Progress Energy announces 2007 second-quarter results; continues to see strong performance from core businesses
Highlights:
¨ | Reports second-quarter GAAP loss of $0.75 per share, compared to a loss of $0.19 per share for the same period last year due primarily to losses from the final transactions associated with exiting the merchant energy segment |
¨ | Reports core ongoing earnings of $0.59 per share, compared to $0.47 per share for the same period last year due primarily to lower interest expense and lower income taxes |
¨ | Reaffirms 2007 core ongoing earnings guidance of $2.70 to $2.90 per share |
RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 8, 2007) – Progress Energy [NYSE: PGN] announced second-quarter net losses of $193 million, or $0.75 per share, compared with net losses of $47 million, or $0.19 per share, for the same period last year. The unfavorable quarter-over-quarter variance in GAAP net income is due primarily to losses incurred as part of the final transactions associated with exiting the merchant energy segment. Second-quarter ongoing earnings were $166 million, or $0.65 per share, compared to $81 million, or $0.33 per share, last year. The favorable quarter-over-quarter variance in ongoing earnings is due primarily to synthetic fuels operating results, lower interest expense and lower income tax expense. (See the discussion later in this release for a reconciliation of GAAP earnings per share to ongoing earnings per share.)
Core ongoing earnings for the second quarter of 2007, which exclude the ongoing earnings from the company’s coal and synthetic fuels operations, were $0.59 per share, compared with $0.47 per share last year. The company benefited from lower interest expense and lower income taxes primarily due to the closure of certain tax years and positions related to divested subsidiaries. Favorable weather at Progress Energy Carolinas also contributed to quarter-over-quarter favorability.
“Our core businesses continued to perform well in the second quarter,” said Bob McGehee, chairman and chief executive officer of Progress Energy. “With the sale of our energy contracts with the Georgia cooperatives we have completed the last major step in our plan to focus our capital and our attention on meeting the needs of our two growing utilities. We have completed this transition ahead of schedule. More important, the results of this initiative have produced a stronger balance sheet, enhanced credit ratings and have contributed to strong ongoing earnings growth. We believe these actions firmly support our investment objective of offering a reasonable total return with low volatility.”
Non-core ongoing earnings for the second-quarter 2007 were $0.06 per share, compared with losses of $0.14 per share last year, primarily due to increased synthetic fuels sales.
PROGRESS VENTURES EXIT REVIEW
The company has closed on the last of the divestitures of assets within the Progress Ventures reporting segment. Over the past two years, the company sold its merchant energy related nonregulated power plants, natural gas assets and associated long-term power contracts. In total, these divestitures produced about $1.7 billion of after-tax proceeds which were applied to debt reduction and other corporate purposes.
“This business was successfully exited while realizing a modest return on our invested capital,” McGehee said.
2007 CORE ONGOING EARNINGS GUIDANCE
“We’ve had a strong first half of the year and our core businesses continue to perform very well. We are confident in reaffirming our 2007 core ongoing earnings guidance of $2.70 to $2.90 per share,” McGehee said.
The 2007 core ongoing earnings guidance excludes any impacts from the CVO mark-to-market adjustment, potential impairments, coal and synthetic fuels operations and discontinued operations of other businesses. Progress Energy is not able to provide a corresponding GAAP equivalent for the 2007 earnings guidance figures due to the uncertain nature and amount of these adjustments.
2007 NON-CORE EARNINGS
The company expects earnings from our non-core businesses to be between $0.30 and $0.40 per share with oil prices and production levels being the primary determining factors. However, due to the anticipated conclusion of the synthetic fuels production program at the end of 2007, virtually all of these earnings are likely to be reclassified to discontinued operations and excluded from ongoing earnings results later this year. Based on the latest estimates, the company expects to have in excess of $900 million of deferred tax credits when the synthetic fuels program concludes at the end of this year.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
· | Comprehensive energy bill passed in North Carolina; presented to governor to sign into law. |
· | Received order from the Florida Public Service Commission to refund $13.8 million of previously collected fuel costs plus interest (the company is considering options). |
· | Closed on the sale of remaining nonregulated power plants, hedges and contracts in Progress Ventures. |
· | Selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for potential nuclear plant site in Levy County, Fla. |
· | Kicked off the Save the Watts energy efficiency and conservation campaign. |
· | Signed long-term contract for 75 MW of electricity generated by what will be the largest wood waste biomass plant in the nation. |
· | Issued a request for renewables to expand the company’s renewable portfolio and provide cost effective renewable energy to Progress Energy Florida customers. |
· | Announced 2,000 MW energy-efficiency goal for Progress Energy Carolinas. |
· | Dedicated Florida’s first hydrogen energy station in Orlando. |
· | Sponsored first plug-in hybrid electric school bus in Wake County, N.C. |
· | Completed nuclear refueling outage at Robinson facility. |
· | Received award for the Weatherspoon plant as number one “small plant” performer in cost and reliability from 2001 to 2005 by the Electric Utility Cost Group (EUCG). |
· | Received the 2007 ENERGY STAR award for Homes Outstanding Achievement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
Press releases regarding various announcements are available on the company’s Web site at: www.progress-energy.com/aboutus/news.
2007 BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS
Below are the second-quarter and year-to-date 2007 highlights for the company’s business units. See the reconciliation tables on pages S-1 and S-2 of the supplemental data for a reconciliation of GAAP earnings per share to ongoing earnings per share. Also see the attached supplemental data schedules for additional information on Progress Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy Florida electric revenues, energy sales, energy supply, weather impacts and other information.
QUARTER-OVER-QUARTER ONGOING EPS VARIANCE ANALYSIS
Progress Energy Carolinas
· | Reported ongoing earnings per share of $0.34, compared with $0.29 for the same period last year; GAAP earnings per share of $0.34, compared with $0.30 for the same period last year. |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.04 favorable weather |
| § | $0.04 favorable retail margins primarily due to fuel and purchased power |
| § | $0.03 favorable depreciation and amortization |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share unfavorability of: |
| § | $(0.05) higher O&M expenses primarily due to outage and employee benefit costs |
| § | $(0.03) lower wholesale sales |
· | Added 28,000 customers (net) during the last 12 months. |
Progress Energy Florida
· | Reported ongoing and GAAP earnings per share of $0.27, compared with $0.34 for the same period last year. |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.02 lower income tax expense primarily due to closure of certain tax years and positions |
| § | $0.01 higher wholesale sales |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share unfavorability of: |
| § | $(0.03) unfavorable weather |
| § | $(0.03) higher O&M costs due to additional Florida sales and use tax related to an ongoing audit and outage costs |
| § | $(0.03) higher other operating expenses due to disallowed fuel costs |
· | Added 29,000 customers (net) during the last 12 months. |
Corporate and Other Businesses (includes primarily Holding Company Debt)
· | Reported ongoing after-tax expenses of $0.02 per share compared with ongoing after-tax expenses of $0.16 per share for the same period last year; GAAP after-tax expenses of $0.15 per share, compared with after-tax expenses of $0.16 per share for the same period last year. |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.05 lower income tax expense primarily due to the closure of certain tax years and positions related to divested subsidiaries |
| § | $0.04 lower interest expense as a result of reducing holding company debt in 2006 |
| § | $0.02 lower interest expense due to closure of certain tax years and positions primarily related to divested subsidiaries |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share unfavorability of: |
| § | $(0.02) interest allocated to discontinued operations |
Non-Core Operations (Coal and Synthetic Fuels)
· | Reported ongoing earnings per share of $0.06, compared with an ongoing loss of $0.14 per share for the same period last year; GAAP earnings of $0.04 per share, compared with a loss of $0.38 per share for the same period last year. |
· | Reported primary quarter-over-quarter ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.20 increased synthetic fuels earnings from sales of 2.4 million tons, up from 510,000 tons in 2006 |
· | Recorded a 24 percent reserve against the value of the tax credits associated with 2007 production due to credit phase out related to estimated oil prices. |
YEAR-OVER-YEAR ONGOING EPS VARIANCE ANALYSIS
Progress Energy Carolinas
· | Reported year-to-date ongoing and GAAP earnings per share of $0.82, compared with $0.64 last year. |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.06 favorable weather |
| § | $0.05 favorable retail margins primarily due to fuel and purchased power |
| § | $0.05 favorable depreciation and amortization |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share unfavorability of: |
| § | $(0.04) lower wholesale sales |
| § | $(0.03) higher O&M expenses primarily due to outage and employee benefit costs partially offset by recording additional estimated environmental remediation expenses in 2006 |
Progress Energy Florida
· | Reported year-to-date ongoing and GAAP earnings per share of $0.51, compared with $0.56 last year. |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.04 lower income tax expense primarily due to closure of certain tax years and positions |
| § | $0.03 higher wholesale sales |
| § | $0.02 favorable retail margins primarily due to increased rental property revenues |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share unfavorability of: |
| § | $(0.04) unfavorable weather |
| § | $(0.04) primarily due to lower interest income |
| § | $(0.03) higher O&M costs due to outage costs and additional Florida sales and use tax related to an ongoing audit |
| § | $(0.03) higher other operating expenses due to disallowed fuel costs |
Corporate and Other Businesses (includes primarily Holding Company Debt)
· | Reported year-to-date ongoing after-tax expenses of $0.14 per share compared with ongoing after-tax expenses of $0.26 per share last year; GAAP after-tax expenses of $0.24 per share, compared with after-tax expenses of $0.34 per share last year. |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.11 lower interest expense due to reducing holding company debt in 2006 |
| § | $0.08 lower income tax expense primarily due to the closure of certain tax years and positions related to divested subsidiaries |
| § | $0.02 lower interest expense due to closure of certain tax years and positions |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share unfavorability of: |
| § | $(0.05) interest allocated to discontinued operations |
| § | $(0.05) primarily due to the prior year sale of Level 3 stock |
Non-Core Operations (Coal and Synthetic Fuels)
· | Reported year-to-date ongoing earnings per share of $0.26, compared with an ongoing loss of $0.11 per share last year; GAAP earnings of $0.26 per share, compared with a loss of $0.41 per share last year. |
· | Reported primary year-over-year ongoing earnings per share favorability of: |
| § | $0.37 primarily due to increased synthetic fuels earnings from sales of 4.5 million tons, up from 1.7 tons in 2006 |
ONGOING EARNINGS ADJUSTMENTS
Progress Energy’s management uses ongoing earnings per share to evaluate the operations of the company and to establish goals for management and employees. Management believes this presentation is appropriate and enables investors to more accurately compare the company’s ongoing financial performance over the periods presented. Ongoing earnings as presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. The following tables provide a reconciliation of ongoing earnings per share to reported GAAP earnings per share.
Progress Energy, Inc. Reconciliation of Ongoing Earnings per Share to Reported GAAP Earnings per Share Three months ended June 30 | |
| | | | | | 2007 | | | | | | | | | | 2006* | | | | |
| | | Core | | | Non-core | | | Total | | | Core | | | Non-core | | | Total | |
| Ongoing earnings per share | | $ | 0.59 | | | $ | 0.06 | | | $ | 0.65 | | | $ | 0.47 | | | $ | (0.14 | ) | | $ | 0.33 | |
| Intraperiod tax allocation | | | (0.12 | ) | | | - | | | | (0.12 | ) | | | (0.01 | ) | | | - | | | | (0.01 | ) |
| CVO mark-to-market | | | (0.02 | ) | | | - | | | | (0.02 | ) | | | 0.01 | | | | - | | | | 0.01 | |
| Discontinued operations | | | (1.24 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | (1.26 | ) | | | (0.28 | ) | | | 0.01 | | | | (0.27 | ) |
| Impairment | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | (0.25 | ) | | | (0.25 | ) |
| Reported GAAP earnings per share | | | (0.79 | ) | | | 0.04 | | | | (0.75 | ) | | | 0.19 | | | | (0.38 | ) | | | (0.19 | ) |
Shares outstanding (millions) | | | | | | | | | | | 256 | | | | | | | | | | | | 250 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Previously reported 2006 results have been restated to reflect discontinued operations
Progress Energy, Inc. Reconciliation of Ongoing Earnings per Share to Reported GAAP Earnings per Share Six months ended June 30 | |
| | | | | | 2007 | | | | | | | | | | 2006* | | | | |
| | | Core | | | Non-core | | | Total | | | Core | | | Non-core | | | Total | |
| Ongoing earnings per share | | $ | 1.19 | | | $ | 0.26 | | | $ | 1.45 | | | $ | 0.94 | | | $ | (0.11 | ) | | $ | 0.83 | |
| Intraperiod tax allocation | | | (0.10 | ) | | | – | | | | (0.10 | ) | | | (0.07 | ) | | | – | | | | (0.07 | ) |
| CVO mark-to-market | | | (0.01 | ) | | | – | | | | (0.01 | ) | | | (0.09 | ) | | | – | | | | (0.09 | ) |
| Discontinued operations | | | (1.02 | ) | | | (0.03 | ) | | | (1.05 | ) | | | (0.38 | ) | | | (0.05 | ) | | | (0.43 | ) |
| Derivative contracts mark-to-market | | | – | | | | 0.04 | | | | 0.04 | | | | – | | | | – | | | | – | |
| Impairment | | | – | | | | (0.01 | ) | | | (0.01 | ) | | | – | | | | (0.25 | ) | | | (0.25 | ) |
| Reported GAAP earnings per share | | $ | 0.06 | | | $ | 0.26 | | | $ | 0.32 | | | $ | 0.40 | | | $ | (0.41 | ) | | $ | (0.01 | ) |
Shares outstanding (millions) | | | | | | | | | | | 255 | | | | | | | | | | | | 250 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Previously reported 2006 results have been restated to reflect discontinued operations
Reconciling adjustments from GAAP earnings to ongoing earnings as they relate to the current quarter and information included in the Supplemental Data schedules are as follows:
Intraperiod Tax Allocation
Generally accepted accounting principles require companies to apply an effective tax rate to interim periods that is consistent with a company’s estimated annual tax rate. The tax credits generated from synthetic fuels operations reduce Progress Energy’s overall effective tax rate. The company’s synthetic fuels sales are not subject to seasonal fluctuations to the same extent as the electric utility earnings. The company projects the effective tax rate for the year and then, based upon projected operating income for each quarter, raises or lowers the tax expense recorded in that quarter to reflect the projected tax rate. On the other hand, operating losses incurred to produce the tax credits are included in the current quarter. The resulting tax adjustment decreased earnings per share by $0.12 for the quarter and decreased earnings per share by $0.01 for the same period last year, but has no impact on the company’s annual earnings. Because this adjustment varies by quarter but has no impact on annual earnings, management believes this adjustment is not representative of the company’s ongoing quarterly earnings.
Contingent Value Obligation (CVO) Mark-to-Market
In connection with the acquisition of Florida Progress Corporation, Progress Energy issued 98.6 million CVOs. Each CVO represents the right of the holder to receive contingent payments based on after-tax cash flows above certain levels of four synthetic fuels facilities purchased by subsidiaries of Florida Progress Corporation in October 1999. The CVOs are debt instruments and, under GAAP, are valued at market value. Unrealized gains and losses from changes in market value are recognized in earnings each quarter. The CVO mark-to-market decreased earnings per share by $0.02 for second-quarter 2007 and increased earnings per share by $0.01 for the same period last year. Progress Energy is unable to predict the changes in the market value of the CVOs and, since these changes do not affect the company’s underlying obligation, management does not consider the adjustment to be a component of ongoing earnings.
Coal Mine Discontinued Operations
On Nov. 14, 2005, our board of directors approved a plan to divest of our coal mining operations. As a result, we have classified the coal mining operations as discontinued operations in the accompanying financial statements for all periods presented. On April 6, 2006, we signed an agreement to sell certain
net assets of the coal mining business for $23 million and the sale closed on May 1, 2006. The remaining coal mining operations are expected to be sold in 2007. Discontinued coal mining operations decreased earnings per share by $0.02 for second-quarter 2007 and increased earnings per share by $0.01 for the same period last year. Due to our commitment to dispose of these assets, management does not view this activity as representative of the ongoing operations of the company.
CCO Discontinued Operations
In June of 2007, the company sold nearly all of the remaining Progress Ventures, Inc.’s Competitive Commercial Operations physical and commercial assets, which include approximately 1,900 megawatts of power generation facilities in Georgia, as well as forward gas and power contracts, gas transportation, storage and structured power and other contracts, including the full requirements contracts with 16 Georgia Electric Membership Cooperatives. Discontinued CCO operations decreased earnings per share by $1.25 for second-quarter 2007 and decreased earnings per share by $0.43 for the same period last year. Due to disposition of these assets, management does not view this activity as representative of the ongoing operations of the company.
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This earnings announcement, as well as a package of detailed financial information, is available on the company’s Web site at www.progress-energy.com.
Progress Energy’s conference call with the investment community will be held Aug. 8, 2007, at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). Investors, media and the public may listen to the conference call by dialing (913) 312-1272, confirmation code 5231014. If you encounter problems, please contact Amy Finelli at (919) 546-2233. A playback of the call will be available from 5 p.m. ET Aug. 8 through midnight on Aug. 22, 2007. To listen to the recorded call, dial (719) 457-0820 and enter confirmation code 5231014.
A webcast of the live conference call will be available at www.progress-energy.com. The webcast will be available in Windows Media format. The webcast will be archived on the site for at least 30 days following the call for those unable to listen in real time.
Members of the media are invited to listen to the conference call and then participate in a media-only question and answer session with Peter Scott starting at 3 p.m. ET. To participate in this session, please dial (913) 981-5507, confirmation code 5720194.
Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $10 billion in annual revenues. The company’s holdings include two electric utilities serving approximately 3.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of the Edison Electric Institute’s Edison Award, the industry’s highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence. The company also is the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder’s Award for dedication, commitment and sustained improvement in customer service. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company’s Web site at www.progress-energy.com.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The matters discussed in this document involve
estimates, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statement is based on information current as of the date of this document and speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.
Examples of factors that you should consider with respect to any forward-looking statements made throughout this document include, but are not limited to, the following: the impact of fluid and complex laws and regulations, including those relating to the environment and the Energy Policy Act of 2005; the financial resources and capital needed to comply with environmental laws and our ability to recover eligible costs under cost-recovery clauses; weather conditions that directly influence the production, delivery and demand for electricity; the ability to recover in a timely manner, if at all, costs associated with future significant weather events through the regulatory process; recurring seasonal fluctuations in demand for electricity; fluctuations in the price of energy commodities and purchased power and our ability to recover such costs through the regulatory process; economic fluctuations and the corresponding impact on our commercial and industrial customers; the ability of our subsidiaries to pay upstream dividends or distributions to the Parent; the impact on our facilities and businesses from a terrorist attack; the inherent risks associated with the operation of nuclear facilities, including environmental, health, regulatory and financial risks; the anticipated future need for additional baseload generation and associated transmission facilities in our regulated service territories and the accompanying regulatory and financial risks; the ability to successfully access capital markets on favorable terms; our ability to maintain our current credit ratings and the impact on our financial condition and ability to meet our cash and other financial obligations in the event our credit ratings are downgraded; the impact that increases in leverage may have on us; the impact of derivative contracts used in the normal course of business; the investment performance of our pension and benefit plans; our ability to control costs, including pension and benefit expense, and achieve our cost-management targets for 2007 and 2008; our ability to generate and utilize tax credits from the production and sale of qualifying synthetic fuels under Internal Revenue Code Section 29/45K (Section 29/45K); the impact that future crude oil prices may have on our earnings from our coal-based solid synthetic fuels businesses; the outcome of any ongoing or future litigation or similar disputes and the impact of any such outcome or related settlements; and unanticipated changes in operating expenses and capital expenditures. Many of these risks similarly impact our nonreporting subsidiaries.
These and other risk factors are detailed from time to time in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). All such factors are difficult to predict, contain uncertainties that may materially affect actual results and may be beyond our control. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor can it assess the effect of each such factor on us.
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Contacts: Corporate Communications – (919) 546-6189 or toll-free (877) 641-NEWS (6397)
This financial information should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report to shareholders. These statements have been prepared for the purpose of providing information concerning the Company and not in connection with any sale, offer for sale, or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
