8-K 1 d8k.htm CURRENT REPORT Current Report

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2003

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (date of earliest event reported):

August 29, 2003

 


 

Commission

File Number

   Exact name of registrants as specified in their charters, state of incorporation, address of principal executive offices, and telephone number    I.R.S. Employer Identification Number

1-15929

   Progress Energy, Inc.    56-2155481
    

410 S. Wilmington Street

Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1748

Telephone: (919) 546-6111

State of Incorporation: North Carolina

    

1-8349

   Florida Progress Corporation    59-2147112
    

A Florida Corporation

410 South Wilmington Street

Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

Telephone: (919) 546-6111

    

1-3274

   Florida Power Corporation    59-0247770
    

d/b/a Progress Energy Florida, Inc.

A Florida Corporation

100 Central Avenue

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

Telephone: (727) 820-5151

    

1-3382

   Carolina Power & Light Company    56-0165465
    

d/b/a Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.

410 S. Wilmington Street

Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1748

Telephone: (919) 546-6111

State of Incorporation: North Carolina

    

 

The address of the registrants has not changed since the last report.

 

This combined Form 8-K is filed separately by four registrants: Progress Energy, Inc., Florida Progress Corporation, Florida Power Corporation d/b/a Progress Energy Florida, Inc. and Carolina Power & Light Company d/b/a Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc. Information contained herein relating to any individual registrant is filed by such registrant solely on its own behalf.

 


 


ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

 

On August 29, 2003, Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”) announced that it is lowering its corporate credit rating on Progress Energy, Inc., Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc., Progress Energy Florida, Inc. and Florida Progress Corporation (collectively, the “Companies”) to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB+.’ The ‘A-2’ short-term credit ratings of the Companies were affirmed. The outlook of the Companies’ ratings was changed from negative to stable. The new ratings announced by S&P are listed in the table below. S&P indicated that the lower rating reflects weakened financial performance stemming from the economic downturn impacting regulated utilities, compounded by overcapacity in the Southeast weakening the financial performance of Progress Energy, Inc.’s unregulated merchant generation portfolio and high financial leverage. S&P noted that Progress Energy, Inc.’s tax-advantaged synthetic fuels business also has the effect of reducing Progress Energy, Inc.’s cash flow in the near term. S&P further indicated that the stable outlook reflects the stable nature of the Progress Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy Florida subsidiaries and the reasonably predictive financial performance of Progress Energy, Inc. over the next several years. The Companies do not expect these changes to have a material impact on their respective access to capital or financial results.

 

     Standard and Poor’s

Progress Energy, Inc.

    

Corporate Credit Rating

           BBB

Senior Unsecured

           BBB-

Commercial Paper

           A-2

Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.

    

Corporate Credit Rating

           BBB

Commercial Paper

           A-2

Senior Secured Debt

           BBB

Senior Unsecured Debt

           BBB

Subordinate Debt

    

Preferred Stock

           BB+

Progress Energy Florida, Inc.

    

Corporate Credit Rating

           BBB

Commercial Paper

           A-2

Senior Secured Debt

           BBB

Senior Unsecured Debt

           BBB

Preferred Stock

           BB+

Florida Progress Corporation

    

Corporate Credit Rating

           BBB

Commercial Paper

           A-2

FPC Capital I

    

Preferred Stock*

           BB+

Progress Capital Holdings, Inc.

    

Senior Unsecured Debt*

           BBB-
      

*Guaranteed by Florida Progress Corporation

    

 


SIGNATURES

 

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 hereunto duly authorized.

 

PROGRESS ENERGY, INC.

FLORIDA PROGRESS CORPORATION

FLORIDA POWER CORPORATION

CAROLINA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY

Registrants

By:

 

/s/    Robert H. Bazemore, Jr.        


   

Robert H. Bazemore, Jr.

Vice President and Controller

 

Date: September 2, 2003