EX-99 2 wec8k021005exhibit99.htm EARNINGS PRESS RELEASE DRAFT 1/18/05

Exhibit 99

 

 

From:  Rick James (media)
           414-221-4444
           rick.james@we-energies.com

           Colleen F. Henderson, CFA (investors)
           414-221-2592
           colleen.henderson@wisconsinenergy.com

February 10, 2005

Wisconsin Energy Corporation posts higher
2004 year-end results

MILWAUKEE -- Wisconsin Energy (NYSE: WEC) today reported 2004 net income of $306 million or $2.57 per share. This compares with earnings of $244 million or $2.06 per share in 2003.

In 2004, the company recorded a gain of $1.28 per share on the sale of its pump and water systems business offset somewhat by non-cash charges of 81 cents per share associated with the company's Calumet and Minergy Neenah facilities, debt redemption costs of 13 cents per share and severance costs of 16 cents per share. In 2003, our earnings were reduced by valuation charges of 32 cents per share offset by a gain of 7 cents per share on the sale of nonutility investments.

Excluding the effect of asset sales, impairment charges and other one-time items, adjusted earnings for 2004 were $285 million or $2.39 per share, compared with $274 million or $2.31 per share, on the same basis in 2003.

Wisconsin Energy also reported fourth quarter 2004 earnings of $93 million or $0.79 per share, compared with $72 million or $0.60 per share for the final quarter of 2003.

Results were higher in the fourth quarter of 2004 because of customer growth, slightly colder weather and the absence of a nuclear refueling outage.

Fourth quarter revenues were $952 million in 2004, compared with $852 million in the same period a year earlier. Annual revenues were $3.43 billion in 2004, compared with $3.31 billion in 2003.

Electricity sales were up approximately 1.5 percent in 2004, despite one of the coolest summers on record. Use of electricity by large commercial and industrial customers grew by 2.5 percent. Wisconsin Energy customers also set a new winter peak demand record on December 22, 2004.

"I am very pleased with our progress in 2004," said Gale Klappa, Wisconsin Energy's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We successfully sold non-core assets, strengthened our balance sheet and improved our operating and financial performance. We also made significant progress on our Power the Future plan. Construction of the first of two 545 megawatt generating units at our Port Washington site was more than 75 percent complete at year-end."

Earnings per share listed in this news release are on a fully diluted basis.

Conference Call

A conference call is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, February 10, 2005. The presentation will review 2004 year-end earnings and discuss the company's outlook for the future.

All interested parties, including stockholders, the news media and the general public, are invited to listen to the presentation. The conference call may be accessed by dialing (800) 811-8824 up to 15 minutes before the call begins. There is no passcode required. Access also may be gained through the company's Web site (www.WisconsinEnergy.com) by clicking on the icon for the "Year-end Earnings Release and Conference Call." In conjunction with this earnings announcement, Wisconsin Energy has posted on its Web site detailed financial information on its fourth quarter and 2004 year-end performance. The materials will be available at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on February 10. An archive of the presentation will be available on the Web site after the call. A replay of the audio presentation will be available for one week after the call.
Dial (888)203-1112. The passcode is 180749.

Non-GAAP Earnings Measures

Adjusted earnings (non-GAAP earnings), which generally exclude non-operational items as well as one-time charges or credits that are not associated with the company's ongoing operations, are provided as a complement to earnings presented in accordance with GAAP. These items are not indicative of the company's operating performance. Therefore, we believe that the presentation of earnings from adjusted operations is relevant and useful to investors to understand Wisconsin Energy's operating performance. Management uses such measures internally to evaluate the company's performance and manage its operations.

Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE:WEC), based in Milwaukee, is a Fortune 500 energy company serving more than one million electric customers in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula and one million natural gas customers in Wisconsin. The company's principal utilities are We Energies and Edison Sault Electric. The company's non-utility businesses include energy development, recycling and renewable energy and real estate development.

One of the Midwest's premier energy companies, Wisconsin Energy Corporation (www.WisconsinEnergy.com) has approximately 5,600 employees, 58,000 stockholders and more than $9 billion of assets.

Forward-looking statements

Some matters discussed above are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions, business and competitive conditions in the deregulating and consolidating energy industry, in general, and, in particular, in the company's service territories; availability of the company's generating facilities; changes in purchased power costs; changes in coal or natural gas prices and supply availability and the ability to recover fuel and purchased power costs; varying weather conditions; risks associated with nonutility diversification; regulatory decisions; construction risks; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals and investment capital to implement the growth strategy; legal challenges to our Power the Future program; equity and bond market fluctuations; foreign, governmental, economic, political and currency risks; and other cautionary factors described in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Wisconsin Energy Corporation's 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2003, and other factors described in the company's subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

WISCONSIN ENERGY CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED INCOME STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Twelve Months Ended

Three Months Ended

December 31

December 31

2004

2003

2004

2003

(Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts)

Operating Revenues

$3,431

$3,308

$952

$852

Operating Expenses

  Fuel and purchased power

593

571

135

132

  Cost of gas sold

891

863

295

240

  Other operation and maintenance

1,003

934

243

231

  Depreciation, decommissioning

    and amortization

327

330

82

82

  Property and revenue taxes

87

82

22

19

  Asset valuation charges, net

150

46

1

9

Total Operating Expenses

3,051

2,826

778

713

Operating Income

380

482

174

139

Other Income, Net

16

42

4

12

Interest Expense

194

214

42

54

Income From Continuing

  Operations Before Income Taxes

202

310

136

97

Income Taxes

80

110

51

35

Income From Continuing Operations

122

200

85

62

Income From Discontinued

  Operations, Net of Tax

184

44

8

10

Net Income

$306

$244

$93

$72

Earnings Per Share (Basic)

     Continuing operations

$1.04

$1.71

$0.73

$0.52

     Discontinued operations

$1.56

$0.38

$0.06

$0.09

Total Earnings Per Share (Basic)

$2.60

$2.09

$0.79

$0.61

Earnings Per Share (Diluted)

     Continuing operations

$1.03

$1.69

$0.73

$0.51

     Discontinued operations

$1.54

$0.37

$0.06

$0.09

Total Earnings Per Share (Diluted)

$2.57

$2.06

$0.79

$0.60

Weighted Average Common

  Shares Outstanding (Millions)

     Basic

117.7

117.1

117.0

118.1

     Diluted

119.1

118.4

118.2

120.0

Dividends Per Share of Common Stock

$0.83

$0.80

$0.21

$0.20

 

 

WISCONSIN ENERGY CORPORATION

SUMMARY OF CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED EARNINGS

(Unaudited)

Twelve Months Ended

Three Months Ended

December 31

December 31

2004

2003

2004

2003

(Millions of Dollars)

Operating Income

  Utility Energy Segment

$529

$544

$166

$155

  Non-Utility Energy Segment

(120)

(62)

7

(12)

  Corporate and Other

(29)

-

1

(4)

Total Operating Income

380

482

174

139

Other Income, Net

16

42

4

12

Interest Expense

194

214

42

54

Income From Continuing

  Operations Before Income Taxes

202

310

136

97

Income Taxes

80

110

51

35

Income From Continuing Operations

122

200

85

62

Income From Discontinued

  Operations, Net of Tax

184

44

8

10

Net Income

$306

$244

$93

$72

 

 

WISCONSIN ENERGY CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

December 31

2004

2003

(Millions of Dollars)

Assets

Property, Plant and Equipment

In Service

$8,238

$8,342

Accumulated depreciation

(3,121)

(3,021)

5,117

5,321

Construction work in progress

602

296

Leased facilities, net

99

105

Nuclear fuel, net

85

78

Net Property, Plant and Equipment

5,903

5,800

Investments

1,025

951

Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

36

28

Accounts receivable

349

334

Accrued revenues

245

212

Materials, supplies and inventories

409

386

Other

137

168

Assets held for sale

-

938

Total Current Assets

1,176

2,066

Deferred Charges and Other Assets

Regulatory assets

850

612

Goodwill, net

442

442

Other

169

143

Total Deferred Charges and Other Assets

1,461

1,197

Total Assets

$9,565

$10,014

Capitalization and Liabilities

Capitalization

Common equity

$2,492

$2,359

Preferred stock of subsidiary

30

30

Long-term debt

3,240

3,571

Total Capitalization

5,762

5,960

Current Liabilities

Long-term debt due currently

101

166

Short-term debt

338

591

Accounts payable

310

248

Accrued liabilities

114

126

Other

129

80

Liabilities held for sale

-

252

Total Current Liabilities

992

1,463

Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities

Regulatory liabilities

922

887

Asset retirement obligations

762

732

Deferred income taxes - long-term

531

571

Other

596

401

Total Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities

2,811

2,591

Total Capitalization and Liabilities

$9,565

$10,014

 

 

WISCONSIN ENERGY CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

Twelve Months Ended

December 31

2004

2003

(Millions of Dollars)

Operating Activities

Net income

$306

$244

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax

(184)

(44)

Reconciliation to cash

Depreciation, decommissioning and amortization

360

360

Deferred income taxes and investment tax credits, net

6

65

Asset valuation charges, net

150

46

Working capital and other

(39)

(141)

Cash Provided by Operating Activities

599

530

Investing Activities

Capital expenditures

(637)

(649)

Asset sales, net of acquisitions and investments

873

48

Other investing activities

7

5

Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities

243

(596)

Financing Activities

Common stock issued (repurchased), net

(82)

56

Dividends paid on common stock

(98)

(94)

Change in debt, net

(654)

121

Other

-

(24)

Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities

(834)

59

Change in Cash From Continuing Operations

8

(7)

Cash at Beginning of Period

28

35

Cash at End of Period

$36

$28

Supplemental Information - Cash Paid For

Interest (net of amount capitalized)

$232

$221

Income taxes (net of refunds)

$81

$92