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8-K Filing
New Jersey Resources (NJR) 8-KResults of Operations and Financial Condition
Filed: 3 May 06, 12:00am
• | NJR’s fiscal year-to-date earnings increase 15 percent over last year to $3.41 per basic share due to improved wholesale energy services results | |
• | Earnings guidance for fiscal 2006 reaffirmed at $2.75 to $2.85 per basic share | |
• | NJR on track for record 15th year of increased earnings per share |
• | Higher Net Income and Basic Earnings per Share | |
For the six months ended March 31, 2006, NJR earned $94.5 million, or $3.41 per basic share, compared with $81.9 million, or $2.96 per basic share, last year. Last year’s earnings for the 6-month period included a gain on the sale of a commercial office building of $.22 per basic share by NJR’s commercial real estate subsidiary, Commercial Realty and Resources (CR&R), and a charge of $.05 per basic share associated with a voluntary officer retirement program as part of an overall restructuring plan for the organization, which occurred in the first fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2004. | ||
NJR earned $60.2 million, or $2.16 per basic share, for the three months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $51.7 million, or $1.87 per share, for the same period last year. |
NJNG earned $52.2 million for the 6-month period ended March 31, 2006, compared with $53.1 million last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2006, NJNG earned $33.5 million, compared with $35.6 million last year. The lower earnings in both periods were due primarily to lower customer usage and higher operation and maintenance expenses, which more than offset the impact of higher gross margin from its incentive programs. NJNG believes that the lower usage was due primarily to the pass-through of higher wholesale natural gas prices, which offset continued strong customer growth. | ||
NJRES reported a 90 percent increase in earnings for the six months ended March 31, 2006 to $41.9 million, compared with $22 million last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2006, NJRES earned $27 million, compared with $15.4 million last year. The increase in earnings in both periods was due primarily to higher gross margin generated from the company’s portfolio of storage and transportation capacity contracts. Gross margin for NJRES is defined as natural gas revenues and management fees less natural gas costs. | ||
• | Customer Growth Remains Strong | |
During the first six months of fiscal 2006, NJNG added 5,804 new customers, 34 percent of which converted from other fuels. In addition, 151 existing customers added natural gas heat to their service. NJNG anticipates an annual customer growth rate of about 2.3 percent in fiscal 2006. About one-third of the anticipated new customers are expected to convert from other fuels. | ||
NJNG’s gross margin is defined as natural gas revenues less natural gas costs; sales tax; a Transitional Energy Facilities Assessment (TEFA), which is included in Energy and other taxes on the Consolidated Statements of Income; and regulatory rider expenses. Management believes that gross margin provides a more meaningful basis for evaluating utility operations than revenue since natural gas costs, sales tax, TEFA and regulatory rider expenses are passed through to customers, and therefore, have no effect on gross margin. Natural gas costs are charged to operating expenses on the basis of therm sales at the prices approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) through NJNG’s BGSS tariff. The BGSS allows NJNG to recover natural gas costs. Sales tax is calculated at 6 percent of revenue and excludes sales to cogeneration facilities, other utilities, off-system sales and federal accounts. TEFA is calculated on a per-therm basis and excludes sales to cogeneration facilities, other utilities and off-system sales. Regulatory rider expenses are calculated on a per-therm basis. NJNG’s gross margin also includes benefits received by shareowners under its BGSS incentive programs. |
• | Impact of Weather and Usage | |
Weather during the six months ended March 31, 2006 was 7.4 percent warmer than normal and 9.5 percent warmer than last year. “Normal” weather is based on 20-year average temperatures. The impact of the weather is offset by NJNG’s weather-normalization clause (WNC), which is designed to smooth out year-to-year fluctuations on both NJNG’s gross margin and customers’ bills that may result from changing weather patterns. Included in the WNC is the assumption that usage per degree day is equal to the average over the last four years. As a result of the warmer-than-normal weather, NJNG accrued $7 million of gross margin for the six months ended March 31, 2006, to be collected from customers in the future. However, gross margin was negatively impacted by lower usage per degree day. NJNG believes that this resulted primarily from the impact of the pass-through of higher wholesale natural gas prices on customer usage. | ||
In December 2005, NJNG filed a proposal with the BPU, which would replace the existing WNC with a Conservation and Usage Adjustment (CUA) clause that would capture variations related to weather and customer usage. The proposal would establish a benchmark for customer usage. NJNG would compare actual results to the benchmark on an annual basis. Any adjustments, positive or negative, would be made in the following year. Discussions on the proposal are taking place with the BPU and the Ratepayer Advocate. If NJNG is not successful in receiving approval of the CUA proposal, it will consider other regulatory strategies to address this issue such as expanded incentive programs and/or the filing of a base rate case. | ||
Weather for the three months ended March 31 was 11.4 percent warmer than normal and 16.3 percent warmer than last year and included the second warmest January in NJNG’s history. | ||
• | Incentive Programs Continue to Provide Value for Customers and Shareowners | |
During the first six months of the fiscal year, NJNG’s gross margin-sharing incentive programs, which include off-system sales, capacity management, storage optimization and financial risk management programs, totaled 21.7 Bcf and $6 million of gross margin, compared with 28.5 Bcf and $4 million of gross margin for the same period last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2006, these programs totaled 11.5 Bcf and $2.9 million of gross margin, compared with 14.1 Bcf and $2.4 million of gross margin for the same period last year. The increase in gross margin in both periods was due primarily to the storage incentive and financial risk management programs, both of which benefited from the volatile wholesale natural gas commodity market. NJNG shares the gross margin earned from these incentive programs with customers and |
shareowners according to a gross margin-sharing formula. In April 2006, the BPU authorized a 1-year extension of the incentive programs through October 2007. This fiscal year, customers have saved approximately $28.5 million in natural gas costs through these programs. Since the establishment of these incentive programs in 1992, NJNG customers have saved over $294 million on their natural gas bills, or approximately 4 percent annually. | ||
• | Wholesale Energy Services Growth Continues | |
NJRES earned $41.9 million during the first six months of the fiscal year, versus $22 million last year, an increase of 90 percent. For the three months ended March 31, 2006, NJRES earned $27 million, compared with $15.4 million last year. The increase in both periods was due primarily to higher gross margin generated by its diverse portfolio of pipeline and storage capacity contracts. Specifically, in the first half of fiscal 2006, NJRES was able to take advantage of the increased volatility and pricing differentials between geographic regions. NJRES has developed a portfolio of storage and pipeline capacity contracts in the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, Appalachia and Eastern Canada, which becomes more valuable when there are changing prices between these regions. These capacity contracts become more valuable when prices change between time periods. Gross margin from this portfolio is also generally greater during the winter months, while the fixed costs of these assets are spread throughout the year. Therefore, the results for the six months are not expected to be indicative of the results for the fiscal year. | ||
• | NJR Home Services (NJRHS) and Other | |
This business segment consists of NJRHS, which provides service, sales and installation of appliances to over 143,000 customers; CR&R, which develops commercial real estate; and NJR Energy, which consists primarily of a 5.53 percent equity investment in Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. Earnings for the six months ended March 31, 2006, were $377,000, compared with $6.8 million last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2006, this segment had a loss of $307,000, compared with earnings of $961,000 last year. Last year’s 6-month earnings included an after-tax gain on the sale of a commercial office building of $6 million. | ||
• | Share Repurchase Plan Increased | |
In January 2006, the NJR board of directors authorized an increase in the company’s share repurchase plan from 2.5 million to 3.5 million shares. NJR was one of the first companies in the utility industry to implement a repurchase plan. NJR purchased 305,100 shares under the share repurchase plan during the first six months of the fiscal year. The plan gives NJR the financial flexibility to purchase shares on the open market or in negotiated transactions, based on market and other conditions and is expected to create value for shareowners. Since the plan began in September 1996, NJR has invested $94 million to repurchase 2.5 million shares. |
(Unaudited) | Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||
Thousands, except per share data | March 31, | March 31, | ||||||||||||||
2006 | 2005 | 2006 | 2005 | |||||||||||||
Operating Revenues | $ | 1,064,422 | $ | 1,065,057 | $ | 2,228,998 | $ | 1,919,045 | ||||||||
Net Income | $ | 60,201 | $ | 51,665 | $ | 94,465 | $ | 81,867 | ||||||||
Earnings Per Common Share | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 2.16 | $ | 1.87 | $ | 3.41 | $ | 2.96 | ||||||||
Diluted | $ | 2.14 | $ | 1.84 | $ | 3.37 | $ | 2.90 | ||||||||
Average Shares Outstanding | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | 27,822 | 27,581 | 27,686 | 27,689 | ||||||||||||
Diluted | 28,145 | 28,140 | 28,000 | 28,236 |
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
March 31, | March 31, | |||||||||||||||
2006 | 2005 | 2006 | 2005 | |||||||||||||
OPERATING REVENUES | $ | 1,064,422 | $ | 1,065,057 | $ | 2,228,998 | $ | 1,919,045 | ||||||||
OPERATING EXPENSES | ||||||||||||||||
Gas purchases | 882,688 | 902,924 | 1,921,163 | 1,641,350 | ||||||||||||
Operation and maintenance | 29,772 | 24,873 | 57,503 | 53,536 | ||||||||||||
Regulatory rider expenses | 12,405 | 14,786 | 21,863 | 23,914 | ||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 8,612 | 8,352 | 17,188 | 16,711 | ||||||||||||
Energy and other taxes | 26,003 | 25,827 | 44,670 | 41,611 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 959,480 | 976,762 | 2,062,387 | 1,777,122 | ||||||||||||
OPERATING INCOME | 104,942 | 88,295 | 166,611 | 141,923 | ||||||||||||
Other income and expense | 620 | 1,480 | 2,262 | 3,164 | ||||||||||||
Interest charges, net | 6,173 | 4,721 | 12,656 | 10,071 | ||||||||||||
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES | 99,389 | 85,054 | 156,217 | 135,016 | ||||||||||||
Income tax provision | 39,188 | 33,389 | 61,752 | 53,149 | ||||||||||||
NET INCOME | $ | 60,201 | $ | 51,665 | $ | 94,465 | $ | 81,867 | ||||||||
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE | ||||||||||||||||
BASIC | $ | 2.16 | $ | 1.87 | $ | 3.41 | $ | 2.96 | ||||||||
DILUTED | $ | 2.14 | $ | 1.84 | $ | 3.37 | $ | 2.90 | ||||||||
DIVIDENDS PER COMMON SHARE | $ | 0.36 | $ | 0.34 | $ | 0.72 | $ | 0.68 | ||||||||
AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING | ||||||||||||||||
BASIC | 27,822 | 27,581 | 27,686 | 27,689 | ||||||||||||
DILUTED | 28,145 | 28,140 | 28,000 | 28,236 | ||||||||||||
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | March 31, | March 31, | ||||||||||||||
(Thousands, except per share data) | 2006 | 2005 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||||
Operating Revenues | ||||||||||||||||
New Jersey Natural Gas | $ | 471,406 | $ | 462,576 | $ | 865,752 | $ | 783,046 | ||||||||
NJR Energy Services | 587,525 | 596,921 | 1,350,720 | 1,113,792 | ||||||||||||
NJR Home Services and Other | 5,560 | 5,585 | 12,663 | 22,256 | ||||||||||||
Sub-total | 1,064,491 | 1,065,082 | 2,229,135 | 1,919,094 | ||||||||||||
Intercompany Eliminations | (69 | ) | (25 | ) | (137 | ) | (49 | ) | ||||||||
Total | $ | 1,064,422 | $ | 1,065,057 | $ | 2,228,998 | $ | 1,919,045 | ||||||||
Operating Income | ||||||||||||||||
New Jersey Natural Gas | $ | 57,493 | $ | 60,353 | $ | 90,940 | $ | 92,149 | ||||||||
NJR Energy Services | 48,062 | 26,581 | 75,163 | 38,743 | ||||||||||||
NJR Home Services and Other | (613 | ) | 1,361 | 508 | 11,031 | |||||||||||
Total | $ | 104,942 | $ | 88,295 | $ | 166,611 | $ | 141,923 | ||||||||
Net Income (Loss) | ||||||||||||||||
New Jersey Natural Gas | $ | 33,509 | $ | 35,258 | $ | 52,192 | $ | 53,091 | ||||||||
NJR Energy Services | 26,999 | 15,446 | 41,896 | 22,006 | ||||||||||||
NJR Home Services and Other | (307 | ) | 961 | 377 | 6,770 | |||||||||||
Total | $ | 60,201 | $ | 51,665 | $ | 94,465 | $ | 81,867 | ||||||||
Throughput (Bcf) | ||||||||||||||||
NJNG, Core Customers | 27.0 | 32.3 | 47.8 | 53.2 | ||||||||||||
NJNG, Incentive Programs | 11.5 | 14.1 | 21.7 | 28.6 | ||||||||||||
NJRES Fuel Mgmt. and Wholesale Sales | 62.1 | 82.9 | 119.6 | 152.6 | ||||||||||||
Total | 100.6 | 129.3 | 189.1 | 234.4 | ||||||||||||
Common Stock Data | ||||||||||||||||
Yield at March 31 | 3.2 | % | 3.1 | % | 3.2 | % | 3.1 | % | ||||||||
Market Price | ||||||||||||||||
High | $ | 45.96 | $ | 45.50 | $ | 46.95 | $ | 45.50 | ||||||||
Low | $ | 41.49 | $ | 41.20 | $ | 40.68 | $ | 40.54 | ||||||||
Close at March 31 | $ | 45.25 | $ | 43.53 | $ | 45.25 | $ | 43.53 | ||||||||
Shares Out. at March 31 | 27,951 | 27,435 | 27,951 | 27,435 | ||||||||||||
Market Cap. at March 31 | $ | 1,264,783 | $ | 1,194,246 | $ | 1,264,783 | $ | 1,194,246 |
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | March 31, | March 31, | ||||||||||||||
(Thousands, except customer & weather data) | 2006 | 2005 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||||
Operating Revenues | ||||||||||||||||
Residential | $ | 300,721 | $ | 275,070 | $ | 486,265 | $ | 436,239 | ||||||||
Commercial, Industrial & Other | 68,911 | 69,572 | 135,887 | 110,733 | ||||||||||||
Firm Transportation | 8,316 | 10,963 | 16,671 | 19,724 | ||||||||||||
Total Firm Revenues | 377,948 | 355,605 | 638,823 | 566,696 | ||||||||||||
Interruptible | 1,838 | 1,975 | 4,647 | 6,111 | ||||||||||||
Total System Revenues | 379,786 | 357,580 | 643,470 | 572,807 | ||||||||||||
Incentive Programs | 91,620 | 104,996 | 222,282 | 210,239 | ||||||||||||
TOTAL REVENUES | $ | 471,406 | $ | 462,576 | $ | 865,752 | $ | 783,046 | ||||||||
Gross Margin and Operating Income | ||||||||||||||||
Residential | $ | 65,719 | $ | 65,259 | $ | 109,961 | $ | 109,322 | ||||||||
Commercial, Industrial & Other | 12,518 | 12,430 | 20,945 | 20,823 | ||||||||||||
Firm Transportation | 6,479 | 8,160 | 12,861 | 14,805 | ||||||||||||
Total Firm Margin | 84,716 | 85,849 | 143,767 | 144,950 | ||||||||||||
Interruptible | 222 | 260 | 528 | 567 | ||||||||||||
Total System Margin | 84,938 | 86,109 | 144,295 | 145,517 | ||||||||||||
Incentive Programs | 2,932 | 2,438 | 6,046 | 4,008 | ||||||||||||
TOTAL GROSS MARGIN | 87,870 | 88,547 | 150,341 | 149,525 | ||||||||||||
Operation and maintenance expense | 21,104 | 19,268 | 40,971 | 39,497 | ||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 8,477 | 8,187 | 16,900 | 16,304 | ||||||||||||
Other taxes not reflected in gross margin | 796 | 739 | 1,530 | 1,575 | ||||||||||||
OPERATING INCOME | $ | 57,493 | $ | 60,353 | $ | 90,940 | $ | 92,149 | ||||||||
Throughput (Bcf) | ||||||||||||||||
Residential | 19.4 | 21.8 | 32.1 | 34.4 | ||||||||||||
Commercial, Industrial & Other | 4.3 | 5.6 | 8.0 | 8.9 | ||||||||||||
Firm Transportation | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 5.8 | ||||||||||||
Total Firm Throughput | 26.0 | 30.8 | 45.0 | 49.1 | ||||||||||||
Interruptible | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.1 | ||||||||||||
Total System Throughput | 27.0 | 32.3 | 47.8 | 53.2 | ||||||||||||
Incentive Programs | 11.5 | 14.1 | 21.7 | 28.6 | ||||||||||||
TOTAL THROUGHPUT | 38.5 | 46.4 | 69.5 | 81.8 | ||||||||||||
Customers | ||||||||||||||||
Residential | 425,225 | 414,558 | 425,225 | 414,558 | ||||||||||||
Commercial, Industrial & Other | 30,106 | 29,533 | 30,106 | 29,533 | ||||||||||||
Firm Transportation | 12,731 | 15,147 | 12,731 | 15,147 | ||||||||||||
Total Firm Customers | 468,062 | 459,238 | 468,062 | 459,238 | ||||||||||||
Interruptible | 48 | 51 | 48 | 51 | ||||||||||||
Total System Customers | 468,110 | 459,289 | 468,110 | 459,289 | ||||||||||||
Incentive Programs | 43 | 37 | 43 | 37 | ||||||||||||
TOTAL CUSTOMERS | 468,153 | 459,326 | 468,153 | 459,326 | ||||||||||||
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | March 31, | March 31, | ||||||||||||||
(Thousands, except customer & weather data) | 2006 | 2005 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||||
Degree Days | ||||||||||||||||
Actual | 2,240 | 2,677 | 3,914 | 4,327 | ||||||||||||
Normal | 2,527 | 2,527 | 4,228 | 4,219 | ||||||||||||
Percent of Normal | 88.6 | % | 105.9 | % | 92.6 | % | 102.6 | % | ||||||||
NJR ENERGY SERVICES | ||||||||||||||||
Operating Revenues | $ | 587,525 | $ | 596,921 | $ | 1,350,720 | $ | 1,113,792 | ||||||||
Gas Purchases | 536,038 | 568,155 | 1,269,381 | 1,070,604 | ||||||||||||
Gross Margin | $ | 51,487 | $ | 28,766 | $ | 81,339 | $ | 43,188 | ||||||||
Operating Income | $ | 48,062 | $ | 26,581 | $ | 75,163 | $ | 38,743 | ||||||||
Net Income | $ | 26,999 | $ | 15,446 | $ | 41,896 | $ | 22,006 | ||||||||
Gas Sold and Managed (Bcf) | 62.1 | 82.9 | 119.6 | 152.6 | ||||||||||||
NJR HOME SERVICES AND OTHER | ||||||||||||||||
Operating Revenues | $ | 5,560 | $ | 5,585 | $ | 12,663 | $ | 22,256 | ||||||||
Operating Income (Loss) | ($613 | ) | $ | 1,361 | $ | 508 | $ | 11,031 | ||||||||
Net Income (Loss) | ($307 | ) | $ | 961 | $ | 377 | $ | 6,770 | ||||||||
Total Customers at March 31 | 143,503 | 140,864 | 143,503 | 140,864 | ||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
(Thousands, except per share data) | March 31, 2005 | |||||||||||||||
NJNG | NJRES | NJRHS and | Total | |||||||||||||
Other | ||||||||||||||||
Net Income, as reported | $ | 53,091 | $ | 22,006 | $ | 6,770 | $ | 81,867 | ||||||||
Exclude: | ||||||||||||||||
Gain on sale of commercial office building | (5,972 | ) | (5,972 | ) | ||||||||||||
Charge for early retirement program | 915 | 8 | 569 | 1,492 | ||||||||||||
Net Income, as adjusted | $ | 54,006 | $ | 22,014 | $ | 1,367 | $ | 77,387 | ||||||||
Earnings per share basic, as reported | $ | 2.96 | ||||||||||||||
Exclude: | ||||||||||||||||
Gain on sale of commercial office building | (.22 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Charge for early retirement program | .05 | |||||||||||||||
Earnings per share basic, as adjusted | $ | 2.79 | ||||||||||||||
Earnings per share diluted, as reported | $ | 2.90 | ||||||||||||||
Exclude: | ||||||||||||||||
Gain on sale of commercial office building | (.21 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Charge for early retirement program | .05 | |||||||||||||||
Earnings per share diluted, as adjusted | $ | 2.74 | ||||||||||||||