Senior Notes

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

On July 14, 2010, we issued $245 million of senior notes in a private placement to a group of institutional investors (the “2010 Senior Notes”). The 2010 Senior Notes were issued in four series with maturities ranging from 6 to 10 years. The outstanding 2010 Senior Notes’ weighted average interest rate is 5.6% and the weighted average maturity is 9.8 years. The 2010 Senior Notes require interest payments semi-annually and contain certain restrictive covenants, including the maintenance of a maximum consolidated net debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of 3.00 and a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 2.50. We were in compliance with all financial covenants under the 2010 Senior Notes as of March 31, 2019.

On May 8, 2018, we issued $400 million of senior notes in a private offering to qualified institutional investors (the “2018 Senior Notes”, and with the 2010 Senior Notes, the “Senior Notes”). The 2018 Senior Notes require interest payments semi-annually at a rate of 5.25% per annum and will mature on May 15, 2026. The purchase agreements for the 2010 Senior Notes and the indenture for the 2018 Senior Notes contain certain covenants typical of unsecured obligations.

The following table presents the carrying amounts and fair values for the Senior Notes at March 31, 2019 and September 30, 2018:



	March 31, 2019				September 30, 2018
	Carrying Amounts (*)		Fair Value		Carrying Amounts (*)		Fair Value
	(In thousands)
The 2010 Senior Notes	113,000		114,386		113,000		114,413
The 2018 Senior Notes	400,000		412,000		400,000		404,000
Total	$	513,000	$	526,386	$	513,000	$	518,413

(*) Amounts exclusive of net debt issuance cost of $5.6 million and $6.1 million at March 31, 2019 and September 30, 2018, respectively.

We measure the fair value of the Senior Notes based on Level 2 inputs, which include quoted market prices and interest rate spreads of similar securities.