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Shareholders' Equity
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Stockholders Equity Note [Abstract]  
Shareholders' Equity

5. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Spire

Preferred Stock

At September 30, 2019 and 2018, Spire had authorized 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock.

On May 21, 2019, Spire completed the public offering of 10,000,000 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of the Company’s 5.90% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, par value $25.00 per share, with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share (the “Preferred Stock”). The transaction resulted in $242.0 of net proceeds, after deducting commissions and sale expenses, which proceeds were used to (i) refinance long-term and short-term Spire debt and (ii) fund capital expenditures at both the Utilities and Spire’s gas-related businesses.

Dividends on the Preferred Stock, when declared by the Board, will be payable on the liquidation preference amount, on a cumulative basis, quarterly in arrears on the 15th day of February, May, August and November of each year, beginning on August 15, 2019. Dividends will be payable out of amounts legally available for the payment of dividends at an annual rate equal to 5.90% of the liquidation preference per share of Preferred Stock (equivalent to $25.00 per Depositary Share). Dividends will accumulate daily and be cumulative from May 21, 2019.

Under the terms of the Preferred Stock, the Company’s ability to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase or redeem, shares of its common stock or any class or series of capital stock of the Company that rank junior to the Preferred Stock will be subject to certain restrictions in the event that the Company does not declare and pay the full cumulative dividends on the Preferred Stock through the most recently completed quarterly dividend period.

Spire may, at its option, redeem the Preferred Stock (i) in whole, but not in part, at any time prior to August 15, 2024, within 120 days after a ratings event where a rating agency amends, clarifies or changes the criteria it uses to assign equity credit for securities such as the Preferred Stock, at a redemption price in cash equal to $25,500 per share, or (ii) in whole or in part, from time to time, on or after August 15, 2024, at a redemption price in cash equal to $25,000 per share, plus, in each case, all accumulated and unpaid dividends (whether declared or not) up to such redemption date.

Shareholders of the Preferred Stock generally have no voting rights with respect to matters that generally require the approval of voting stockholders. The limited voting rights of holders of the Preferred Stock include the right to vote on certain matters that may affect the preference or special rights of the Preferred Stock. In addition, if and whenever dividends on any shares of Preferred Stock have not been declared and paid for at least six dividend periods, whether or not consecutive, the number of directors then constituting the Board shall automatically be increased by two (to be elected by the holders of the Preferred Stock) until all accumulated and unpaid dividends on the Preferred Stock have been paid in full.

ATM Program

On February 6, 2019, Spire entered into an at-the-market (ATM) equity distribution agreement, supplemented as of May 14, 2019, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0. Proceeds from this program are intended to be used (i) to fund, in part, investments related to the construction of infrastructure and infrastructure improvements in the Utilities, as well as pipelines and storage, and (ii) for general corporate purposes, including repayment of short-term debt and the adjustment from time to time of the Company’s capital structure.

In the year ended September 30, 2019, Spire issued 179,630 shares under this program, generating $14.4 of proceeds net of issuance costs.

Other Equity Information

Spire has a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the issuance and sale of up to 250,000 shares of common stock under its Dividend Reinvestment and Direct Stock Purchase Plan. There were 158,373 and 154,316 shares at September 30, 2019 and November 21, 2019, respectively, remaining available for issuance under this Form S-3. Spire also has a universal shelf registration statement on Form S-3 on file with the SEC for the issuance of various equity and debt securities, which expires on May 14, 2022.

Spire Missouri

Substantially all of Spire Missouri’s plant is subject to the liens of its first mortgage bonds. The mortgage contains several restrictions on Spire Missouri’s ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock or to make loans to its parent company. These mortgage restrictions are applicable regardless of whether the stock is publicly held or held solely by Spire Missouri’s parent company. Under the most restrictive of these provisions, no cash dividend may be declared or paid if, after the dividend, the aggregate net amount spent for all dividends after September 30, 1953 would exceed a maximum amount determined by a formula set out in the mortgage. Under that formula, the maximum amount is the sum of $8.0 plus earnings applicable to common stock (adjusted for stock repurchases and issuances) for the period from September 30, 1953 to the last day of the quarter before the declaration or payment date for the dividends. As of September 30, 2019 and 2018, the amount under the mortgage’s formula that was available to pay dividends was $1,182.4 and $1,097.6, respectively. Thus, all of Spire Missouri’s retained earnings were free from such dividend restrictions as of those dates.

Spire Missouri has a universal shelf registration statement on Form S-3 on file with the SEC for the issuance of various equity and debt securities, which expires on May 14, 2022. Spire Missouri was authorized by the MoPSC to issue registered securities (first mortgage bonds, unsecured debt and preferred stock), common stock, and private placement debt in an aggregate amount of up to $500.0 for financings placed any time before September 30, 2021. As of September 30, 2019, $400.0 remained available under this authorization, subsequently reduced by Spire Missouri’s issuance of $275.0 of first mortgage bonds on November 12, 2019.

At September 30, 2019 and 2018, Spire Missouri had authorized 1,480,000 shares of preferred stock, but none were issued and outstanding.

Spire Alabama

At September 30, 2019 and 2018, Spire Alabama had authorized 120,000 shares of preferred stock, but none were issued and outstanding.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI), net of income taxes, recognized in the balance sheets at September 30 were as follows:

 

 

 

Net

Unrealized

Gains (Losses)

on Cash Flow

Hedges

 

 

Defined Benefit

Pension and

Other

Postretirement

Benefit Plans

 

 

Net Unrealized

Losses on

Available-for-

Sale Debt

Securities

 

 

Total

 

Spire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at September 30, 2017

 

$

4.9

 

 

$

(1.5

)

 

$

(0.2

)

 

$

3.2

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

2.5

 

Reclassification of certain income tax effects

 

 

1.0

 

 

 

(0.3

)

 

 

 

 

 

0.7

 

Balance at September 30, 2018

 

 

7.9

 

 

 

(1.5

)

 

 

 

 

 

6.4

 

Other comprehensive (loss) income

 

 

(36.9

)

 

 

(0.9

)

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

(37.7

)

Balance at September 30, 2019

 

$

(29.0

)

 

$

(2.4

)

 

$

0.1

 

 

$

(31.3

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spire Missouri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at September 30, 2017

 

$

0.1

 

 

$

(1.6

)

 

$

(0.2

)

 

$

(1.7

)

Other comprehensive (loss) income

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

0.4

 

Reclassification of certain income tax effects

 

 

 

 

 

(0.3

)

 

 

 

 

 

(0.3

)

Balance at September 30, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

(1.6

)

 

 

 

 

 

(1.6

)

Other comprehensive loss

 

 

 

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

 

 

 

(0.8

)

Balance at September 30, 2019

 

$

 

 

$

(2.4

)

 

$

 

 

$

(2.4

)

 

Income tax expense (benefit) recorded for items of other comprehensive income (loss) reported in the statements of comprehensive income is calculated by applying statutory federal, state, and local income tax rates applicable to ordinary income. The tax rates applied to individual items of other comprehensive income (loss) are similar within each reporting period. For the periods presented, Spire Alabama had no AOCI balances.