We adopted FAS 123(R) using the “modified retrospective” method. The modified retrospective method requires that compensation cost be recognized beginning with the effective date (a) based on the requirements of FAS 123(R) for all share-based payments granted after the effective date and (b) based on the requirements of FAS 123 for all awards granted to employees prior to the effective date of FAS 123(R) that remain unvested on the effective date. The modified retrospective method also allowed companies to restate based on the amounts previously recognized under FAS 123 for purposes of pro forma disclosures for all prior years for which FAS 123 was effective. Accordingly, we have adjusted our December 31, 2004 Consolidated Balance Sheet to increase “Capital in excess of par value” and decrease “Retained earnings” by $546.
As of September 30, 2005, there was approximately $171 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock-based compensation arrangements granted. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.8 years.
SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
We had $433 in cash and cash equivalents available at September 30, 2005. Cash and cash equivalents included cash of approximately $235, money market funds of $103 and other cash equivalents of $95. The decline in cash and cash equivalents of $327 since December 31, 2004 was due to cash used to meet the financing needs of the business including, but not limited to, payment of operating expenses, funding capital expenditures, dividends to stockholders, repayment of debt, increased tax deposits and payments, repurchase of treasury shares and payment of liabilities (primarily taxes) associated with our discontinued operations. This decline was partially offset primarily by cash receipts from operations and cash received from Cingular. We discuss many of these factors in detail below.
Cash from Operating Activities
During the first nine months of 2005, our primary source of funds was cash from operating activities of $8,383 as compared to $7,533 for the first nine months of 2004. Operating cash flows increased in 2005 compared to 2004 primarily due to retirement benefit funding of $2,232 in 2004, partially offset by increased tax payments in 2005 of approximately $1,053. The 2005 increased tax payments included amounts related to prior year accrued liabilities. The timing of cash payments for income taxes, which is governed by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing jurisdictions, will differ from the timing of recording tax expense and deferred income taxes, which are reported in accordance with GAAP. We also made advance tax payments, which we consider to be a refundable deposit, to a certain state jurisdiction. These payments were made in order to avoid potentially onerous interest and penalties. The issues involved are in dispute and we intend to pursue all procedural options available to us in order to obtain refunds of the amounts deposited. For calendar year 2005, we do not expect our cash payments for taxes to exceed our reported income tax expense.
Cash from Investing Activities
For the first nine months of 2005, cash used for investing activities consisted of:
| • | $3,743 in construction and capital expenditures; and |
| • | $169 related to the acquisition of Yantra Corp., a provider of distributed order management and supply chain fulfillment solutions. |
Capital expenditures in the wireline segment, which represented substantially all of our total capital expenditures, increased by approximately 7.7% for the first nine months of 2005 as compared to the same period in 2004. In response to an improving federal regulatory environment and competition, we announced our Project Lightspeed initiative (see “Other Business Matters”) and expect to spend approximately $4,000 to $4,500 in network related deployment costs and capital expenditures beginning in 2006 through 2008 as well as additional success-based customer activation capital expenditures. We expect total capital spending for 2005 to be at the low end of our targeted range of $5,400 to $5,700, excluding Cingular, substantially all of which we expect to relate to our wireline segment primarily for our wireline subsidiaries’ networks, Project Lightspeed and support systems for our long-distance service. We expect to continue to fund these expenditures using cash from operations and incremental borrowings, depending on interest rate levels and overall market conditions. The international segment should be self-funding as it consists substantially of equity investments and not direct SBC operations. We expect to fund any directory segment capital expenditures using cash from operations. We discuss our Cingular segment below.
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES – Continued
For the first nine months of 2005, cash provided by our investing activities consisted of:
| • | $2,607 of net repayments from Cingular in accordance with the terms of our agreement with Cingular and BellSouth. See our “Cingular” section below for details; |
| • | $98 related to maturities of other held-to-maturity securities, which have maturities greater than 90 days; |
| • | $126 primarily from the sale of shares of Amdocs, Yahoo, the sale of our entire interest in SpectraSite and the sale of a leasing partnership; and |
| • | $37 related to the repayment of a note receivable from an international investment. |
Cash from Financing Activities
We paid cash dividends of $3,196 for the first nine months of 2005 compared to $3,105 for the first nine months of 2004. The $91 increase was due to an increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.3125 to $0.3225 per share approved by our Board of Directors in December 2004. On September 30, 2005, our Board of Directors declared a third quarter dividend of $0.3225 per share, which was paid on November 1, 2005. Our dividend policy considers both the expectations and requirements of stockholders, internal requirements of SBC and long-term growth opportunities. It is our intent to provide the financial flexibility to allow our Board of Directors the opportunity to continue our historical approach to dividend growth. All dividends remain subject to approval by our Board of Directors.
In the first nine months of 2005 we used our available excess cash to reduce our debt levels and repurchase shares of SBC common stock under our repurchase program. Funds from operations were primarily used to repay our current and long-term debt. In the first nine months of 2005, debt repayments totaled $3,779 and consisted of:
| • | $1,656 related to consolidated commercial paper borrowings; |
| • | $1,037 related to debt maturities with interest rates ranging from 6.25% to 9.50%; |
| • | $830 related to our early redemption of debt, which includes $21 of call premiums, with interest rates ranging from 6.24% to 7.25% and original maturities ranging from 2010 through 2033; |
| • | $238 related to the exercise of a put on our 5.95% notes originally maturing in 2038; and |
| • | $18 related to scheduled principal payments on other debt. |
Approximately $43 of long-term debt is scheduled to mature during the remainder of 2005 and approximately $2,600 will mature in 2006. Our consolidated commercial paper borrowings totaled approximately $2,741 at September 30, 2005. All of these commercial paper borrowings are due within 90 days. We continue to examine our mix of short- and long-term debt in light of interest rate trends.
In the third quarter of 2005, we increased our level of share repurchases of our common stock under our existing share repurchase program. Under this repurchase program, we repurchased 20.8 million shares at a cost of approximately $507 in the third quarter and 30.8 million shares at a cost of $742 for the first nine months of 2005. See “Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Securities and Use of Proceeds” for share repurchase details. In addition, we announced that we expect to repurchase $1,000 or more of shares of SBC common stock during the fourth quarter of 2005 and to continue our repurchase program in 2006. On November 2, 2005 we repurchased approximately $378 of preferred stock previously issued by a SBC subsidiary.
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES – Continued
We will fund our 2005 financing activities primarily through a combination of cash from operations, cash provided by Cingular and cash from the disposition of property and other investments. We are also examining opportunities for issuance of debt at favorable rates in order to refinance some of our debt maturities in 2006.
In June 2005, a subsidiary of SBC received proceeds of approximately $234 from a registered offering of 10,000,000 shares of SBC’s common stock.
At September 30, 2005, our debt ratio was 36.6% compared to our debt ratio of 31.2% at September 30, 2004. The increase was primarily due to additional debt of $8,750 we issued in the fourth quarter of 2004 to fund our portion of Cingular’s acquisition of AT&T Wireless. Our debt ratio at December 31, 2004 was 40.0%. The decrease in the debt ratio from year-end is due to the reduction in short and long-term debt of more than $3,700 during 2005.
We have a 3-year credit agreement totaling $6,000 with a syndicate of banks, which expires on October 18, 2007. Advances under this agreement may be used for general corporate purposes, including support of commercial paper borrowings and other short-term borrowings. There is no material adverse change provision governing the drawdown of advances under this credit agreement. We are in compliance with all covenants under the agreement. We had no borrowings outstanding under committed lines of credit as of September 30, 2005.
Pending Acquisition of AT&T
On January 30, 2005, we agreed to acquire AT&T in a transaction in which each share of AT&T common stock will be exchanged for 0.77942 of a share of SBC common stock (equivalent to approximately 19% of SBC’s outstanding shares as of September 30, 2005). In addition, immediately prior to the closing of the transaction, AT&T will pay each AT&T shareholder a special dividend of $1.30 per share. Based on the closing price of SBC common stock on January 28, 2005, the exchange ratio equals $18.41 per share and the total transaction is valued, for purchase accounting purposes, at approximately $16,000, including the special dividend. See “Other Business Matters” for the status of regulatory approvals and other details.
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES – Continued
Cingular
Effective August 1, 2004, we and BellSouth agreed to finance Cingular’s capital and operating cash requirements to the extent Cingular requires funding above the level provided by operations. We and BellSouth also entered into a one-year revolving credit agreement with Cingular to provide short-term financing for operations on a pro rata basis at an interest rate of LIBOR (London Interbank Offer Rate) plus 0.05% and may be renewed annually upon agreement of the parties. In June 2005, this agreement was renewed through July 31, 2007. This agreement includes a provision for the repayment of our and BellSouth’s shareholder loans made to Cingular in the event there are no outstanding amounts due under the revolving credit agreement and to the extent Cingular has excess cash, as defined by the agreement.
Under the revolving credit agreement we received net repayments from Cingular totaling $1,425 in the third quarter and $2,607 for the first nine months of 2005. These amounts were applied first to reduce the outstanding amount of advances previously made to Cingular, which totaled $0 at September 30, 2005 and $1,002 at December 31, 2004 and is reflected in “Investments in and Advances to Cingular Wireless” on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The remaining revolving credit net repayments by Cingular of $1,425 in the third quarter and $1,605 for the first nine months of 2005 were applied as a reduction to our shareholder loan to Cingular, which totaled approximately $4,250 at September 30, 2005 and $5,855 at December 31, 2004.
The upgrade, integration and expansion of the Cingular and AT&T Wireless networks and the networks acquired in a transaction with Triton PCS Holdings, Inc. will require substantial amounts of capital over the next several years. Cingular expects to fund its capital requirements for at least the next 12 months from existing cash balances, cash generated from operations and, if necessary, drawing under the revolving credit agreement with us and BellSouth, mentioned previously. As of September 30, 2005, Cingular has spent $4,505 primarily for GSM/GPRS/EDGE network upgrades with cash from operations, dispositions and, as needed, advances under the revolving credit agreement mentioned previously.
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Dollars in millions
At September 30, 2005, we had interest rate swaps with a notional value of $4,250 and a fair value of approximately $31.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The registrant maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the registrant is recorded, processed, summarized, accumulated and communicated to its management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure, and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. The chief executive officer and chief financial officer have performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2005. Based on that evaluation, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2005.
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Information set forth in this report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially. We claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The following factors could cause our future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:
• | Adverse economic changes in the markets served by us or in countries in which we have significant investments. |
• | Changes in available technology and the effects of such changes including product substitutions and deployment costs. |
• | Increases in our benefit plans’ costs including increases due to adverse changes in the U.S. securities markets, resulting in worse-than-assumed investment returns and discount rates, and adverse medical cost trends. |
• | The final outcome of Federal Communications Commission proceedings and reopenings of such proceedings and judicial review, if any, of such proceedings, including issues relating to access charges, broadband deployment, availability and pricing of unbundled network elements and platforms (UNE-Ps) and unbundled loop and transport elements (EELs). |
• | The final outcome of regulatory proceedings in our 13-state area and reopenings of such proceedings, and judicial review, if any, of such proceedings, including proceedings relating to interconnection terms, access charges, universal service, UNE-Ps and resale and wholesale rates, broadband deployment including Project Lightspeed, performance measurement plans, service standards and traffic compensation. |
• | Enactment of additional state, federal and/or foreign regulatory and tax laws and regulations pertaining to our subsidiaries and foreign investments. |
• | Our ability to absorb revenue losses caused by increasing competition, including offerings using alternative technologies (e.g., cable, wireless and VoIP) and UNE-P requirements, and to maintain capital expenditures. |
• | The extent of competition in our 13-state area and the resulting pressure on access line totals and wireline and wireless operating margins. |
• | Our ability to develop attractive and profitable product/service offerings to offset increasing competition in our wireline and wireless markets. |
• | The ability of our competitors to offer product/service offerings at lower prices due to lower cost structures and regulatory and legislative actions adverse to us, including state regulatory proceedings relating to UNE-Ps and nonregulation of comparable alternative technologies (e.g., VoIP). |
• | The timing, extent and cost of deployment of our Project Lightspeed broadband initiative, the development of attractive and profitable service offerings, the extent to which regulatory, franchise fees and build-out requirements apply to this initiative and the availability and reliability of the various technologies required to provide such offerings. |
• | The issuance by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other accounting oversight bodies of new accounting standards or changes to existing standards. |
• | The issuance by the Internal Revenue Service and/or state tax authorities of new tax regulations or changes to existing standards and actions by federal, state or local tax agencies and judicial authorities with respect to applying applicable tax laws and regulations; and the resolution of disputes with any taxing jurisdictions. |
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS - Continued
• | The impact of the wireless joint venture with BellSouth, known as Cingular, including marketing and product-development efforts, customer acquisition and retention costs, access to additional spectrum, network upgrades, technological advancements, industry consolidation including the acquisition of AT&T Wireless and availability and cost of capital. |
• | Cingular’s failure to achieve, in the amounts and within the timeframe expected, the capital and expense synergies and other benefits expected from its acquisition of AT&T Wireless. |
• | The impact of our pending acquisition of AT&T, including our ability to obtain governmental approvals of the acquisition on the proposed terms and schedule; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the acquisition may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption from the acquisition making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; and competition and its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues. |
• | Changes in our corporate strategies, such as changing network requirements or acquisitions and dispositions, to respond to competition and regulatory, legislative and technological developments. |
Readers are cautioned that other factors discussed in this report, although not mentioned here, also could materially impact our future earnings.
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SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Dollars in millions except per share amounts
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Securities and Use of Proceeds
(a) | During the third quarter of 2005, non-employee directors acquired from SBC shares of common stock pursuant to SBC’s Non-Employee Director Stock and Deferral Plan. Under the plan, a director may make an annual election to receive all or part of his or her: (1) annual retainer in the form of SBC shares or deferred stock units (DSUs) and (2) fees in the form of DSUs. DSUs are convertible into SBC shares. Also under the plan, each Director will receive an annual grant of DSUs during the second quarter. In the third quarter an aggregate of 12,639 SBC shares and DSUs were acquired by non-employee directors at prices ranging from $23.97 to $24.45, in each case the fair market value of the shares on the date of acquisition. The issuances of shares and DSUs were exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act. |
(c) | Issuer Equity Repurchases – In December 2003, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 350 million shares of SBC common stock; this authorization expires at the end of 2008. As part of this program, we repurchased 20.8 million shares at a cost of approximately $507 in the third quarter and 30.8 million shares at a cost of $742 for the first nine months of 2005. Our purchases in the third quarter of 2005 are detailed below. |
Purchase Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Maximum Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs |
July 27, 2005 – July 29, 2005 | 3,750,000 | $ 23.88 | 3,750,000 | 319,000,000 |
August 1, 2005 – August 31, 2005 | 17,010,387 | $ 24.52 | 17,010,387 | 301,989,613 |
Total | 20,760,387 | $ 24.40 | 20,760,387 | 301,989,613 |
Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), are incorporated by reference as exhibits hereto. Unless otherwise indicated, all exhibits so incorporated are from File No. 1-8610.
| 4-c | Guaranty of certain obligations of Ameritech Capital Funding Corp., Illinois Bell Telephone Co., Indiana Bell Telephone Co. Inc., Michigan Bell Telephone Co., The Ohio Bell Telephone Co., Pacific Bell Telephone Co., Southern New England Telecommunications Corp., The Southern New England Telephone Co., Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., Wisconsin Bell, Inc. This guarantee was filed as Exhibit 4-e to Form 10-K for 1999. The appendix has been updated to reflect matured and redeemed issuances. |
| 12 | Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges |
| 31 | Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications |
| 31.1 | Certification of Principal Executive Officer |
| 31.2 | Certification of Principal Financial Officer | |
| 32 | Section 1350 Certifications |
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
November 4, 2005 | /s/ Richard G. Lindner | |
| Richard G. Lindner | |
| Senior Executive Vice President |
| and Chief Financial Officer | |
| | | | | |