Entergy Issues Forward Looking Financial Update and Announces $750 Million Share Repurchase Program Authorization
31 October 2009 - 11:04AM
PR Newswire (US)
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Entergy Corporation
(NYSE: ETR) today issued 2010 earnings guidance assuming a business
as usual operation for the full year, as well as post-spin
financial outlooks for Entergy and Enexus Energy Corporation. In
addition, Entergy outlined its preliminary three-year capital
expenditure plan for the period 2010 through 2012. "We continue to
take the actions necessary to complete the planned non-utility
nuclear spin-off," said J. Wayne Leonard, Entergy's chairman and
chief executive officer. "With line of sight on ultimate resolution
in 2010, the Entergy Board of Directors has granted authority for
an additional $750 million share repurchase program, following
completion of an initial $500 million authorization in third
quarter 2009. While it is expected the additional share repurchases
under the new authorization will occur following spin-off
completion in the near-term, consistent with the $500 million
authorization, the incremental $750 million of share repurchase
capacity is supported by the underlying business operations whether
or not the spin-off transaction is completed." Earnings Guidance As
the proposed spin-off date of Entergy's non-utility nuclear
business is not yet known with certainty at this time, Entergy is
initiating 2010 earnings guidance in the range of $6.40 to $7.20
per share on an operational basis, assuming a business as usual
operation for the full year. As-reported earnings per share
guidance ranges from $6.15 to $6.95 and reflects $(0.25) per share
of projected dis-synergies associated with the spin-off and plans
to enter into a nuclear services joint venture. Guidance for 2010
does not incorporate a special item for expenses, which were
incurred beginning in 2008 and are expected to continue in 2010,
anticipated in connection with outside services provided to pursue
the spin-off. The level of these charges in 2010 will vary
depending upon resolution of the spin-off. Post-Spin Long-term
Financial Aspirations The companies continue to aspire to deliver
superior value to owners as measured by total shareholder return.
The companies believe top-quartile total shareholder returns are
achieved by growing earnings, delivering returns at or above the
risk-adjusted cost of capital, maintaining credit quality and
flexibility, and deploying capital in a disciplined manner, whether
for new investments, share repurchases, dividends or debt
retirements. Financial aspirations for the period 2009 through 2014
include the following: Growing earnings: -- Entergy: Double digit
compound annual earnings per share growth over the 2009 through
2014 horizon. -- Enexus: Earnings growth achieved by realizing $2.0
billion of Adjusted EBITDA in 2014 and / or through share
repurchases. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, is
defined as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and
amortization and interest and dividend income, excluding
decommissioning expense and other than temporary impairment losses
on decommissioning trust fund assets. The Adjusted EBITDA
aspiration is expected to be achieved from power price increases on
open positions and / or deployment of capital resulting in
additional EBITDA potential. In addition, Enexus anticipates
periodic return of capital in the form of share repurchases, with
current estimated Adjusted EBITDA levels supporting such
distributions. Capital deployment: -- Entergy: A balanced capital
investment / return program. As outlined in the Preliminary 2010
through 2012 Capital Expenditures discussion below, Entergy sees
continued productive investment opportunity at the Utility in the
coming years. Entergy aspires to fund this capital program without
issuing equity, while maintaining a competitive capital return
program. Given the financial profile of its vertically integrated
utility operation, dividends are expected to be the primary form of
return of capital, with the aspiration to retain its current
dividend level (even after the spin-off of a substantial business)
while balancing future growth thereon with competing investment
opportunities. -- Enexus: A balanced capital investment / return
program. Enexus expects to generate ongoing free cash flow that can
be used for debt repayment, investment and / or distributions
through share repurchases. Given the financial profile of its
merchant nuclear operation, share repurchases are expected to be
the primary form of return of capital. Credit quality and
flexibility to manage risk and act on opportunities: -- Entergy:
investment grade credit -- Enexus: BB / Ba range credit Planned
Capital Expenditures - Preliminary The preliminary capital plan
from 2010 through 2012 anticipates $7.1 billion for investment,
including $2.7 billion of maintenance capital. The remaining $4.4
billion is for specific investments, as well as other initiatives.
Members of Entergy's management will attend the 44th Edison
Electric Institute (EEI) Financial Conference and participate in
meetings on November 1-3, 2009, at which time the information
included in this release will be discussed. Additional information
regarding Entergy's forward looking financial update is available
in Entergy's investor news release dated Oct. 30, 2009 and
accompanying handout material, copies of which have been filed
today with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 8-K and
are available on Entergy's investor relations Web site at
http://www.entergy.com/. Entergy Corporation is an integrated
energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and
retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power
plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating
capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the
United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility
customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy
has annual revenues of more than $13 billion and approximately
14,700 employees. In this news release, and from time to time,
Entergy Corporation makes certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Except to the extent required by the federal securities
laws, Entergy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking
statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There are
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements,
including (a) those factors discussed in (i) Entergy's Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008, (ii) Entergy's Form 10-Q for
the quarters ended March 31 and June 30, 2009, and (iii) Entergy's
other reports and filings made under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, (b) the uncertainties associated with efforts to remediate
the effects of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and the January 2009
Arkansas ice storm and recovery of costs associated with
restoration, and (c) the following transactional factors (in
addition to others described elsewhere in this news release and in
subsequent securities filings): (i) risks inherent in the
contemplated spin-off, joint venture and related transactions
(including the level of debt to be incurred by Enexus Energy
Corporation and the terms and costs related thereto), (ii)
legislative and regulatory actions, and (iii) conditions of the
capital markets during the periods covered by the forward-looking
statements. Entergy cannot provide any assurances that the spin-off
or any of the proposed transactions related thereto will be
completed, nor can it give assurances as to the terms on which such
transactions will be consummated. The transaction is subject to
certain conditions precedent, including regulatory approvals and
the final approval by the Board of Directors of Entergy.
DATASOURCE: Entergy Corporation CONTACT: News Media, Chanel
Lagarde, +1-504-576-4238, , or Investor Relations, Michele
Lopiccolo, +1-504-576-4879, , both of Entergy Corporation Web Site:
http://www.entergy.com/
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