EX-99 2 a10001ex.txt [Logo of Entergy] Entergy Corporation 639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113 Exhibit 99.1 News Release Date: July 5, 2001 For Release: Immediate Contact: Yolanda Pollard (Media) Nancy Morovich (Investor Relations) 504-576-4238 504-576-5506 ypollar@entergy.com nmorovi@entergy.com Entergy Offers Second Quarter Earnings Guidance (New Orleans) - In accordance with Regulation FD, Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) today indicated that it is confident second quarter 2001 operational earnings will be at least 5 percent higher than the current published First Call earnings consensus estimate of $0.91 per share. Entergy cited continued excellent performance in its competitive businesses as the primary reason for its ability to again exceed the market's earnings expectations and offered the following details: - all non-utility nuclear plants continue to perform well and are expected to contribute solid earnings in spite of the impact of scheduled refueling outages during the quarter at the Pilgrim and Indian Point 3 nuclear plants - Axia Energy, the trading arm of the Entergy-Koch venture, is expected to make a strong contribution to earnings in its first full quarter of operations Entergy also noted that second quarter guidance reflects decreased earnings from Entergy Wholesale Operations and the impact of weather, which was essentially normal during the quarter. Entergy reaffirmed its operational earnings guidance for the full year 2001, estimated to be in a range of $3.00 to $3.20 per share. The company indicated that it is confident this range can be achieved, even though there will be no operational earnings contributed by the Saltend plant for the remainder of the year. Entergy announced earlier today that Saltend, a 1,200 MW gas-fired plant in the United Kingdom, is being sold to Calpine Corporation. The transaction is expected to result in a gain to Entergy, which will be treated as a special item as part of 3rd quarter 2001 results. Entergy plans to provide an updated, detailed review of annual earnings guidance in its second quarter earnings release, which is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31, 2001. A teleconference will be held on July 31st at 10:00 CDST, and may be accessed by calling Premiere Conferencing at (913) 981-5508 no more than 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. The confirmation number is 694937. For seven days following the teleconference, a tape delay will be available and may be accessed by dialing 719-457-0820. The confirmation number is the same. Internet users may also access the teleconference by visiting Entergy's website at www.entergy.com. Entergy is a major global energy company with power production, distribution operations and related diversified services. Entergy owns, manages, or invests in power plants generating more than 30,000 megawatts of electricity domestically and internationally, and delivers electricity to about 2.6 million customers in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Through Entergy-Koch, L.P., it is also a leading provider of wholesale energy marketing and trading services. -30- Entergy's online address is www.entergy.com. The following constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements contained in the foregoing release with respect to the revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects and other aspects of the business of Entergy Corporation may involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may, for a variety of reasons, prove to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, estimates and projections. Factors that could influence actual future outcomes include regulatory decisions, the effects of changes in law, the evolution of markets and competition, changes in accounting, weather, the performance of generating units, fuel prices and availability, financial markets, risks associated with businesses conducted in foreign countries, changes in business plan, the presence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive products and pricing; the effect of the Entergy Corporation's policies, including the amount and rate of growth of Entergy Corporation's expenses; the continued availability to Entergy Corporation of adequate funding sources and changes in interest rates; delays or difficulties in the production, delivery or installation of products and the provision of services; and various legal, regulatory and litigation risks. Entergy Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more detailed discussion of some of the foregoing risks and uncertainties, see Entergy Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.