $1.4 million for the Industrial Technologies segment,
and $1.3 million and $1.3 million for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the three
months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Depreciation and
amortization was $45.9 million and $43.4 million for the SGK Brand Solutions
segment, $11.2 million and $9.5 million for the Memorialization segment, $2.8
million and $2.9 million for the Industrial Technologies segment, and $2.6
million and $2.5 million for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the six months
ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
** Acquisition costs, ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and other
charges were $3.0 million and $3.8 million for the SGK Brand Solutions segment,
income of $335,000 and charges of $730,000 for the Memorialization segment, and
charges of $2.4 million and $5.8 million for Corporate and Non-Operating, for
the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Acquisition costs,
ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges were $268,000
for the Industrial Technologies segment, for the three months ended March 31,
2020. Acquisition costs, ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and
other charges were $10.3 million and $7.3 million for the SGK Brand Solutions
segment, $795,000 and $1.1 million for the Memorialization segment, and $5.1
million and $14.9 million for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the six months
ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Acquisition costs, ERP integration
costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges were $268,000 for the
Industrial Technologies segment, for the six months ended March 31, 2020.

                                       26


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES:



Net cash provided by operating activities was $92.2 million for the first six
months of fiscal 2021, compared to $66.0 million for the first six months of
fiscal 2020.  Fiscal 2021 operating cash flow reflected improved earnings
compared to a year ago, as well as the Company's continued focus on working
capital management. Operating cash flow for both periods principally included
net income (loss) adjusted for deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization,
stock-based compensation expense, net gains (losses) related to investments,
non-cash pension expense, other non-cash adjustments, and changes in working
capital items. Net changes in working capital items increased operating cash
flow by $2.7 million and $19.4 million in fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020,
respectively.

Cash used in investing activities was $11.9 million for the six months ended
March 31, 2021, compared to cash used in investing activities of $28.5 million
for the six months ended March 31, 2020.  Investing activities for the first six
months of fiscal 2021 reflected capital expenditures of $15.8 million,
acquisitions payments (net of cash acquired) totaling $13.1 million, proceeds
from the sale of investments of $15.0 million, and proceeds from the sale of
assets of $2.1 million.  Investing activities for the first six months of fiscal
2020 primarily reflected capital expenditures of $19.1 million and investments
and advances of $9.6 million.

Capital expenditures reflected reinvestment in the Company's business segments
and were made primarily for the purchase of new production machinery, equipment,
software and systems, and facilities designed to improve product quality,
increase manufacturing efficiency, lower production costs and meet regulatory
requirements.  Capital expenditures for the last three fiscal years were
primarily financed through operating cash.  Capital spending for property, plant
and equipment has averaged $38.6 million for the last three fiscal years.
Capital spending for fiscal 2021 is currently estimated to be approximately $40
million.  The Company expects to generate sufficient cash from operations to
fund all anticipated capital spending projects.

Cash used in financing activities for the six months ended March 31, 2021 was
$75.5 million, primarily reflecting repayments, net of proceeds, on long-term
debt of $53.9 million, treasury stock purchases of $4.5 million, dividends of
$14.0 million to the Company's shareholders, and $1.6 million of holdback and
deferred payments related to acquisitions from prior years. Cash provided by
financing activities for the six months ended March 31, 2020 was $585,000,
primarily reflecting proceeds, net of repayments, on long-term debt of $21.3
million, treasury stock purchases of $2.4 million, dividends of $13.2 million to
the Company's shareholders, $1.7 million of holdback and contingent
consideration payments related to acquisitions from prior years, and payment of
deferred financing fees of $2.0 million.

The Company has a domestic credit facility with a syndicate of financial
institutions that includes a $750.0 million senior secured revolving credit
facility, which matures in March 2025, and a $35.0 million senior secured
amortizing term loan. The senior secured amortizing term loan was paid in full
in March 2021. A portion of the revolving credit facility (not to exceed $350.0
million) can be drawn in foreign currencies. Borrowings under the revolving
credit facility bear interest at LIBOR (Euro LIBOR for balances drawn in Euros)
plus a factor ranging from 0.75% to 2.00% (1.25% at March 31, 2021) 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 0.30% (based on the Company's leverage ratio) of the unused portion of
the revolving credit facility. The Company incurred debt issuance costs in
connection with the domestic credit facility. Unamortized costs were $2.5
million and $2.7 million at March 31, 2021 and September 30, 2020, respectively.

The domestic credit facility requires the Company to maintain certain leverage
and interest coverage ratios. A portion of the facility (not to exceed $35.0
million) is available for the issuance of trade and standby letters of credit.
Outstanding U.S. dollar denominated borrowings on the revolving credit facility
at March 31, 2021 and September 30, 2020 were $250.0 million and $257.4 million,
respectively. Outstanding Euro denominated borrowings on the revolving credit
facility at March 31, 2021 and September 30, 2020 were €97.0 million ($113.8
million) and €117.0 million ($137.2 million), respectively. There were no
outstanding borrowings on the term loan as of March 31, 2021. Outstanding
borrowings on the term loan at September 30, 2020 were $22.4 million. 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 March 31, 2021 and 2020 was 2.17% and 2.40%, respectively.
                                       27


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued



The Company has $300.0 million 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 the 2025 Senior Notes.
Unamortized costs were $2.5 million and $2.7 million at March 31, 2021 and
September 30, 2020, respectively.

The Company has a $115.0 million accounts receivable securitization facility
(the "Securitization Facility") with certain financial institutions which
matures in March 2022. 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 March 31, 2021 and September 30, 2020 were $97.6
million and $67.7 million, respectively. At March 31, 2021 and 2020, the
interest rate on borrowings under this facility was 0.86% and 1.74%
respectively.

The following table presents information related to interest rate contracts entered into by the Company and designated as cash flow hedges (dollar amounts in thousands):


                                                 March 31, 2021       September 30, 2020
Pay fixed swaps - notional amount               $      250,000       $      

312,500


Net unrealized loss                             $       (2,905)      $      

(7,792)


Weighted-average maturity period (years)                      2.7           

2.6


Weighted-average received rate                            0.11  %                 0.15  %
Weighted-average pay rate                                 1.34  %                 1.34  %



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 $2.9 million ($2.2 million after tax) at March 31, 2021 and
an unrealized loss of $7.8 million ($5.9 million after tax) at September 30,
2020 that is included in shareholders' equity as part of accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI").  Assuming market rates remain constant
with the rates at March 31, 2021, a loss (net of tax) of approximately $1.8
million included in AOCI is expected to be recognized in earnings over the next
twelve months.

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
borrowing available under this facility is €25.0 million ($29.3 million), which
includes €8.0 million ($9.4 million) for bank guarantees.  The credit facility
matures in December 2021 and the Company intends to continue to extend this
facility. Outstanding borrowings under the credit facility totaled €3.1 million
($3.6 million) and €18.9 million ($22.2 million) at March 31, 2021 and
September 30, 2020, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on
outstanding borrowings under this facility at March 31, 2021 and 2020 was 2.25%
and 1.25%, respectively.

The Company uses certain foreign currency debt instruments as net investment
hedges of foreign operations. Currency losses of $4.9 million (net of income
taxes of $1.6 million) and currency losses of $4.4 million (net of income taxes
of $1.4 million), which represent effective hedges of net investments, were
reported as a component of AOCI within currency translation adjustment at
March 31, 2021 and September 30, 2020, respectively.


                                       28


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued



The Company has a stock repurchase program.  Under the current authorization,
the Company's Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of a total of
5,000,000 shares of Matthews' common stock under the program, of which 370,445
shares remain available for repurchase as of March 31, 2021. The buy-back
program is designed to increase shareholder value, enlarge the Company's
holdings of its common stock, and add to earnings per share.  Repurchased shares
may be retained in treasury, utilized for acquisitions, or reissued to employees
or other purchasers, subject to the restrictions set forth in the Company's
Restated Articles of Incorporation.

Consolidated working capital of the Company was $275.3 million at March 31,
2021, compared to $258.7 million at September 30, 2020.  Cash and cash
equivalents were $47.0 million at March 31, 2021, compared to $41.3 million at
September 30, 2020.  The Company's current ratio was 1.8 at March 31, 2021 and
September 30, 2020.


REGULATORY MATTERS:

The Company's operations are subject to various federal, state and local laws
and regulations requiring strict compliance, including, but not limited to, the
protection of the environment. The Company has established numerous internal
compliance programs to further ensure lawful satisfaction of the applicable
regulations. In addition, the Company is party to specific environmental matters
which include obligations to investigate and mitigate the effects on the
environment of certain materials at operating and non-operating sites. The
Company is currently performing environmental assessments and remediation at
certain sites, as applicable.


ACQUISITIONS:

Refer to Note 14, "Acquisitions" in Item 1 - "Financial Statements" for further details on the Company's acquisitions.

SUBSEQUENT EVENT:



On April 20, 2021, subsequent to the date of the balance sheet, 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.


FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:



The Company's current strategy to attain annual operating growth primarily
consists of the following: internal growth - which includes organic growth, cost
structure and productivity improvements, new product development and the
expansion into new markets with existing products - and acquisitions and related
integration activities to achieve synergy benefits.

The significant factors (excluding acquisitions) influencing sales growth in the
SGK Brand Solutions segment are global economic conditions, brand innovation,
the level of marketing spending by the Company's clients, and government
regulation. Due to the global footprint of this segment, currency fluctuations
can also be a significant factor. For the Memorialization segment, North America
death rates, the cremation trend, and price realization impact sales growth for
the Company's bronze and granite memorials, caskets and cremation and
incineration-related products. For the Industrial Technologies segment, sales
growth drivers include economic/industrial market conditions, new product
development, and the e-commerce trend.

During fiscal 2019, the Company initiated a strategic evaluation to improve
profitability and reduce the Company's cost structure. These actions leveraged
the benefit of the Company's new global ERP platform, primarily targeted at the
SGK Brand Solutions segment, both operational and commercial structure, and the
Company's shared financial services and other administrative functions. This
evaluation identified opportunities for significant cost structure improvements,
which the Company expects to achieve through at least fiscal 2022.  The
Company's recent strategic review has also resulted in improvements to the
commercial structure within the SGK Brand Solutions segment.

                                       29


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued



On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared an outbreak of
COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and
subsequently recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020. Widespread
efforts have been deployed by multiple countries around the world to prevent the
virus from spreading, including temporary closures of non-essential businesses,
event cancellations, travel restrictions, quarantines, and other disruptive
actions. Substantially all of the Company's operations have remained open during
the COVID-19 pandemic, as they have been considered "essential" businesses
during this time. However, the Company has experienced some commercial impact
and business disruptions in certain segments and geographic locations as a
result of COVID-19.

Considerable judgment is necessary to assess and predict the potential financial
impacts of COVID-19 on the Company's future operating results. Management
expects that each of its business segments will experience some level of impacts
in the short-term, potentially due to customer business disruptions, supply
chain disruptions, facilities shut-downs, weaker global economic conditions, and
customer project delays. Additionally, recent price increases for certain raw
materials are expected to impact the Company's results for the remainder of
fiscal 2021. Longer-term financial impacts will depend on global economic
conditions eventually resulting from COVID-19. Management expects each of its
businesses to experience some level of financial volatility in the short-term,
but currently anticipates its core businesses will return to a more normalized
future state as COVID-19 subsides.


CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES:



The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and
the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment
based on various assumptions and other factors such as historical experience,
economic conditions, and in some cases, actuarial techniques.  Actual results
may differ from those estimates. A discussion of market risks affecting the
Company can be found in Item 7A - "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures
about Market Risk" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended September 30, 2020.

A summary of the Company's significant accounting policies are included in the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and in the critical accounting
policies in Management's Discussion and Analysis included in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2020.  Management
believes that the application of these policies on a consistent basis enables
the Company to provide useful and reliable financial information about the
Company's operating results and financial condition.
The Company performed its annual impairment review of goodwill and
indefinite-lived intangible assets in the second quarter of fiscal 2021 (January
1, 2021) and determined that the estimated fair values for all goodwill
reporting units exceeded their carrying values, therefore no impairment charges
were necessary. The estimated fair value of the Company's Graphics Imaging
reporting unit, within the SGK Brand Solutions segment, exceeded the carrying
value (expressed as a percentage of carrying value) by approximately 5%. If
current projections are not achieved or specific valuation factors outside the
Company's control (such as discount rates and continued economic and industry
impacts of COVID-19) significantly change, goodwill write-downs may be necessary
in future periods.

                                       30


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Continued

LONG-TERM CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS:

The following table summarizes the Company's contractual obligations at March 31, 2021, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on its liquidity and cash flows in future periods.


                                                                               Payments due in fiscal year:
                                                                      2021            2022 (1) to                                  After
                                                  Total            Remainder             2023              2024 to 2025             2025
Contractual Cash Obligations:                                                  (Dollar amounts in thousands)
Revolving credit facilities                    $ 367,352          $       -          $    3,587          $     363,765          $       -
Securitization Facility                           97,590                  -              97,590                      -                  -

2025 Senior Notes                                376,276              7,875              31,500                 31,500            305,401

Finance lease obligations (2)                      8,703              1,905               4,147                    897              1,754
Non-cancelable operating leases (2)               84,435             13,667              40,508                 20,509              9,751
Other                                             30,114             11,900              10,231                  2,105              5,878
Total contractual cash obligations             $ 964,470          $  35,347

$ 187,563 $ 418,776 $ 322,784




(1)The Company maintains certain debt facilities with maturity dates of twelve
months or less that it intends and has the ability to extend beyond twelve
months totaling $3.6 million. These balances have been classified as non-current
on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet.
(2)Lease obligations have not been discounted to their present value.

A significant portion of the loans included in the table above bear interest at
variable rates.  At March 31, 2021, the weighted-average interest rate was 2.17%
on the Company's domestic credit facility, 0.86% on the Company's Securitization
Facility and 2.25% on the credit facility through the Company's European
subsidiaries.

Benefit payments under the Company's principal retirement plan are made from
plan assets, while benefit payments under the supplemental retirement plan and
postretirement benefit plan are funded from the Company's operating cash. During
the six months ended March 31, 2021 contributions of $408,000 and $228,000 were
made under the supplemental retirement plan and postretirement plan,
respectively. In April 2021, subsequent to the date of the balance sheet, the
Company contributed $15.0 million 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. The Company currently anticipates
contributing an additional $497,000 and $603,000 under the supplemental
retirement plan and postretirement plan, respectively, for the remainder of
fiscal 2021.

Unrecognized tax benefits are positions taken, or expected to be taken, on an
income tax return that may result in additional payments to tax authorities.  If
a tax authority agrees with the tax position taken, or expected to be taken, or
the applicable statute of limitations expires, then additional payments will not
be necessary.  As of March 31, 2021, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits,
excluding penalties and interest, of approximately $10.4 million.  The timing of
potential future payments related to the unrecognized tax benefits is not
presently determinable. The Company believes that its current liquidity sources,
combined with its operating cash flow and borrowing capacity, will be sufficient
to meet its capital needs for the foreseeable future.


RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS:

Refer to Note 2, "Basis of Presentation" in Item 1 - "Financial Statements," for further details on recently issued accounting pronouncements.


                                       31

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© Edgar Online, source Glimpses