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Risk Factors Dashboard

Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.

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Risk Factors - MATW

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

There are inherent risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's businesses that could adversely affect its operating performance and financial condition. Set forth below are descriptions of those risks and uncertainties that the Company believes to be material as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional risks not known to the Company as of such date or risks that the Company deemed immaterial may also result in adverse effects on the Company in the future.

Company-Specific Risk Factors:

The Company's international sales and operations expose the Company to significant risks and failure to manage those risks could materially adversely impact the Company's business. In addition, the Company's manufacturing operations, suppliers and employees are located in many places around the world. As such, the Company's future success depends in part on its ability to grow sales in non-U.S. markets. Sales and operations outside of the United States are subject to certain inherent risks. The Company anticipates that future sales to international customers will continue to account for a significant percentage of its revenues. Risks associated with the Company’s international sales and operations include, but are not limited to:

•currency exchange rate fluctuations;

•global political and economic instability and uncertainty;

•international terrorism;

•export controls, including by the United States;

•failure to comply with anti-bribery legislation, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”);

•changes in legal and regulatory requirements;

•policy changes by the United States and foreign governments affecting the markets for the Company’s products;

•changes in tax laws, quotas, tariffs and other market barriers;

•difficulties in protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights;

•restrictions on the export or import of technology;

•failure to comply with the foreign data protection laws, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”);

•failure to comply with foreign sustainability-related reporting requirements, including the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive;

•inadvertent transfers of export-controlled information due to increased cross-border technology transfers and the use of offshore computer servers;

•transportation, including piracy in international waters; and

•challenges relating to managing a global workforce with diverse cultures, backgrounds and labor laws.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

It also is possible that certain international contracts may include industrial cooperation agreements requiring specific in-country purchases, investments, manufacturing agreements or other financial obligations (known as offset obligations) and may provide for penalties if the Company fails to meet such requirements.

Changes in foreign currency exchange rates could have an adverse effect on the Company's revenue, cash flows and financial results. Production and sales of a significant portion of the Company's products are outside the United States, and accordingly, the Company holds assets, incurs liabilities, earns revenue and pays expenses in a variety of currencies. The Company's consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, and therefore, the Company must translate the reported values of its foreign assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses into U.S. dollars. Increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to foreign currencies may negatively affect the value of these items in the Company's consolidated financial statements, even though their value has not changed in local currency.

Interest rate fluctuations could increase the Company's financing costs and reduce the Company's ability to obtain additional indebtedness or debt refinancing, which could materially and adversely affect the Company. Interest rate fluctuations could increase the Company's financing costs to the extent such interest rates are not hedged. In addition, increases in interest rates could limit the Company's ability to obtain additional indebtedness or debt refinancing on terms that the Company deems attractive, or at all, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company's borrowing costs, profitability, liquidity and capital resources. Borrowings under the Company’s credit facilities, including the domestic credit facility, are subject to variable rates of interest and expose the Company to interest rate risk. The Company enters into interest rate swaps in order to achieve a mix of fixed and variable rate debt that it deems appropriate. To the extent that some or all of the Company’s variable interest rate debt is not subject to interest rate swaps, if interest rates were to increase, the Company’s interest expense would increase, negatively affecting earnings and reducing cash flows available for working capital, capital expenditures and other investments.

The Company also has $300.0 million 8.625% senior secured second lien notes due October 1, 2027 (the "2027 Senior Secured Notes"). If the Company is unable to incur indebtedness on terms that it deems attractive, it could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s borrowing costs, profitability, liquidity and capital resources.

Increased prices for raw materials or shortages could adversely affect the Company's results of operations and cash flows. The Company's profitability is affected by the prices of the raw materials used in the manufacture of its products. These prices may fluctuate based on a number of factors, including changes in supply and demand, domestic and global economic conditions, volatility in commodity markets, currency exchange rates, labor costs, tariffs and fuel-related costs. If suppliers increase the price of critical raw materials, alternative sources of supply, or alternative materials, may not exist or be readily available. In addition, disruptions in the global supply chain may cause prices for raw materials to increase. See "The Company faces additional global supply chain risks and risks of interruption of requisite logistics and transportation services, including as a result of the Company's reliance on limited suppliers and vendors for certain components, materials, and services."

The Company has standard selling price structures (i.e., list prices) in certain of its segments, which are reviewed for adjustment generally on an annual basis. In addition, the Company has established pricing terms with several of its customers through contracts or similar arrangements. Based on competitive market conditions and to the extent that the Company has established pricing terms with customers, the Company's ability to immediately increase the price of its products to offset the increased costs may be limited. Significant raw material price increases that cannot be mitigated by selling price increases or productivity improvements will negatively affect the Company's results of operations.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

The Company's balance sheet includes a significant amount of goodwill and intangible assets. An impairment in the carrying value of goodwill could negatively impact the Company's consolidated results of operations and total assets. The Company has recorded a significant amount of goodwill and intangible assets in its consolidated financial statements resulting from acquisition activities and has in the past recorded, and may in the future record, significant charges for impairment of goodwill and intangible assets. The Company tests, at least annually, the carrying value of goodwill for impairment. The estimates and assumptions about future results of operations and cash flows made in connection with the impairment testing could differ from future actual results of operations and cash flows. For example, during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024 and 2022, Matthews recorded a $16.7 million goodwill write-down with respect to its Surfaces and Engineering reporting unit and an $82.5 million goodwill write-down with respect to its SGK Brand Solutions reporting unit, respectively. See Note 23, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 - “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for further details. If Matthews concludes that any further goodwill or intangible asset values are impaired, for reasons that may include, but are not limited to, underperformance in one or more reporting segments against forecast levels; changes in the Company’s business strategy, structure, and/or the allocation of resources; the inability of acquisitions to achieve expected operating results; a decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period; a potential recession or other disruption; or interest rate increases or other factors, any resulting non-cash impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on Matthews’ business, results of operations and financial condition.

Changes in mortality and cremation rates could have a material adverse effect on the Company's cash flows and revenues. Generally, life expectancy in the United States and other countries in which the Company's Memorialization segment operates has increased steadily for several decades and is expected to continue to do so in the future, absent events related to pandemics or similar outbreaks. Additionally, cremations have steadily grown as a percentage of total deaths in the United States since the 1960's, and are expected to continue to increase in the future.

The Company is subject to competitive pressures, including with respect to product demand and pricing. The Company's businesses have and will continue to operate in competitive markets. Changes in product demand or pricing are affected by domestic and foreign competition and an increase in consolidated purchasing by large customers operating in both domestic and global markets. The Memorialization businesses generally operate in markets with ample supply capacity and demand which is correlated to death rates. The SGK Brand Solutions businesses serve global customers that are requiring their suppliers to be global in scope and price-competitive. Additionally, in recent years the Company has witnessed an increase in products manufactured offshore, primarily in China, and imported into the Company's U.S. markets. It is expected that these trends will continue and may affect the Company's future results of operations.

The loss of any of the Company's large customers could have a material adverse effect on the Company's cash flows and results of operations. Although the Company does not have any customer that is individually significant to consolidated sales, it does have contracts with several large customers in each of its business segments. Additionally, any significant divestiture of business properties or operations by current customers could result in a loss of business if the Company is not able to maintain the business with the subsequent owners of the businesses.

The Company faces additional global supply chain risks and risks of interruption of requisite logistics and transportation services, including as a result of the Company's reliance on limited suppliers and vendors for certain components, materials, and services. The Company purchases components and materials to manufacture its products from a large number of suppliers, some of which may be critical to operations. The Company’s product offerings are impacted by such suppliers' lead times, volume constraints and increasing costs. The Company has experienced and may continue to experience extended lead times and product unavailability due to manufacturing disruptions or closures as well as delays and unanticipated costs associated with the sourcing of materials. Matthews’ supply chain operations span several geographies globally and are heavily dependent upon third party logistics and transportation services to deliver the Company’s products to customers. Extended lead times and shortages could impair the Company’s ability to meet its customer requirements, require the Company to pay higher prices or incur expedite fees or cause its customers to delay or forgo projects, which would harm Matthews’ business and negatively impact the Company’s gross margin and results of operations.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

Pandemics or similar outbreaks may cause unfavorable economic or market conditions, which could impact demand patterns, access to capital and/or disrupt global supply chains and manufacturing operations. Pandemics or similar outbreaks could adversely affect the economies of developed and emerging markets, potentially resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers’ demand for the Company’s products and services, as well as the Company's ability to access capital at acceptable interest rates. The spread of pandemics or similar outbreaks may also disrupt the Company’s manufacturing and production operations, as well as its distribution systems, which include import and export for delivery of the Company’s products to its customers. These factors could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. See also "The Company faces additional global supply chain risks and risks of interruption of requisite logistics and transportation services, including as a result of the Company's reliance on limited suppliers and vendors for certain components, materials, and services."

Due to the uncertainty relating to a pandemic or similar outbreak, the Company, its customers or its suppliers may be required, or believe that it is advantageous, to take precautionary measures intended to minimize the risk of a virus or disease spreading to employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate, and these measures could negatively impact the Company’s business. Further, if the scope and severity of an outbreak worsens and the Company’s contingency plans prove ineffective, its global operations could potentially experience disruptions, such as temporary closure of facilities or delays or suspensions in product offerings and services, which may materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, could impact the Company and its operations in a number of different ways, which are yet to be fully assessed and are therefore uncertain. The Company’s principal concern is for the safety of its employees and other personnel, specifically those who are based in the affected region. The Company has employees who are based in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, who may be affected by the ongoing hostilities. The Company additionally has property, plant and equipment in or around the affected region. The continuing impact of this war and the response of the United States and other countries to it by means of trade and economic sanctions, or other actions, is still evolving and unknown; however it could disrupt the Company’s ability to work with certain parties. Similarly, the Company has employees based in the affected region and works with third-party providers from other parts of the world that may be affected by hostilities.

Due to the uncertainty relating to war or similar conflicts, the current war between Russia and Ukraine may adversely affect the Company's business, of which could materially and adversely affect the Company's results of operations. Similar uncertainties may arise in connection with other ongoing hostilities or future hostilities.

For so long as the hostilities continue, and perhaps even thereafter as the situation unfolds, the Company may see increased volatility in financial markets, which may impact equity markets generally, including the Company’s stock price, and make it more difficult for the Company to raise additional capital at a strategically advantageous time, or for financing to be available upon acceptable terms. All or any of these risks separately, or in combination could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

The Company faces risks in connection with acquisitions, divestitures and business combinations, including the Company's ability to identify or successfully complete any such acquisitions, divestitures or business combinations, to effectively integrate acquired businesses or to effectively manage the remaining business or the combined business.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

If the Company is unable to adequately protect the Company's intellectual property, the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Certain of the Company's businesses rely on various intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as confidentiality provisions and licensing arrangements, to establish proprietary rights. In addition, the Company's patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, including its trade secrets, may not provide a significant competitive advantage. The Company may need to spend significant resources monitoring its intellectual property rights and may or may not be able to detect infringement by third parties. The Company's competitive position may be harmed if it cannot detect infringement and enforce its intellectual property rights quickly or at all. In some circumstances, the Company may choose to not pursue enforcement because an infringer has a dominant intellectual property position or for other business reasons, such as the expense of litigation against a well-resourced adversary. In addition, competitors might avoid infringement by designing around the Company's intellectual property rights or by developing non-infringing competing technologies. Intellectual property rights and the Company's ability to enforce them may be unavailable or limited in some countries which could make it easier for competitors to capture market share and could result in lost revenues.

The Company actively manages its businesses to ensure compliance under contractual commitments with its customers, including matters related to intellectual property rights. While the Company believes it has complied with its obligations in this regard and has not infringed on the intellectual property of third parties, the Company cannot assure that third parties will not assert claims, meritorious or otherwise. For example, while the Company has attempted to work under the terms of its existing contracts with Tesla to affirm the ownership of its intellectual property, in June 2024, Tesla filed a complaint against the Company (the “Tesla Complaint”) alleging trade secret misappropriations under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (the “DTSA”) and California’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act (the “CUTSA”), breach of contract and unfair business practices relating to the Company’s dry battery electrode solutions. Even if these matters do not result in litigation or are resolved in the Company's favor or without significant cash settlements, the time and resources necessary to resolve them could adversely affect the Company's business, reputation, financial condition and operating results.

The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations, as well as environmental remediation and compliance that may lead to significant unforeseen expenses. The Company is subject to the risk of environmental liability and limitations on its operations due to environmental laws and regulations. The Company is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign environmental, health and safety laws and regulations concerning matters such as air emissions, wastewater discharges, solid and hazardous waste handling and disposal and the investigation and remediation of contamination. The risks of potentially substantial costs and liabilities related to compliance with these laws and regulations are an inherent part of the Company's business, and future conditions may develop, arise or be discovered that create substantial environmental compliance or remediation liabilities and costs. Compliance with environmental, health and safety legislation and regulatory requirements may prove to be more limiting and costly than the Company anticipates, and there is no assurance that significant expenditures related to such compliance may not be required in the future.

From time to time, the Company may be subject to legal proceedings brought by private parties or governmental authorities with respect to environmental matters, including matters involving alleged noncompliance with or liability under environmental, health and safety laws, property damage or personal injury. New laws and regulations, including those which may relate to emissions of greenhouse gases, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or the imposition of new clean-up requirements could require the Company to incur costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

The Company relies on third parties and their systems for a variety of services, including significant information technology services, and the failure of these third parties to provide these services could disrupt the Company's business. The Company has entered into agreements with a variety of third-party providers for information technology services, including telecommunications, network server maintenance, cloud computing and transaction processing services. In addition, Matthews has agreements through which it has outsourced certain activities related to the operations of the Company’s business segments. A provider’s ability to provide services could be disrupted for a variety of reasons, including, among others, software errors or design faults, human error, security breaches, power loss, telecommunications failures, equipment failures, electrical disruptions, labor issues, vandalism, fire, flood, extreme weather, terrorism and other events beyond their control. If one or more of Matthews’ providers is unable to provide adequate or timely services, the Company’s ability to deliver products and services to customers could be adversely affected. Matthews cannot completely eliminate the risk of such disruptions, many of which are impacted by events outside of the Company’s control. Any significant disruption could harm the Company’s business, including damage to brands and loss of customers. Additionally, although Matthews believes that most of these services are available from numerous sources, a failure to perform by one or more of the providers could cause a material disruption in the Company’s business and an increase in expense while it works to obtain alternative services. Additionally, while the Company has policies and procedures for managing these relationships, they inherently involve a lesser degree of control over business operations, governance and compliance, thereby potentially increasing the profiles of Matthews’ financial, legal, reputational and operational risks.

If the Company is unable to keep pace with technological changes, some of which are beyond the Company's control, the Company may not be able to maintain the Company's competitive position. The Company operates in certain markets in which technological product development contributes to its ability to compete effectively. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to develop new products, that new products can be manufactured and marketed profitably, or that new products will successfully meet the expectations of customers.

Changing laws and regulations relating to privacy, information security and data protection could increase the Company's costs, and the failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in significant business disruptions, litigation or enforcement actions. The Company is subject to many data privacy, data protection, and data breach notification laws, including the GDPR, which became effective in May of 2018, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (the "CCPA"), which became effective in January 2020. The GDPR and the CCPA contain comprehensive data protection compliance requirements. Complying with the GDPR and the CCPA may continue to cause the Company to incur substantial operational costs or require the Company to change certain of its business practices in certain jurisdictions. The Company’s measures to assess the requirements of, and to comply with, the GDPR and the CCPA, as well as new and existing data-related laws and regulations of other jurisdictions, could be challenged, including by authorities that regulate data-related compliance. The Company’s ongoing compliance measures could result in the incurrence of significant expense in facilitating and responding to regulatory investigations, and if the measures initiated by the Company are deemed to be inadequate, the Company could be subject to litigation or enforcement actions that may require operational changes, fines, penalties or damages, which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business or results of operations.

Future tax law changes and/or interpretation of existing tax laws may adversely affect the Company's effective income tax rate and require adjustments to the Company's tax estimates. Matthews is subject to domestic and international tax laws and cannot predict the scope or effect of future tax law changes. Domestically, the U.S. Department of Treasury has broad authority to issue regulations and interpretive guidance. The Company has applied available guidance to estimate its tax obligations, but new guidance may cause the Company to make adjustments to its tax estimates in future periods.

The Company operates in a regulated environment that requires the Company's compliance with laws and regulations. Non-compliance could subject the Company to sanctions and materially adversely affect the Company's business. Due to the international scope of the Company's operations, Matthews is subject to a complex system of commercial and trade regulations around the world, and the Company's foreign operations are governed by laws, rules and business practices that often differ from those of the United States. The Company cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which the Company's operations might be subject or the manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted, which could have a material and negative impact on the Company's business and results of operation. For example, recent years have seen an increase in the development and enforcement of laws and regulations regarding trade compliance, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption, such as the FCPA and similar laws in other countries. While Matthews maintains a variety of internal policies and controls and takes steps, including periodic training and internal audits, that the Company believes are reasonably calculated to discourage, prevent and detect violations of such laws, the Company cannot guarantee that such actions will be effective or that individual employees will not engage in inappropriate behavior in contravention of the Company's policies and instructions. Such conduct, or even the allegation thereof, could result in costly investigations and the imposition of severe criminal or civil sanctions, could disrupt the Company's business, and could materially and adversely affect the Company's reputation, business and results of operations or financial condition.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

Further, the Company is subject to laws and regulations worldwide affecting its operations outside the United States in areas including, but not limited to, intellectual property ownership and infringement, tax, customs, import and export requirements, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption and anti-bribery, foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions, foreign investment, data privacy requirements, anti-competition, pensions and social insurance, employment, and environment, health, and safety. Compliance with these laws and regulations may be onerous and expensive and requirements may differ among jurisdictions. Further, the promulgation of new laws, changes in existing laws and abrogation of local regulations by national laws may have a negative impact on the Company's business and prospects. In addition, certain laws and regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. There can be no assurance that any of these factors will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, results of operations or financial condition.

General Risk Factors:

The Company's business is affected by general economic conditions, and any economic decline or other circumstances that result in reductions in the Company's customers’ spending could negatively impact the Company's sales volume and revenues. Generally, changes in domestic and international economic conditions affect the industries in which the Company and its customers and suppliers operate. These changes include changes in the rate of consumption or use of the Company's products due to economic downturns, volatility in currency exchange rates, and changes in raw material prices resulting from supply and/or demand conditions.

Uncertainty about current global economic conditions poses a risk, as consumers and businesses may continue to postpone or cancel spending. Other factors that could influence customer spending include energy costs, conditions in the credit markets, consumer confidence, global pandemics, and other factors affecting consumer spending behavior. These and other economic factors could have an effect on demand for the Company's products and services and negatively impact the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

The Company's results of operations could be adversely affected by labor shortages, turnover and labor cost increases. Labor is a significant component of the Company's operations. Several factors may adversely affect the labor force available to Matthews or increase labor costs (i.e., labor rates and overtime levels), including high employment levels, unemployment subsidies, increased wages offered by other employers, vaccine mandates and other government regulations and the Company’s responses thereto. An overall labor shortage, lack of skilled labor, increased turnover, or labor inflation, caused by pandemics or as a result of general macroeconomic factors, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and operating results.

The Company relies on information technology to operate the Company's business. Security breach incidents and breakdowns of information technologies, or failure to comply with laws governing data privacy and data protection, could disrupt the Company's operations, subject the Company to legal claims, and impact the Company's financial results. In the course of business, the Company collects and stores sensitive data and proprietary business information. The Company could be subject to service outages or breaches of security systems which may result in disruption, unauthorized access, misappropriation, or corruption of this information. Security breaches of the Company's network or data including physical or electronic break-ins, vendor service outages, computer viruses, attacks by hackers or similar breaches can create system disruptions, shutdowns, or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Although the Company is not aware of any significant incidents to date, if it is unable to prevent, detect and timely remediate such security or privacy breaches, its operations could be disrupted or the Company may suffer legal claims, loss of reputation, financial loss, property damage, or regulatory penalties because of lost or misappropriated information.

The Company expects that compliance with laws governing data privacy and data protection will require ongoing investment in systems, policies and personnel and will continue to impact Matthews’ business in the future by increasing legal, operational and compliance costs. There can be no assurance that the Company’s efforts will meet the evolving standards imposed by governmental and regulatory agencies, including data protection authorities, with respect to standards that may be adopted in the future. If the Company is found or suspected to have violated data privacy or data protection laws, it may be subject to potential private consumer, business partner or securities litigation, regulatory inquiries, governmental investigations and proceedings, and may incur damage to its reputation. Any such developments may subject Matthews to material fines and other monetary penalties and damages, divert management’s time and attention, and lead to enhanced regulatory oversight, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, (continued)

If the Company fails to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting at a reasonable assurance level, the Company may not be able to accurately report the Company's financial results, and may require the restatement of previously published financial information, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operations, investor confidence in the Company's business and the trading price of the Company's securities. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires a comprehensive evaluation of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. To comply with this statute, the Company is required to document and test its internal control over financial reporting, management is required to assess and issue a report concerning internal control over financial reporting, and the Company's independent registered public accounting firm is required to attest to and report on the Company's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls could cause the Company to fail to meet its periodic reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in the consolidated financial statements, and substantial costs and resources may be required to rectify these or other internal control deficiencies.

The Company is required to comply with various securities laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank"). Dodd-Frank contains provisions, among others, designed to improve transparency and accountability concerning the supply chains of certain minerals originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries that are believed to be benefiting armed groups ("Conflict Minerals"). While Dodd-Frank does not prohibit companies from using Conflict Minerals, the SEC mandates due diligence, disclosure and reporting requirements for companies for which Conflict Minerals are necessary to the functionality or production of a product. The Company's efforts to comply with Dodd-Frank and other evolving laws, regulations and standards could result in increased costs and expenses related to compliance and potential violations.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

Not applicable.

CYBERSECURITY.

Cybersecurity Program

Matthews depends on integrated information systems to conduct its business. Accordingly, the Company has implemented a cybersecurity program designed to protect its information systems and to assess, identify and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. This comprehensive program addresses acceptable use, risk management, data privacy, incident management and reporting, identity and access management, third-party management, physical security, and vulnerability identification. The Company also deploys cybersecurity training courses to all employees, maintains an Incident Response Plan, establishes cybersecurity contingency plans and conducts phishing testing on a regular basis.

Matthews continues to invest in internal and external tools to better detect, patch, monitor, and restore systems. Further, the Company maintains cybersecurity insurance coverage intended to protect against loss of business and other related consequences resulting from cyber incidents.

Risk Management and Strategy

Matthews uses a risk-based approach to manage risks from cybersecurity threats according to the nature and sensitivity of the data and the criticality of the systems to operations. The Company also maintains a vulnerability management program where cybersecurity risks are identified, classified, and addressed and periodically conducts penetration testing through an independent third-party assessor. The Company conducts cybersecurity tabletop exercises to enhance mitigating controls and incident response preparedness. When management deems it advisable, the Company engages third parties, including consultants, advisors, and auditors, to assist with security and maturity assessments, security operations, employee training and awareness, compliance, penetration testing, network and endpoint monitoring, threat intelligence, and vulnerability management.

CYBERSECURITY, (continued)

Matthews uses a number of means to assess cyber risks related to its third-party service providers, including processes governing interconnections with third-party systems and regular review of critical vendors’ cybersecurity positions for potential risks. Third-party service provider assessments begin during onboarding and continue throughout the relationship, based upon an assessment of third-party risk. Those assessments include review of System and Organization Controls ("SOC") 1 and SOC 2 reports (as each such report is defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants), and direct interaction with key vendors to assess and address risks. Contracts with third-party service providers contain appropriate protective provisions for the Company including audit rights, third-party notification obligations, and security requirements for the retention of data.

Matthews maintains a cybersecurity Incident Response Plan. In the event of a cybersecurity incident, designated personnel including members of Information Technology ("IT"), finance, legal, communications, human resources and any affected unit or department are responsible for assessing the severity of an incident and associated threat, containing the threat, remediating the threat, including recovery of data and access to systems, analyzing any reporting obligations associated with the incident, and performing post-incident analysis and program enhancements.

Matthews has experienced cyber-attacks in the past and, while none of these cyber-attacks resulted in a material disruption to the Company’s business, Matthews may experience additional cyber-attacks in the future. As of the filing of this Form 10-K, the Company is not aware of any such attacks that have occurred since the beginning of fiscal 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. While the Company has implemented a cybersecurity program, the techniques used to infiltrate information technology systems continue to evolve. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to timely detect threats or anticipate and implement adequate security measures. For additional information, refer to Item 1A - “Risk Factors - The Company relies on information technology to operate the Company's business. Security breach incidents and breakdowns of information technologies, or failure to comply with laws governing data privacy and data protection, could disrupt the Company's operations, subject the Company to legal claims, and impact the Company's financial results.”

Governance

Board of Directors Oversight

Cybersecurity risks are overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors oversee and periodically review the design and effectiveness of the Company’s cybersecurity program, as well as its contingency plans. The Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) and Director of IT Security provide regular reports to the Audit Committee, which include information about cyber-risk management, the effectiveness of the Company's cybersecurity framework, direct or emerging threats to the Company, program maturity and strategy, third-party risk management, and benchmarking against its industry peers.

Management’s Role Managing Risk

Matthews’ CIO and Director of IT Security are primarily responsible for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. The CIO reports directly to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, and the Director of IT Security reports to the CIO. The CIO, Director of IT Security, and the Company's cybersecurity team have decades of experience in various roles managing information security, developing cybersecurity strategy, and implementing, planning and operationalizing a comprehensive global IT infrastructure.

The Director of IT Security is responsible for the day-to-day management of the cybersecurity program, including the prevention, detection, investigation, response to, and recovery from cybersecurity threats and incidents. With the support of legal, the Director of IT Security is responsible for global regulatory compliance related to cybersecurity regulations and industry standards. The Director of IT Security also advises on the implementation of cybersecurity risk management in the Company’s products and services as they are being developed.

As part of its risk management process, the Matthews management team also identifies, assesses and evaluates risks impacting the Company’s operations, including those risks related to cybersecurity, and raises them for internal discussion, and where it is determined to be appropriate, issues are also raised to the Board of Directors for consideration.

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ATO	4 days, 22 hours ago
ADNT	4 days, 22 hours ago
TWST	4 days, 22 hours ago
SONO	1 week ago
SWKS	1 week ago
CLFD	1 week, 1 day ago
POST	1 week, 1 day ago
SPB	1 week, 1 day ago
PLXS	1 week, 1 day ago
PTC	1 week, 1 day ago
SBH	1 week, 1 day ago
KNW	1 week, 1 day ago
UNF	1 week, 1 day ago
EPC	1 week, 1 day ago
HZO	1 week, 1 day ago
KLIC	1 week, 2 days ago
DIS	1 week, 2 days ago

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