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Houston, TX – November 2, 2007 - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today reported net income of $91 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2007 compared to $83 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the same period of 2006.
“I am pleased with our financial results this quarter,” said David M. McClanahan, president and chief executive officer of CenterPoint Energy. “Our performance is consistent with our overall expectations for this year. We experienced solid earnings growth from our investments in our interstate pipelines and field services segments, and our electric and natural gas utilities also continued to demonstrate significant progress.”
For the nine months ended September 30, 2007, net income was $291 million, or $0.85 per diluted share, compared to $365 million, or $1.14 per diluted share, for the same period of 2006. Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2006, were favorably impacted by $126 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, due to the resolution of certain legacy tax issues but were negatively impacted by $21 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, from a settlement related to the company’s 2001 unbundled cost of service order (UCOS) issued by the Texas Public Utility Commission. Excluding the net effect of these items, net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2006, would have been $260 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, compared to $291 million, or $0.85 per diluted share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2007.
OPERATING INCOME BY SEGMENT
Electric Transmission & Distribution
The electric transmission & distribution segment reported operating income of $196 million in the third quarter of 2007, consisting of $155 million from the regulated electric transmission & distribution utility operations (TDU), $11 million from the competition transition charge (CTC), and $30 million related to transition bonds. Operating income for the third quarter of 2006 was $219 million, consisting of $173 million from the TDU, $14 million from the CTC, and $32 million related to transition bonds.
Operating income for the TDU for the third quarter of 2007 was negatively impacted by a rate settlement implemented in October of 2006, partially offset by customer growth of over 47,000 metered customers since September 2006.
Operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, was $457 million, consisting of $335 million from the TDU, $32 million from the CTC, and $90 million related to transition bonds. Operating income for the same period of 2006 was $480 million, consisting of $340 million from the TDU, $44 million from the CTC, and $96 million related to transition bonds.
Natural Gas Distribution
The natural gas distribution segment reported an operating loss of $8 million for the third quarter of 2007 compared to an operating loss of $11 million for the same period of 2006. Due to seasonal impacts, the third quarter for this segment is typically the weakest of the year. The third quarter of 2007 benefited from customer growth with the addition of nearly 48,000 customers since September 2006.
Operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, was $129 million compared to $90 million for the same period of 2006.
Competitive Natural Gas Sales and Services
The competitive natural gas sales and services segment reported operating income of $4 million for the third quarter of 2007 compared to $12 million for the same period of 2006. The decrease in operating income was primarily due to a reduction in locational and seasonal natural gas price differentials. In addition, the third quarter of 2007 included a $2 million gain resulting from mark-to-market accounting for non-trading financial derivatives and a $5 million write-down of natural gas inventory to the lower of average cost or market, compared to a $21 million gain resulting from mark-to-market accounting and a $26 million inventory write-down for the same period of 2006.
Operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, was $56 million compared to $44 million for the same period of 2006.
Interstate Pipelines
The interstate pipelines segment reported operating income of $70 million for the third quarter of 2007 compared to $48 million for the same period of 2006. The increase in operating income was driven primarily by the new Carthage to Perryville pipeline, which went into commercial service in May 2007, increased ancillary services, and settlements of certain state tax issues. The third quarter of 2006 included a gain from the sale of excess gas no longer required following improvements to a storage facility.
Operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, was $166 million compared to $137 million for the same period of 2006.
Field Services
The field services segment reported operating income of $26 million for the third quarter of 2007 compared to $21 million for the same period of 2006. Operating income increased from higher throughput and increased ancillary services, partially offset by lower commodity prices. In addition, this business recorded equity income of $2 million in each of the third quarters of 2007 and 2006 from its 50 percent interest in a jointly-owned gas processing plant. These amounts are included in Other – net under the Other Income (Expense) caption.
Operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, was $75 million compared to $66 million for the same period of 2006. Equity income from the jointly-owned gas processing plant was $6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, compared to $7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2006.
DIVIDEND DECLARATION
On October 25, 2007, CenterPoint Energy’s board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per share of common stock payable on December 10, 2007, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 16, 2007.
OUTLOOK FOR 2007
CenterPoint Energy expects diluted earnings per share for 2007 to be at the high end of its previously provided range of $1.02 to $1.12. This guidance takes into consideration various economic and operational assumptions related to the business segments in which the company operates. The company has made certain assumptions regarding the impact to earnings of various regulatory proceedings but cannot predict the ultimate outcome of any of those proceedings. In providing this guidance, the company has not projected the impact of any changes in accounting standards, any impact from acquisitions or divestitures, or the outcome of the TDU’s true-up appeal.
FILING OF FORM 10-Q FOR CENTERPOINT ENERGY, INC.
Today, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2007. A copy of that report is available on the company’s web site, www.CenterPointEnergy.com, under the “Investors” section. Other filings the company makes at the SEC and other documents relating to its corporate governance can also be found on that site.
WEBCAST OF EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL
CenterPoint Energy’s management will host an earnings conference call on Friday, November 2, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. Central time or 11:30 a.m. Eastern time. Interested parties may listen to a live audio broadcast of the conference call at www.CenterPointEnergy.com/investors/events. A replay of the call can be accessed approximately two hours after the completion of the call and will be archived on the Web site for at least one year.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, interstate pipelines and field services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Assets total over $17 billion. With about 8,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 130 years. For more information, visit the Web site at www.CenterPointEnergy.com.
This news release includes forward-looking statements. Actual events and results may differ materially from those projected. The statements in this news release regarding future financial performance and results of operations and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect actual results include the timing and outcome of appeals from the true-up proceedings, the timing and impact of future regulatory, legislative and IRS decisions, effects of competition, weather variations, changes in CenterPoint Energy’s or its subsidiaries’ business plans, financial market conditions, the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices, particularly natural gas, the impact of unplanned facility outages, and other factors discussed in CenterPoint Energy’s and its subsidiaries’ Form 10-Ks for the period ended December 31, 2006, CenterPoint Energy’s and its subsidiaries’ Form 10-Qs for the periods ended March 31, 2007, and June 30, 2007, CenterPoint Energy’s Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2007, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
