CARRIAGE SERVICES INCCSV
CARRIAGE SERVICES INC Fair Value Disclosure
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
We evaluated our financial assets and liabilities for those that met the criteria of the disclosure requirements and fair value framework. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate the fair values of those instruments due to the short-term nature of the instruments. The fair values of our receivables on preneed cemetery contracts are impracticable to estimate because of the lack of a trading market and the diverse number of individual contracts with varying terms. Our acquisition debt and Credit Facility (as defined in Note 12) and Senior Notes (as defined in Note 13) are classified within Level 2 of the Fair Value Measurements hierarchy.
At December 31, 2025, the carrying value and fair value of our Credit Facility was $126.7 million. We believe that our Credit Facility bears interest at a rate that approximates prevailing market rates for instruments with similar characteristics and therefore, the carrying value of our Credit Facility approximates fair value. We estimate the fair value of our acquisition debt utilizing an income approach, which uses a present value calculation to discount payments based on current market rates as of the reporting date. At December 31, 2025, the carrying value of our acquisition debt was $6.2 million, which approximated its fair value. The fair value of our Senior Notes was $385.7 million at December 31, 2025, based on the last traded or broker quoted price.
In addition, we have an investment in a limited partnership fund, whose fair value has been estimated using the net asset value per share practical expedient described in ASC 820-10-35-59, Fair Value Measurement of Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent) and therefore, has not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The investment strategy of this fund is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns over a multi-year performance period through the construction of a concentrated portfolio of investments possessing certain distinct business attributes that suggest the potential for long-term value creation. The value of the investments in this fund cannot be liquidated at December 31, 2025 because the investments include restrictions that do not allow for liquidation until 2027. As of December 31, 2025, we do not have an unfunded commitment for this investment.
Furthermore, we have six investments in real estate debt and structured credit (“alternative investments”), whose fair value has been estimated using NAV and therefore, has not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The investment strategy for these alternative investments is to create capital growth, income generation, and risk-adjusted returns. Capital growth is achieved by identifying high-potential investments that are appreciated over time. Income generation may involve dividends, rental income, or interest from various investments. Risk-adjusted returns focus on balancing potential profits with acceptable levels of risk, often through diversification and careful asset allocation. The real estate debt is approximately 44% of the total alternative investment and can be liquidated with a 40-day notice period and cannot exceed 5% of the total fund’s value. The structured credit is approximately 56% of the total alternative investment and can be liquidated with a 15-day notice period with no restrictions. As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately $43.1 million in unfunded commitments for these investments.
We identified investments in fixed income securities, common stock, and mutual funds presented within the preneed and perpetual care trust investments categories on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as having met the criteria for fair value measurement. Our receivables from preneed funeral trusts represent assets in trusts, which are controlled and operated by third parties in which we do not have a controlling financial interest (less than 50%) in the trust assets. We account for these receivables at cost.
The following three-level valuation hierarchy based upon the transparency of inputs is utilized in the measurement and valuation of financial assets or liabilities as of the measurement date:
•Level 1—Fair value of securities based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Our investments classified as Level 1 securities include cash, U.S. treasury debt, common stock and equity mutual funds;
•Level 2—Fair value of securities estimated based on quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, and inputs other than quoted market prices that are observable or that can be corroborated by observable market data by correlation. These inputs include interest rates, yield curves, credit risk, prepayment speeds, rating and tax-exempt status. Our investments classified as Level 2 securities include U.S. agency obligations, foreign debt, corporate debt, preferred stocks, certificates of deposit and fixed income mutual funds and other investments.
•Level 3—Unobservable inputs based upon the reporting entity’s internally developed assumptions, which market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we did not have any assets that had fair values determined by Level 3 inputs and no liabilities measured at fair value.
See Notes 8 and 9 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for the fair value hierarchy levels of our trust investments.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 28, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Mar 1, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 1, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 2, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 2, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 28, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 28, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 21, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 23, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 23, 2016 | |
About Fair Value Disclosures
Fair value disclosures classify all assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a three-level hierarchy: Level 1 (quoted market prices), Level 2 (observable inputs like yield curves), and Level 3 (unobservable inputs requiring management estimates). The proportion of Level 3 assets directly reflects how much of the balance sheet depends on internal models rather than market evidence.
Key signals: a growing Level 3 balance relative to total fair-value assets increases valuation uncertainty and earnings volatility risk. Watch for transfers between levels — assets moving from Level 2 to Level 3 often signal deteriorating market liquidity. Unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 positions flow through earnings or other comprehensive income, so large swings deserve scrutiny. For financial institutions, examine the sensitivity disclosures that show how Level 3 valuations change under alternative assumptions. Compare the fair value of debt against its carrying amount to gauge hidden leverage.