Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) today reported consolidated
results for its 2010 fiscal year and fourth quarter ended September
30, 2010.
- Fiscal 2010 consolidated results,
excluding net unrealized margins were $210.1 million, or $2.25 per
diluted share, compared with $212.6 million, or $2.30 per diluted
share in the prior year.
- After including noncash, unrealized net
losses of $4.3 million, or ($0.05) per diluted share, fiscal 2010
net income was $205.8 million, or $2.20 per diluted share. Net
income was $191.0 million, or $2.07 per diluted share in the prior
year, after including unrealized net losses of $21.6 million, or
($0.23) per diluted share.
- Included in current year net income is
the positive impact of a state sales tax refund of $4.6 million, or
$0.05 per diluted share. Net income for the prior year included the
positive impact of net one-time adjustments of $17.1 million, or
$0.19 per diluted share.
- Atmos Energy expects fiscal 2011
earnings to be in the range of $2.25 to $2.35 per diluted share,
excluding unrealized gains and losses.
For the quarter ended September 30, 2010, consolidated net
income was $1.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared with
a net loss of $16.0 million, or ($0.17) per diluted share for the
same quarter last year. Results include noncash, unrealized net
gains of $1.6 million, or $0.02 per diluted share for the current
quarter, compared with unrealized net losses of $12.2 million, or
($0.13) per diluted share for the prior-year quarter. For the
current quarter, regulated operations incurred a net loss of $4.8
million, or ($0.05) per diluted share, and nonregulated operations
contributed $6.3 million of net income, or $0.07 per diluted
share.
“Fiscal 2010 was an exceptional year and we are gratified to
again deliver on our stated earnings objectives, especially during
these challenging economic times,” said Robert W. Best, executive
chairman of Atmos Energy Corporation. “The predictable and stable
contribution from our regulated operations remains the cornerstone
of our earnings framework, while the nonregulated assets continue
to complement these base earnings. Looking forward to fiscal 2011,
we believe that we are positioned to continue delivering average
annual earnings growth in the 4 percent to 6 percent range,” Best
concluded.
Results for the Year Ended September 30,
2010
Natural gas distribution gross profit increased $24.8 million to
$1,049.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2010, compared
with $1,024.6 million in the prior year. This increase is due
largely to a net $33.7 million increase in rates, primarily in the
company’s Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi service areas and an
$11.2 million increase associated with an 11 percent rise in
consolidated distribution throughput. Partially offsetting these
increases in gross profit was a decrease resulting from the absence
in the current period of a non-recurring $7.6 million adjustment to
the revenue estimate for gas delivered to customers but not yet
billed, which was recorded in the prior-year period. Additionally,
gross profit decreased $7.0 million as a result of the prior-year
reversal of an accrual for estimated unrecoverable gas costs that
did not recur in the current year.
Regulated transmission and storage gross profit decreased $6.7
million to $203.0 million for the year ended September 30, 2010,
compared with $209.7 million for the same period last year. This
period-over-period decrease is due primarily to a $13.3 million
decrease attributable to lower per-unit transportation margins
largely due to narrower basis spreads, and a $2.6 million decrease
due to a 19 percent decline in consolidated throughput. Partially
offsetting these decreases was a $9.3 million increase in revenues
resulting from filings under the Texas Gas Reliability
Infrastructure Program (GRIP).
Natural gas marketing gross profit increased $1.4 million to
$86.0 million for the 2010 fiscal year, compared with $84.6 million
for the prior year. Atmos Energy Marketing’s (AEM) delivered gas
margins decreased $15.8 million year over year due to reduced
per-unit margins and a five percent decrease in consolidated sales
volumes. Additionally, storage and trading margins decreased $0.5
million due primarily to higher storage demand fees paid, partially
offset by an increase in realized storage and trading gains
experienced in the current fiscal year. Offsetting these decreases
was a $17.6 million year-over-year increase in unrealized
margins.
Pipeline, storage and other gross profit decreased $1.4 million
to $28.1 million for the year ended September 30, 2010, compared
with $29.5 million last year. The decrease was due principally to
lower margins earned from storage optimization activities of $4.9
million, a $3.9 million decrease arising from lower physical basis
spreads and lower margins earned under asset management plans of
$2.4 million. Partially offsetting these decreases was a $10.5
million increase in unrealized margins.
Consolidated operation and maintenance expense for the year
ended September 30, 2010, was $468.0 million, compared with $494.0
million for the prior year. Excluding the provision for doubtful
accounts, operation and maintenance expense for the current year
was $460.3 million, compared with $486.2 million for the prior
year. The $25.9 million decrease resulted primarily from lower
pipeline maintenance costs in the company’s Atmos Pipeline-Texas
Division of $14.3 million, a one-time $7.4 million state sales tax
refund and a $4.6 million reduction in legal and other
administrative costs.
Prior-year results include the favorable impact of a one-time
tax benefit of $11.3 million. This benefit arose in the second
quarter of fiscal 2009 after the company updated the tax rates used
to record its deferred taxes. Additionally, fiscal 2009 includes a
$5.4 million noncash charge to impair certain available-for-sale
investments. These items did not recur in the current year.
The debt capitalization ratio at September 30, 2010, was 51.3
percent, compared with 50.7 percent at September 30, 2009. At
September 30, 2010, there was $126.1 million of short-term debt
outstanding, compared with $72.6 million at September 30, 2009.
For the year ended September 30, 2010, the company generated
operating cash flow of $726.5 million, a $192.8 million reduction
compared with fiscal 2009. Operating cash flow for fiscal 2010
reflects the recovery of lower gas costs through purchased gas
recovery mechanisms. This is in contrast to fiscal 2009, when
operating cash flow was favorably influenced by the recovery of
high gas costs during a period of falling prices.
Capital expenditures increased to $542.6 million for fiscal
2010, compared with $509.5 million last year. The $33.1 million
increase primarily reflects spending for the relocation of the
company’s information technology data center, the construction of
two service centers and the steel service line replacement program
in the Mid-Tex Division.
Results for the Fiscal 2010 Fourth
Quarter
Natural gas distribution gross profit increased $5.0 million to
$172.5 million for the fiscal 2010 fourth quarter, compared with
$167.5 million in the prior-year quarter. This increase reflects a
net $5.8 million increase in rates principally in the company’s
Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana service areas.
Regulated transmission and storage gross profit increased $9.6
million to $56.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2010,
compared with $46.4 million for the prior-year quarter. This
increase is due primarily to a $4.8 million increase from the sale
of excess gas, a $3.1 million increase in revenues resulting from
filings under GRIP and a $3.0 million increase resulting from
higher levels of compression activity. These increases were
partially offset by a $1.3 million quarter-over-quarter decrease in
per-unit transportation margins on through-system deliveries,
largely due to narrower basis spreads.
Natural gas marketing gross profit decreased $2.6 million to
$13.4 million for the fiscal 2010 fourth quarter, compared with
$16.0 million for the fiscal 2009 fourth quarter. Realized storage
and trading margins decreased by $19.8 million quarter over
quarter. AEM experienced a decrease in realized trading gains
during the current quarter due to unfavorable natural gas market
fundamentals. This contrasts to the prior-year quarter, where AEM
settled its financial positions and cycled gas during a period of
wider spot to forward spread values. Additionally, delivered gas
margins decreased $3.2 million due to decreased per-unit margins,
combined with about a 2 percent quarter-over-quarter decrease in
consolidated sales volumes. Partially offsetting these decreases
was a $20.4 million quarter-over-quarter increase in unrealized
margins.
Pipeline, storage and other gross profit increased $2.7 million
to $5.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, compared
with $2.3 million for the same period last year. The increase is
due primarily to higher margins earned from storage optimization
activities of $0.6 million and an increase in storage demand fees
of $0.5 million. Additionally, unrealized margins increased $1.4
million quarter over quarter.
Consolidated operation and maintenance expense for the quarter
ended September 30, 2010 was $113.7 million, compared with $128.7
million for the prior-year quarter. Excluding the provision for
doubtful accounts, operation and maintenance expense for the
current quarter decreased $14.5 million, compared with the same
period last year. The decrease is due primarily to an $8.3 million
decrease in employee wages and benefit costs and a $7.3 million
decrease in contract labor costs primarily in the company’s Atmos
Pipeline-Texas Division.
Outlook
The leadership of Atmos Energy remains focused on enhancing
shareholder value by delivering consistent earnings growth. Atmos
Energy projects fiscal 2011 earnings to be in the range of $2.25 to
$2.35 per diluted share, excluding unrealized gains and losses. Net
income from regulated operations is expected to be in the range of
$161 million to $168 million, and net income from nonregulated
operations is expected to be in the range of $45 million to $47
million. Capital expenditures for fiscal 2011 are expected to range
from $580 million to $595 million.
However, the valuation on September 30, 2011, of the company’s
nonregulated physical storage inventory and associated financial
instruments (“mark-to-market”), as well as changes in events or
other circumstances that the company cannot currently anticipate or
predict, could result in earnings for fiscal 2011 that are
significantly above or below this outlook. Factors that could cause
such changes are described below in Forward-Looking Statements and
in other company reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Conference Call to be Webcast November 4,
2010
Atmos Energy will host a conference call with financial analysts
to discuss fiscal 2010 financial results on Thursday November 4,
2010, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The telephone number is
877-485-3107. The conference call will be webcast live on the Atmos
Energy website at www.atmosenergy.com. A playback of the call will
be available on the website later that day. Atmos Energy senior
leadership who will participate in the conference call include: Bob
Best, executive chairman; Kim Cocklin, president and chief
executive officer; and Fred Meisenheimer, senior vice president,
chief financial officer and treasurer.
Highlights and Recent Developments
Leadership Changes
Effective October 1, 2010, Kim R. Cocklin became president and
chief executive officer of Atmos Energy Corporation. Mr. Cocklin
served as president and chief operating officer since October 2008.
In addition, Robert W. Best became executive chairman of Atmos
Energy after having served as chairman and chief executive officer
since 1997.
$200 Million Revolving Credit Facility
On October 15, 2010, Atmos Energy Corporation entered into a
$200 million, 180-day committed revolving credit facility. The
credit facility will expire on April 13, 2011. This credit facility
replaces the company’s $200 million, 364-day revolving credit
facility on essentially the same terms, except for the duration of
the facility.
This news release should be read in conjunction with the
attached unaudited financial information.
Forward-Looking Statements
The matters discussed in this news release may contain
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of
historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking
statements made in good faith by the company and are intended to
qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this
news release or in any of the company’s other documents or oral
presentations, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,”
“expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “objective,” “plan,”
“projection,” “seek,” “strategy” or similar words are intended to
identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this
news release, including the risks and uncertainties relating to
regulatory trends and decisions, the company’s ability to continue
to access the capital markets and the other factors discussed in
the company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. These factors include the risks and uncertainties
discussed in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 and in the company’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended June 30,
2010. Although the company believes these forward-looking
statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they
will approximate actual experience or that the expectations derived
from them will be realized. The company undertakes no obligation to
update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise.
About Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the
country's largest natural-gas-only distributor, serving over three
million natural gas distribution customers in more than 1,600
communities in 12 states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East
to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy also provides
natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial,
commercial and municipal customers primarily in the Midwest and
Southeast and manages company-owned natural gas pipeline and
storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas
pipeline systems in Texas. Atmos Energy is a Fortune 500 company.
For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com.
Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)
Statements of
Income
Year EndedSeptember 30 Percentage (000s except per share) 2010
2009 Change Gross Profit: Natural gas distribution
segment $ 1,049,447 $ 1,024,628 2 % Regulated transmission and
storage segment 203,013 209,658 (3 )% Natural gas marketing segment
85,951 84,612 2 % Pipeline, storage and other segment 28,140 29,496
(5 )% Intersegment eliminations
(1,610 )
(1,692 ) 5 % Gross profit 1,364,941 1,346,702 1 %
Operation and maintenance expense 468,038 494,010 (5 )%
Depreciation and amortization 216,960 217,208 — % Taxes, other than
income 190,507 182,700 4 % Asset impairments
—
5,382 (100 )% Total operating
expenses 875,505 899,300 (3 )% Operating income 489,436
447,402 9 % Miscellaneous expense (339 ) (3,303 ) (90 )%
Interest charges
154,471
152,830 1 % Income before income taxes
334,626 291,269 15 % Income tax expense
128,787
100,291 28 % Net income
$ 205,839 $
190,978 8 % Basic net income per share $
2.22 $ 2.08 Diluted net income per share $ 2.20 $ 2.07 Cash
dividends per share $ 1.34 $ 1.32 Weighted average shares
outstanding: Basic 91,852 91,117 Diluted 92,422 91,620
Year EndedSeptember 30 Percentage
Summary Net Income
by Segment (000s)
2010 2009 Change Natural gas distribution $ 125,949 $
116,807 8 % Regulated transmission and storage 41,486 41,056 1 %
Natural gas marketing 34,059 37,334 (9 )% Pipeline, storage and
other 8,672 17,353 (50 )% Unrealized margins, net of tax
(4,327 )
(21,572 ) 80 %
Consolidated net income
$ 205,839
$ 190,978 8 %
Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights, continued
(Unaudited)
Statements of
Income
Three Months EndedSeptember 30 Percentage (000s
except per share) 2010 2009 Change Gross Profit:
Natural gas distribution segment $ 172,542 $ 167,482 3 % Regulated
transmission and storage segment 56,015 46,397 21 % Natural gas
marketing segment 13,381 16,023 (16 )% Pipeline, storage and other
segment 5,003 2,321 116 % Intersegment eliminations
(398 )
(424 ) 6 % Gross profit
246,543 231,799 6 % Operation and maintenance expense
113,740 128,698 (12 )% Depreciation and amortization 56,753 56,451
1 % Taxes, other than income
35,859
32,672 10 % Total operating expenses
206,352 217,821 (5 )% Operating income 40,191 13,978 188 %
Miscellaneous income (expense) 731 (2,656 ) 128 % Interest
charges
38,891
36,795 6 % Income (loss) before income
taxes 2,031 (25,473 ) 108 % Income tax expense (benefit)
494 (9,521 ) 105 % Net
income (loss)
$ 1,537
$ (15,952 ) 110 % Basic net income
(loss) per share $ 0.02 $ (0.17 ) Diluted net income (loss) per
share $ 0.02 $ (0.17 ) Cash dividends per share $ .335 $
.330 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 89,890
91,617 Diluted 90,454 91,617 Three Months
EndedSeptember 30 Percentage
Summary Net Income
(Loss) by Segment (000s)
2010 2009 Change Natural gas distribution $ (17,328 ) $
(19,961 ) 13 % Regulated transmission and storage 12,497 976 1,180
% Natural gas marketing 2,204 15,858 (86 )% Pipeline, storage and
other 2,561 (609 ) 520 % Unrealized margins, net of tax
1,603 (12,216 ) 113 %
Consolidated net income (loss)
$ 1,537
$ (15,952 ) 110 %
Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights, continued
(Unaudited)
Condensed Balance
Sheets
September 30, September 30, (000s) 2010 2009 Net property,
plant and equipment $ 4,793,075 $ 4,439,103 Cash and cash
equivalents 131,952 111,203 Accounts receivable, net 273,207
232,806 Gas stored underground 319,038 352,728 Other current assets
150,995 132,203
Total current assets 875,192 828,940 Goodwill and intangible
assets 740,148 740,064 Deferred charges and other assets
355,376 358,976
$ 6,763,791 $
6,367,083 Shareholders’ equity $
2,178,348 $ 2,176,761 Long-term debt
1,809,551
2,169,400 Total capitalization 3,987,899
4,346,161 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 266,208
207,421 Other current liabilities 413,640 457,319 Short-term debt
126,100 72,550 Current maturities of long-term debt
360,131 131 Total current
liabilities 1,166,079 737,421 Deferred income taxes 829,128
570,940 Deferred credits and other liabilities
780,685 712,561
$ 6,763,791 $
6,367,083
Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights, continued
(Unaudited)
Condensed Statements
of Cash Flows
Year EndedSeptember 30 (000s) 2010 2009
Cash flows
from operating activities Net income $ 205,839 $ 190,978
Asset impairments — 5,382 Depreciation and amortization 217,133
217,302 Deferred income taxes 196,731 129,759 Changes in assets and
liabilities 83,455 352,131 Other
23,318
23,681 Net cash provided by operating
activities 726,476 919,233
Cash flows from investing
activities Capital expenditures (542,636 ) (509,494 )
Other, net
(66 )
(7,707 )
Net cash used in investing activities (542,702 ) (517,201 )
Cash flows from financing activities Net increase
(decrease) in short-term debt 54,268 (283,981 ) Net proceeds from
issuance of long-term debt — 445,623 Settlement of Treasury lock
agreement — 1,938 Repayment of long-term debt (131 ) (407,353 )
Cash dividends paid (124,287 ) (121,460 ) Repurchase of common
stock (100,450 ) — Repurchase of equity awards (1,191 ) — Issuance
of common stock
8,766
27,687 Net cash used in financing activities
(163,025 )
(337,546
) Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
20,749 64,486 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
111,203 46,717
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$
131,952 $ 111,203
Three Months EndedSeptember 30 Year
EndedSeptember 30
Statistics 2010 2009 2010
2009 Consolidated natural gas distribution throughput (MMcf
as metered) 55,902 56,804 454,175 408,885 Consolidated regulated
transmission and storage transportation volumes (MMcf) 133,473
127,990 428,599 528,689 Consolidated natural gas marketing sales
volumes (MMcf) 86,717 88,126 353,853 370,569 Natural gas
distribution meters in service 3,186,040 3,178,844 3,186,040
3,178,844 Natural gas distribution average cost of gas $ 5.83 $
4.96 $ 5.77 $ 6.95 Natural gas marketing net physical position
(Bcf) 13.7 13.8 13.7 13.8
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