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Atmos Energy Corporation Reports Strong Nonutility Performance For the Fiscal 2006 Second Quarter and Six Months; Sharpens 2006 Guidance.


DALLAS Dallas, city (1990 pop. 1,006,877), seat of Dallas co., N Tex., on the Trinity River near the junction of its three forks; inc. 1871. The second largest Texas city, after Houston, and the eighth largest U.S.  -- Atmos Energy Atmos Energy (NYSE: ATO), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the largest distributor of natural gas in the United States, serving 3.1 million customers nationwide. Atmos acquired TXU's natural gas and pipeline holdings in 2004.  Corporation (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
:ATO ATO Australian Taxation Office
ATO Ambito Territoriale Ottimale (Italy)
ATO Alpha Tau Omega
ATO Air Traffic Organization (FAA)
ATO Arab Towns Organization
ATO Air Tasking Order
ATO Assemble To Order
) today reported consolidated con·sol·i·date  
v. con·sol·i·dat·ed, con·sol·i·dat·ing, con·sol·i·dates

v.tr.
1. To unite into one system or whole; combine:
 results for its fiscal 2006 second quarter and six months ended March 31, 2006.

--For the fiscal 2006 second quarter net income was $88.8 million, or $1.10 per diluted di·lute  
tr.v. di·lut·ed, di·lut·ing, di·lutes
1. To make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water.

2. To lessen the force, strength, purity, or brilliance of, especially by admixture.
 share, compared with net income of $88.5 million, or $1.11 per diluted share in the prior-year quarter.

--Nonutility businesses contributed $34.2 million of net income, or $0.42 per diluted share in the fiscal 2006 second quarter, largely due to capturing favorable fa·vor·a·ble  
adj.
1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds.

2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis.

3.
 arbitrage arbitrage: see foreign exchange.
arbitrage

Business operation involving the purchase of foreign currency, gold, financial securities, or commodities in one market and their almost simultaneous sale in another market, in order to profit from price
 spreads in a volatile With regard to computer memory, it means "temporary" and not "highly changeable," which is the usual meaning of the word. See volatile memory.

1. (programming) volatile - volatile variable.
2. (storage) volatile - See non-volatile storage.
 market coupled with higher transportation and related services margins.

--Utility gross profit for the fiscal 2006 second quarter was negatively affected by approximately ap·prox·i·mate  
adj.
1. Almost exact or correct: the approximate time of the accident.

2.
 $24.3 million due to weather that was 16 percent warmer than normal, as adjusted for jurisdictions with weather-normalized rates. Weather in the Mid-Tex Division was 32 percent warmer than normal, which negatively impacted gross profit in the current quarter by about $17.9 million. Atmos Energy's budgeted earnings for the full 2006 fiscal year reflect 30-year normal weather.

--Second quarter results reflect a $2.7 million adverse impact on gross profit due to the loss of customers as a result of Hurricane Katrina Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. . As previously disclosed dis·close  
tr.v. dis·closed, dis·clos·ing, dis·clos·es
1. To expose to view, as by removing a cover; uncover.

2. To make known (something heretofore kept secret).
, the company projected a reduction in gross profit of between $10.0 million and $12.0 million for the 2006 fiscal year due to Hurricane Katrina. Based upon fiscal year to date results, the company now projects a reduction in gross profit to be only $8.0 million to $10.0 million for the full 2006 fiscal year. The company's budgeted results are based on 30-year normal weather.

For the six months ended March 31, 2006, net income was $159.8 million, or $1.98 per diluted share, compared with net income of $148.1 million, or $1.90 per diluted share for the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share diluted earnings per share

An earnings measure calculated by dividing net income less preferred stock dividends for a period by the average number of shares of common stock that would be outstanding if all convertible securities were converted into shares of
 increased year over year, despite a 4 percent increase in weighted average shares outstanding. The nonutility businesses contributed $56.8 million of net income, or $0.70 per diluted share for the current six-month period. Gross profit at the utility for the six months ended March 31, 2006, was adversely affected by approximately $32.3 million due to weather that was 12 percent warmer than normal, as adjusted for jurisdictions with weather-normalized rates. For the six months of fiscal 2006, weather in the Mid-Tex Division was 26 percent warmer than normal, which accounted for approximately $22.4 million of the reduction in utility gross profit.

"The unseasonably warm winter weather has certainly affected our business, but much of the negative impact of this weather on our earnings was offset by the continued strong performance of our nonutility businesses, especially our natural gas marketing operations," said Robert Robert, Henry Martyn 1837-1923.

American army engineer and parliamentary authority. He designed the defenses for Washington, D.C., during the Civil War and later wrote Robert's Rules of Order (1876).

Noun 1.
 W. Best, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Atmos Energy Corporation. "Almost half of our customer base is in the Mid-Tex Division, which does not have weather-normalized rates. As a result, the full potential of this part of our business has not yet been realized. However, we are working on a solution to decouple our utility margins from weather and ultimately, conservation and regulatory reg·u·late  
tr.v. reg·u·lat·ed, reg·u·lat·ing, reg·u·lates
1. To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law.

2.
 lag."

Results for the 2006 Second Quarter Ended March 31, 2006

Consolidated gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2006, was $405.4 million, compared with $375.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005. The $29.5 million increase in consolidated gross profit reflects improved results primarily in the natural gas marketing segment, partially offset by lower utility segment results.

Utility gross profit decreased $7.4 million to $315.7 million in the current quarter, compared with $323.1 million in the same period last year, before intersegment eliminations. Consolidated utility throughput The speed with which a computer processes data. It is a combination of internal processing speed, peripheral speeds (I/O) and the efficiency of the operating system and other system software all working together.

1.
 decreased to 142.9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the three months ended March 31, 2006, compared with 160.1 Bcf for the prior-year quarter. Approximately $14.7 million of the reduction in utility gross profit and related throughput reflects the adverse impact of weather, as adjusted for jurisdictions with weather-normalized rates that was 6 percent warmer than the prior-year quarter. Additionally, gross profit decreased due to the adverse impact of Hurricane Katrina. These decreases were partially offset by approximately $2.9 million of increased margins arising from rate adjustments under the Texas Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program (GRIP) in the fiscal 2006 second quarter.

Natural gas marketing gross profit was $44.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $11.2 million in the same quarter last year, before intersegment eliminations. The $32.8 million improvement primarily reflects a favorable unrealized margin variance The discrepancy between what a party to a lawsuit alleges will be proved in pleadings and what the party actually proves at trial.

In Zoning law, an official permit to use property in a manner that departs from the way in which other property in the same locality
, compared with the prior-year quarter. For the fiscal 2006 second quarter, the storage and marketing margin of $44.0 million included a positive $12.4 million mark-to-market Mark-to-market

Adjustment of the book value or collateral value of a security to reflect current market value.
 impact, which resulted from the change in value of the physical/financial portfolio from December December: see month.  31, 2005. For the second quarter of fiscal 2005, the storage and marketing margin of $11.2 million included a negative $20.7 million mark-to-market impact, which resulted from the change in value of the physical/financial portfolio from December 31, 2004. As of March 31, 2006, the physical storage position was 23.6 Bcf with equal and offsetting financial hedges, compared to a physical storage position of 12.5 Bcf at March 31, 2005. Consolidated natural gas marketing sales volumes were 69.5 Bcf for the three months ended March 31, 2006, compared with 66.6 Bcf in the prior-year quarter.

Pipeline and storage gross profit increased $4.2 million to $45.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $41.1 million in the prior-year quarter. The increase was primarily attributable attributable

emanating from or pertaining to attribute.


attributable proportion
see attributable risk (below).

attributable risk
 to Atmos Pipeline & Storage, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.

LLC - Logical Link Control
 capturing more favorable arbitrage spreads around its asset management contracts and higher transportation and related services margins in the Atmos Pipeline-Texas Division. These increases were partially offset by decreased throughput, before intersegment eliminations, of about 8.0 Bcf on the Atmos Pipeline-Texas system primarily due to warmer-than-normal weather in the Mid-Tex Division, coupled with the absence of inventory sales of $3.0 million realized in the prior-year period.

Consolidated operation and maintenance expense for the three months ended March 31, 2006, was $112.7 million, compared with $103.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005. Excluding the provision for doubtful accounts, operation and maintenance expense for the three months ended March 31, 2006, increased $4.8 million compared with the prior-year quarter, primarily due to higher employee costs associated with increased headcount head count or head·count
n.
1. The act of counting people in a particular group.

2. The number of people counted in this way.

Noun 1.
 and increased benefit costs. The provision for doubtful accounts increased from $2.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005, to $7.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006. The $4.5 million increase primarily was attributable to increases in the utility segment provision due to the increased risk of collecting higher customer bills caused by higher natural gas prices. In the utility segment, the average cost of natural gas for the three months ended March 31, 2006, was $10.13 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), compared with $7.12 per Mcf for the three months ended March 31, 2005.

Taxes, other than income taxes, for the three months ended March 31, 2006, were $64.8 million, compared with $55.0 million for the prior-year quarter. The $9.8 million increase was primarily related to franchise fees and state gross receipts taxes A gross receipts tax, sometimes referred to as a gross excise tax, is a tax on the total gross revenues of a company, regardless of their source. It is similar to a sales tax, but it is levied on the seller of goods or services rather than the consumer. , both of which are calculated as a percentage of revenue and are paid by utility customers as a component of their monthly bills. Although these amounts are included as a component of revenue in accordance Accordance is Bible Study Software for Macintosh developed by OakTree Software, Inc.[]

As well as a standalone program, it is the base software packaged by Zondervan in their Bible Study suites for Macintosh.
 with the company's tariffs This is a list of tariffs and trade legislation:
  • List of tariffs in Canada
  • List of tariffs in United States
  • List of tariffs in India
  • List of tariffs in China
  • List of tariffs in Russia
, timing differences between when these amounts are billed to customers and when the company recognizes the associated expense may favorably fa·vor·a·ble  
adj.
1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds.

2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis.

3.
 or unfavorably affect net income on a temporary basis. However, there is no permanent effect on net income.

Interest charges for the three months ended March 31, 2006, were $35.5 million, compared with $33.1 million for the prior-year quarter. The $2.4 million increase was primarily due to higher average outstanding short-term debt Short-term debt

Debt obligations, recorded as current liabilities, requiring payment within the year.
 balances used to fund natural gas purchases at significantly higher prices, coupled with an increase in the three-month LIBOR LIBOR

See: London Interbank Offered Rate


LIBOR

See London interbank offered rate (LIBOR).
 rate. These increases were partially offset by $1.2 million in interest savings arising from the early payoff of $72.5 million of the company's First Mortgage Bonds in June June: see month.  2005.

Miscellaneous expense for the three months ended March 31, 2006, was $2.4 million compared to miscellaneous income for the prior-year quarter of $1.0 million. The $3.4 million increased expense was primarily due to a $3.3 million charge recorded during the fiscal 2006 second quarter associated with an adverse regulatory ruling in Tennessee Tennessee, state, United States
Tennessee (tĕn`əsē', tĕn'əsē`), state in the south-central United States.
 related to the calculation of a performance-based rate mechanism associated with gas purchases.

Results for the Six Months Ended March 31, 2006

Consolidated gross profit for the six months ended March 31, 2006, was $752.0 million, compared with $698.0 million for the six months ended March 31, 2005.

Utility gross profit increased to $595.9 million for the six months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $580.4 million in the same period last year, before intersegment eliminations. Consolidated utility throughput decreased to 268.7 Bcf for the six months ended March 31, 2006, compared with 279.0 Bcf for the prior-year period. The increase in utility gross profit primarily reflects higher franchise fees and state gross receipts taxes year over year, which are paid by utility customers and have no permanent effect on net income. Additionally, margins increased by approximately $4.5 million due to rate adjustments resulting from the company's 2004 and 2005 GRIP filings. These increases were partially offset by the negative impact of Hurricane Katrina on the company's operations. Additionally, weather, as adjusted for jurisdictions with weather-normalized operations, was 1 percent warmer than the prior-year period, which resulted in a decrease in consolidated utility throughput and a corresponding $5.9 million decrease in utility gross profit.

Natural gas marketing gross profit was $70.3 million for the six months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $38.0 million in the same period last year, before intersegment eliminations. The $32.3 million improvement reflects Atmos Energy Marketing's ability to capture higher margins in a volatile natural gas market in the storage and marketing operations, partially offset by an unfavorable movement in unrealized margin. For the six months ended March 31, 2006, the storage and marketing margin of $70.3 million included a negative $17.2 million mark-to-market impact, which resulted from the change in value of the physical/financial portfolio from September September: see month.  30, 2005. For the six months ended March 31, 2005, the storage and marketing margin of $38.0 million included a negative $10.1 million mark-to-market impact, which resulted from the change in value of the physical/financial portfolio from September 30, 2004. Consolidated natural gas marketing sales volumes were 140.9 Bcf for the six months ended March 31, 2006, compared with 126.9 Bcf in the prior-year period.

Pipeline and storage gross profit was $85.0 million for the six months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $78.6 million for the six months ended March 31, 2005. The increase was primarily attributable to Atmos Pipeline & Storage, LLC capturing more favorable arbitrage spreads in its asset management contracts, coupled with increased throughput on the Atmos Pipeline-Texas system and higher transportation and related services margins. These increases were partially offset by the absence of inventory sales of $3.0 million realized in the prior-year period.

Consolidated operation and maintenance expense for the six months ended March 31, 2006, was $220.9 million compared with $214.2 million for the six months ended March 31, 2005. Excluding the provision for doubtful accounts, operation and maintenance expense for the six months ended March 31, 2006, increased $0.9 million compared with the same period in 2005. The increase was primarily attributable to a net increase in administrative costs administrative costs,
n.pl the overhead expenses incurred in the operation of a dental benefits program, excluding costs of dental services provided.
 year-over-year. Additionally, the company recognized a $2.0 million charge for Hurricane hurricane, tropical cyclone in which winds attain speeds greater than 74 mi (119 km) per hr. Wind speeds reach over 190 mi (289 km) per hr in some hurricanes.  Katrina-related losses during the first quarter of fiscal 2006; however, this increase was offset by the absence of $2.1 million of merger and integration expenses that were fully amortized in the fiscal 2005 first quarter. The provision for doubtful accounts increased $5.8 million to $16.0 million for the six months ended March 31, 2006, compared with $10.2 million in the prior-year period. The increase was mainly attributable to increases in the utility segment provision due to increased collection risk associated with higher customer bills as a result of higher natural gas prices. In the utility segment, the average cost of natural gas for the six months ended March 31, 2006, was $10.91 per Mcf, compared with $7.16 per Mcf for the six months ended March 31, 2005.

Taxes, other than income taxes, for the six months ended March 31, 2006, were $110.2 million, compared with $93.6 million for the prior-year period. The $16.6 million increase was primarily related to franchise fees and state gross receipts taxes, which do not have a permanent effect on net income, as explained above.

Interest charges for the six months ended March 31, 2006, were $71.7 million, compared with $65.6 million for the six months ended March 31, 2005. The $6.1 million increase was primarily due to higher average outstanding short-term debt balances used to fund natural gas purchases at significantly higher prices, coupled with an increase in the three-month LIBOR rate. These increases were partially offset by $2.4 million in interest savings arising from the early payoff of $72.5 million of the company's First Mortgage Bonds in June 2005.

Miscellaneous expense for the six months ended March 31, 2006, was $2.0 million, compared with miscellaneous income of $1.3 million for the six months ended March 31, 2005. The increased expense was attributable to the aforementioned a·fore·men·tioned  
adj.
Mentioned previously.

n.
The one or ones mentioned previously.


aforementioned
Adjective

mentioned before

Adj. 1.
 $3.3 million charge in Tennessee during the fiscal 2006 second quarter.

For the six months ended March 31, 2006, cash flow generated from operating activities provided cash of $148.4 million, compared with a $400.1 million cash inflow in·flow  
n.
1. The act or process of flowing in or into: an inflow of water; an inflow of information.

2.
 from operations for the same period last year. Period over period, operating cash flow Operating cash flow

Earnings before depreciation minus taxes. Measures the cash generated from operations, not counting capital spending or working capital requirements.
 was adversely impacted by significantly higher natural gas prices, which increased the levels of accounts receivable accounts receivable n. the amounts of money due or owed to a business or professional by customers or clients. Generally, accounts receivable refers to the total amount due and is considered in calculating the value of a business or the business' problems in paying , natural gas inventories and under-collected deferred gas costs compared with the prior-year period. These adverse changes were partially offset by reduced cash margin deposit requirements to collateralize collateralize

To pledge an asset as security for a loan. A loan to a broker is collateralized by pledging securities.
 certain risk management positions.

Capital expenditures increased to $213.2 million for the six months ended March 31, 2006, from $137.5 million for the six months ended March 31, 2005. The $75.7 million increase in capital expenditures primarily reflects increased spending associated with the company's North Side Loop project in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The metropolitan area is further divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving  and other pipeline expansion projects in the Atmos Pipeline-Texas Division, as well as various capital projects in the Mid-Tex Division.

Outlook

Atmos Energy's leadership remains focused on enhancing shareholder value by delivering consistent earnings growth and providing a sound and attractive dividend. As a result of additional short-term Short-term

Any investments with a maturity of one year or less.


short-term

1. Of or relating to a gain or loss on the value of an asset that has been held less than a specified period of time.
 borrowings to fund natural gas purchases and meet working capital requirements Capital requirements

Financing required for the operation of a business, composed of long-term and working capital plus fixed assets.
 during the winter heating season, the debt to capitalization capitalization n. 1) the act of counting anticipated earnings and expenses as capital assets (property, equipment, fixtures) for accounting purposes. 2) the amount of anticipated net earnings which hypothetically can be used for conversion into capital assets.  ratio typically reaches its peak at the end of the fiscal first quarter and begins to trend downward thereafter. At March 31, 2006, the ratio of debt to total capitalization Total capitalization

The total long-term debt and all types of equity of a company that constitutes its capital structure.


total capitalization

See capitalization.
 was 58.9 percent compared with 61.9 percent at December 31, 2005. Atmos Energy remains committed to reducing the debt to capitalization ratio to a targeted range of 50 to 55 percent within two to four years.

The company believes that despite the unseasonably warm weather that negatively impacted its utility results, continued natural gas price volatility Volatility

1. A statistical measure of the tendency of a market or security to rise or fall sharply within a period of time.

2. A variable in option pricing formulas that denotes the extent to which the return of the underlying asset will fluctuate between now and the
 creates the potential for the complementary nonutility businesses to deliver stronger results, thereby partially offsetting the impact of warmer weather on the company's utility operations. As a result, Atmos Energy anticipates earnings per diluted share in the full 2006 fiscal year to be at the lower end of the previously announced range of $1.80 to $1.90. However, changes in these events or other circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact.
     2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or
 that the company cannot currently anticipate, could materially impact earnings, and could result in earnings for the fiscal 2006 year that are significantly above or below this outlook.

Conference Call to be Webcast May 5, 2006

Atmos Energy Corporation will host a conference call with financial analysts to discuss the financial results for the second quarter and first six months of fiscal 2006 on Friday Friday: see Sabbath; week.

Friday

young Indian rescued by Crusoe and kept as servant and companion. [Br. Lit.: Robinson Crusoe]

See : Servant
, May 5, 2006, at 8 a.m. CDT CDT
abbr.
Central Daylight Time


CDT Central Daylight Time

CDT n abbr (US) (= Central Daylight Time) → hora de verano del centro;
(BRIT
. The telephone number is 800-218-9073. The conference call will be webcast live on the Atmos Energy Web site at www.atmosenergy.com. A slide presentation also will be available on the company's Web site, and a playback Playback could mean:
  • The re-playing of recorded media.
  • Gapless playback, the seamless playback of digital audio formats (i. e. ipods, mp3 players)
  • Playback singer, a practice in Bollywood musicals.
 of the call will be available on the Web site later that day. Atmos Energy officers who will participate in the conference call include: Bob Best, chairman, president and chief executive officer; Pat Reddy, senior vice president and chief financial officer; Earl Fischer Fi·scher , Hans 1881-1945.

German chemist known for his research on the components of blood. He won a 1930 Nobel Prize for his work on the synthesis of hemin.
, senior vice president, utility operations; Mark Johnson Mark Johnson may refer to: Academics and scientists
  • Mark Johnson (professor), philosophy professor
Sports
  • Mark Johnson (footballer) (born 1978), Australian rules footballer
  • Mark Johnson (hockey player) (born 1957)
, senior vice president, nonutility operations; Fred (Friendly Rollabout Engineered for Doctors) A mobile medical conferencing unit. See videoconferencing.

1. FRED - Robert Carr. Language used by Framework, Ashton-Tate.
2.
 Meisenheimer, vice president and controller; Laurie Laurie

long in love with Jo March, he begs her to marry him and is rejected. [Am. Lit.: Louisa May Alcott Little Women]

See : Love, Spurned
 Sherwood, vice president, corporate development, and treasurer; and Susan SUSAN Smallest Univalue Segment Assimilating Nucleus
SUSAN Sub Saharan African Network
SUSAN Smart Ultrasonic System for Aircraft NDE
 Kappes, vice president, investor relations Investor relations

The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors.
.

Highlights and Recent Developments

Senior Leadership Changes

On March 31, 2006, Atmos Energy named Mark H. Johnson to succeed the retiring JD Woodward as senior vice president, nonutility operations, effective April 1, 2006. Johnson previously held the position of vice president, nonutility operations and president of Atmos Energy Marketing, LLC.

On April 13, 2006, Atmos Energy announced that Kim Kim

orphan wanders streets of India with lama. [Br. Lit.: Kim]

See : Adventurousness
 R. Cocklin will succeed R. Earl Fischer as senior vice president, utility operations. R. Earl Fischer will be retiring October October: see month.  1, 2006. Cocklin, who will begin transitioning into his new role this summer, joins the company from Piedmont Piedmont, region, Italy
Piedmont (pēd`mŏnt), Ital. Piemonte, region (1991 pop. 4,302,565), 9,807 sq mi (25,400 sq km), NW Italy, bordering on France in the west and on Switzerland in the north.
 Natural Gas Company, where he most recently was senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer.

Missouri Missouri, state, United States
Missouri (mĭzr`ē, –ə), one of the midwestern states of the United States.
 Rate Filing

On April 7, 2006, Atmos Energy announced that it had requested its first gas rate increase in Missouri in more than nine years primarily due to increased operating costs operating costs nplgastos mpl operacionales  and investments to maintain service reliability and safety for its customers. The company asked the Missouri Public Service Commission to increase its revenues in Missouri by approximately $3.4 million, or 5.9 percent. Atmos Energy serves approximately 60,000 residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in Missouri.

Forward-Looking Statements forward-looking statement

A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections.


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 Safe Harbor

1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated.

2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive.
 from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995. When used in this news release or in any of the company's other documents or oral presentations, the words "anticipate," "believes," "estimate," "expects," "forecast," "goal," "intends," "objective," "plans," "projection projection, in psychology: see defense mechanism.


See rear-projection TV, front-projection TV and LCD panel.

(theory) projection - In domain theory, a function, f, which is (a) idempotent, i.e.
," "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 relating to relating to relate prepconcernant

relating to relate prepbezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc 
 the acquisition of the operations of TXU TXU Texas Utilities (Electric and Gas Company)
TXU Transmitter Unit
 Gas, the company's ability to continue to access the capital markets and the other factors discussed in the company's SEC filings. These factors include the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company's Form 10-K Form 10-K

A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information.


Form 10-K

See 10-K.
 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, and the Company's Form 10-Q Form 10-Q

See 10-Q.
 for the three months ended December 31, 2005. Although the company believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will approximate ap·prox·i·mate
v.
To bring together, as cut edges of tissue.

adj.
1. Relating to the contact surfaces, either proximal or distal, of two adjacent teeth; proximate.

2. Close together.
 actual experience or that the expectations derived de·rive  
v. de·rived, de·riv·ing, de·rives

v.tr.
1. To obtain or receive from a source.

2.
 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 about 3.2 million gas utility customers. Atmos Energy's utility operations serve more than 1,500 communities in 12 states from the Blue Ridge Mountains Blue Ridge also Blue Ridge Mountains

A range of the Appalachian Mountains extending from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. It rises to 2,038.6 m (6,684 ft) at Mount Mitchell in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina.
 in the East to the Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountains, major mountain system of W North America and easternmost belt of the North American cordillera, extending more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from central N.Mex. to NW Alaska; Mt. Elbert (14,431 ft/4,399 m) in Colorado is the highest peak.  in the West. Atmos Energy's nonutility operations, organized under Atmos Energy Holdings, Inc., operate in 22 states. They provide natural gas marketing and procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases.  services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers and manage company-owned natural gas pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate in·tra·state  
adj.
Relating to or existing within the boundaries of a state.

Adj. 1. intrastate - relating to or existing within the boundaries of a state; "intrastate as well as interstate commerce"
 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                  Three Months Ended
--------------------                       March 31        Percentage
(000s except per share)                2006        2005      Change
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------

Operating revenues:
    Utility segment                 $1,447,620  $1,235,377
    Natural gas marketing segment      818,629     512,891
    Pipeline and storage segment        45,483      45,546
    Other nonutility segment             1,595       1,278
    Intersegment eliminations         (279,481)   (110,007)
                                    ----------- -----------
                                     2,033,846   1,685,085
Purchased gas cost:
    Utility segment                  1,131,885     912,309
    Natural gas marketing segment      774,652     501,731
    Pipeline and storage segment           211       4,407
    Other nonutility segment                --          --
    Intersegment eliminations         (278,305)   (109,256)
                                    ----------- -----------
                                     1,628,443   1,309,191
                                    ----------- -----------
    Gross profit                       405,403     375,894          8%

Operation and maintenance expense      112,698     103,420          9%
Depreciation and amortization           47,076      45,326          4%
Taxes, other than income                64,796      54,967         18%
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------
    Total operating expenses           224,570     203,713         10%

Operating income                       180,833     172,181          5%

Miscellaneous income (expense)          (2,439)        958      (355)%
Interest charges                        35,492      33,073          7%
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------

Income before income taxes             142,902     140,066          2%
Income tax expense                      54,106      51,564          5%
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------
Net income                             $88,796     $88,502         --
                                    =========== =========== ==========

Basic net income per share               $1.10       $1.12
Diluted net income per share             $1.10       $1.11

Cash dividends per share                 $.315       $.310

Weighted average shares outstanding:
    Basic                               80,573      79,270
    Diluted                             81,040      79,760


                                        Three Months Ended
                                             March 31      Percentage
Summary Net Income by Segment (000s)     2006      2005      Change
-----------------------------------     ------   --------  ----------

Utility                                $54,628    $73,651       (26)%
Natural gas marketing                   21,932      3,791        479%
Pipeline and storage                    12,087     10,638         14%
Other nonutility                           149        422       (65)%
                                    ----------- ---------- ----------
    Consolidated net income            $88,796    $88,502         --
                                    =========== ========== ==========

Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights, continued (Unaudited)

Statements of Income                    Six Months Ended
--------------------                        March 31        Percentage
(000s except per share)                2006         2005      Change
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------

Operating revenues:
    Utility segment                 $2,852,630  $2,149,058
    Natural gas marketing segment    1,920,474   1,006,692
    Pipeline and storage segment        85,195      89,236
    Other nonutility segment             3,087       2,637
    Intersegment eliminations         (543,720)   (193,914)
                                    ----------- -----------
                                     4,317,666   3,053,709
Purchased gas cost:
    Utility segment                  2,256,714   1,568,679
    Natural gas marketing segment    1,850,178     968,688
    Pipeline and storage segment           211      10,628
    Other nonutility segment                --          --
    Intersegment eliminations         (541,430)   (192,283)
                                    ----------- -----------
                                     3,565,673   2,355,712
                                    ----------- -----------
    Gross profit                       751,993     697,997          8%

Operation and maintenance expense      220,915     214,197          3%
Depreciation and amortization           90,336      89,323          1%
Taxes, other than income               110,212      93,622         18%
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------
    Total operating expenses           421,463     397,142          6%

Operating income                       330,530     300,855         10%

Miscellaneous income (expense)          (1,991)      1,343      (248)%
Interest charges                        71,681      65,615          9%
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------

Income before income taxes             256,858     236,583          9%
Income tax expense                      97,035      88,482         10%
                                    ----------- ----------- ----------
Net income                            $159,823    $148,101          8%
                                    =========== =========== ==========

Basic net income per share               $1.99       $1.92
Diluted net income per share             $1.98       $1.90

Cash dividends per share                 $.630       $.620

Weighted average shares outstanding:
    Basic                               80,444      77,290
    Diluted                             80,911      77,769


                                        Six Months Ended
                                             March 31       Percentage
Summary Net Income by Segment (000s)     2006       2005      Change
------------------------------------  --------- ---------- ----------

Utility                               $103,041   $110,674        (7)%
Natural gas marketing                   33,384     17,053         96%
Pipeline and storage                    23,254     19,722         18%
Other nonutility                           144        652       (78)%
                                    ----------- ---------- ----------
    Consolidated net income           $159,823   $148,101          8%
                                    =========== ========== ==========

Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights, continued (Unaudited)

Condensed Balance Sheets
------------------------                    March 31,    September 30,
(000s)                                        2006           2005
                                          ------------- --------------

Net property, plant and equipment           $3,511,042     $3,374,367

Cash and cash equivalents                       48,899         40,116
Cash held on deposit in margin account          13,537         80,956
Accounts receivable, net                       793,019        454,313
Gas stored underground                         440,946        450,807
Other current assets                           195,412        238,238
                                          ------------- --------------

    Total current assets                     1,491,813      1,264,430

Goodwill and intangible assets                 737,495        737,787
Deferred charges and other assets              256,701        276,943
                                          ------------- --------------

                                            $5,997,051     $5,653,527
                                          ============= ==============


Shareholders' equity                        $1,706,291     $1,602,422
Long-term debt                               2,181,120      2,183,104
                                          ------------- --------------

    Total capitalization                     3,887,411      3,785,526

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities       708,134        461,314
Other current liabilities                      380,026        503,368
Short-term debt                                262,315        144,809
Current maturities of long-term debt             3,308          3,264
                                          ------------- --------------

    Total current liabilities                1,353,783      1,112,755

Deferred income taxes                          287,841        292,207
Deferred credits and other liabilities         468,016        463,039
                                          ------------- --------------

                                            $5,997,051     $5,653,527
                                          ============= ==============

Atmos Energy Corporation
Financial Highlights, continued (Unaudited)


Condensed Statements of Cash Flows                  Six Months Ended
----------------------------------                       March 31
(000s)                                              2006        2005
                                                 ---------   ---------

Cash flows from operating activities

Net income                                       $159,823    $148,101
Depreciation and amortization                      90,670      89,800
Deferred income taxes                              58,199      42,605
Changes in assets and liabilities                (167,888)    116,272
Other                                               7,587       3,315
                                                 --------- -----------
    Net cash provided by operating activities     148,391     400,093

Cash flows from investing activities

Capital expenditures                             (213,230)   (137,466)
Acquisitions                                           --  (1,912,532)
Other, net                                         (2,842)     (1,957)
                                                 --------- -----------
    Net cash used in investing activities        (216,072) (2,051,955)

Cash flows from financing activities

Net increase in short-term debt                   117,506          --
Net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt           --   1,385,847
Repayment of long-term debt                        (2,162)     (3,849)
Settlement of Treasury lock agreements                 --     (43,770)
Cash dividends paid                               (50,933)    (49,211)
Net proceeds from equity offering                      --     382,014
Issuance of common stock                           12,053      26,025
                                                 --------- -----------
    Net cash provided by financing activities      76,464   1,697,056
                                                 --------- -----------

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents           8,783      45,194
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   40,116     201,932
                                                 --------- -----------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period        $48,899    $247,126
                                                 ========= ===========

                           Three Months Ended      Six Months Ended
                                 March 31               March 31
Statistics                   2006        2005      2006         2005
----------                ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Heating degree days (a)       1,330      1,422      2,387      2,415
Percent of normal (a)            84%        90%        88%        89%
Consolidated utility gas
 throughput
    (MMcf as metered)       142,873    160,099    268,663    279,034
Consolidated natural gas
 marketing sales
 volumes (MMcf)              69,450     66,644    140,946    126,940
Consolidated pipeline
 transportation
 volumes (MMcf)              83,428     84,208    173,041    156,961
Natural gas meters in
 service                  3,228,708  3,185,612  3,228,708  3,185,612
Utility average cost of
 gas                         $10.13      $7.12     $10.91      $7.16

(a)  Adjusted for weather-normalized operations.
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Date:May 4, 2006
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